ASIATIC BANTAMS. 



The Experiences of Successful Breeders— How to Mate and Judge Asiatic Bantams— Their Food and 



Care — Comparison of Brahmas and Cochins, with Full Description of 



English and American Requirements. 



Brahmas (Light, Dark and Buff). Cochins (Buff, Partridge, Cuclioo, Black end White); Japanese (Black'Tailed White, Black, 

 White, and Gray); Frizzles (White, Black end Buff); Rumpless; and Burmese. 



Jlf) E NOW have Bantams to conform to each fit the 

 Asiatic varieties — both varieties of Brahmas, 

 and four varieties of Cochin Bantams; also Mr. 

 Hughes' Langshan Bantams. These are all of 

 type and quality to conform to our American 

 standard. This the result of effort put forth by 

 our earnest fanciers, who never rest content till 

 all peculiarities are removed or changed that do not meet 

 the demands of our standard. Of all things in these varieties, 

 the type of the breed which they miniature should be fol- 

 lowed. Have true Brahma shape and color in the Brahma 

 Bantams, and see to it that your Cochin Bantams are true 

 to Cochin form and color. 



BRAHMA BANTAMS. 



An English writer, in describing Brahma Bantams, tells 

 us that in shape they should resemble the Cochin Bantams as 

 near as possible, with the exception that the Brahma Ban- 

 tam should be a trifle higher on the legs, and the hens longer 

 in back and tail. This is true of all that have come from 

 England here; but in our opinion, as based on the American 

 standard, this is not proper, and our breeders are doing all 

 thoy can to have the Brahma Bantams of American Brahma 

 form; and while the task is a hard one — as we had only the 

 English type of birds to begin with — the changes are com- 

 ing each year more and more Into this form. During the 

 winter of 1901-1902, beginning with the Buffalo Pan-Ameri- 

 can display and continuing on through the winter, the qual- 

 ity shown was far nearer our Brahma type than ever before; 

 and those that we have seen this fall (1902) Indicate still 

 closer resemblance. 



Of all things we should get rid of the extended hock 

 in Brahma Bantams. We must not lose sight of the fact 

 that our Standard calls vulture hocks a disqualification; and 

 while the thigh may be well covered with soft feathers, stiff 

 extended hocks are wrong and against the Standard law. 

 The most beautiful and best finished Brahma Bantam has 

 the nicely rounded hock. While we should be as lenient 

 with them as possible until these new varieties are better 

 finished, we should discourage all tendency toward vulture 

 hocks. 



Following this in importance is size. We should begin 

 to breed within the weights demanded by our standard, and 

 not allow those of over weight to win simply because they 

 are the best in shape or color. Three pound Bralima colored 

 fowls are not Brahma Bantams. They are under-sized Brah- 

 mas, and should not be classed with Bantams. Nor should 

 the Bantam clubs allow such to compete. 



In describing Brahma Bantams as bred in England, Mr. 

 Pioud writes as follows: 



"The ligiht cock should have a triple or pea comb; face 

 and wattles red; hackles, silvery white, striped with black 

 towards the bottom; the back, wings, shoulders, breast and 

 thighs, white; tail, black; the top outer feathers, or what 

 are termed hangers, slightly edged with white; legs, yellow, 

 heavily feathered with white feathers to end of middle toe, 

 the more free from black the better; beak, yellow, to match 

 the legs; eyes, red or yellow. 



"The hen is white in body, with neck tackle also white, 

 but plainly striped with black; the wings when opened out 

 should show black in primaries, and also la under-second- 

 aries; tail, also black, to match the cock; legs, feet and bea^, 

 yellow, and well furnished with wliite feathers to end of 

 toes; eyes, red or yellow." . . 



While this described them as they come to us from En- 

 gland, such hackle marking as he describes in the male 

 would not meet our demand. We must have the entire hackle 

 striped, as in our large Brahmas. or they fail in color. The 

 lesser covert, too must be edged with white. 



The same writer descrijjes Dark Brahma Bantams as 

 follows: 



"The Dark Brahma cock should have a triple or pea 

 comb; face, red, also wattles and lobes, latter free from 

 white; beak and legs, yellow or horn color; neck hackle, 

 silvery white, striped with black, the stripe to be broader 

 towards the bottom of hackle; breast, thighs, leg and foot 

 feathering, tail, wing, butts, and shoulders, sound black; 

 wing bow,' back, and shoulders, silvery white; the saddle 

 hackle same color, but with distinct black striping; wing 

 bar and tail hangers, rich green-black; the leg and foot 

 feathering to be a sound black as long as possible — the less 

 white in foot feather the better, although it is a difficult 

 matter to get the foot feather absolutely sound in either 

 color, as black will invariably show in the foot feather of the 

 Lights, but it should always be guarded against when mating 

 up the breeding pen. This only refers to the cocks, as the 

 hens are generally fairly sound in this respect. The dark 

 hen should be identically the same as the cock in the face, 

 eyes and leg; hackle, silvery- white ground color distinctly 

 striped with black; tail, also black; body, breast and wing- 

 color to. be a nice steel-gray color, penciled with black, the 

 penciling to be as distinct and as even as possible, and con- 

 tinued right up to the throat and out toward the fluff behind 

 the legs; the penciling and ground color being the chief and 

 most important parts in Dark Brahma, together with length 

 of feather, which should be as long as possible and carried 

 right to the end of middle toe." 



