12 



THE BANTAM FOWL- 



PAIR OF DUCKWING GAME BANTAMS. 



is harder to produce in 

 perfection than the 

 Duckwing. They must 

 be crossed with the 

 Black-Reds to keep up 

 the color of the males, 

 and this must be done 

 in an understanding 

 way or bad results will 

 follow. Do not select 

 them as a breed easy 

 to handle, for they are 

 a work of art from the 

 hand of an artist who 

 has well in hand the 

 blood lines of his differ- 

 ent matings. Do not be 

 surprised if the progeny 

 of a well selected pen 

 of Duckwings disap- 

 point you. It is quite 

 essential to know their 

 breeding to handle them 

 for best results. , 



In England the Gold- 

 en Duckwing only is 

 recognized as a show 

 bird. The Silvers are counted as a side-line or weak-colored 

 offshoots from the Goldens. 



We shall describe the Golden Duckwing as demanded 

 by the English standard: 



"Shape, same as a Black-Red; shoulder color, deep 

 straw, shaded with maroon, which gives a bright brassy 

 color as you look across the back towards the tail; neck 

 and saddle, a browny white with as little marking as possi- 

 ble. The pullets should be a pale steel color with salmon 

 breast." 



With us, we have both the Golden and Silver Duckwing, 

 and the class of each is as noted in the name. The one has 

 the golden or straw color markings, while the other has the 

 silvery white markings, and no striping in the neck of either. 

 It is quite usual to have both Golden and Silver Duck- 

 wings from the one mating. It is also unusual to see a real 

 fine, clear, clean marked Silver male, as nearly all of them 

 have the golden shading on the wing-bow, if nowhere else. 

 If it is our intention to encourage both, we should be more 

 stringent as to the color of both male and female, for the 

 mixed colors are neither attractive nor complimentary to 

 those who breed them. It should be the purpose of all the 

 Game Bantam breeders to have these color markings held 

 closer to the line of true color. 



Mr. Thornton writes of Golden and Silver Duckwing 

 Bantams as follows: 



"They originally were the result of breeding a Black- 

 Breasted Red cock to Silver Duckwing females. They are 

 now bred as a distinct strain and reproduce very true to 

 name and color. A very bright colored Black-Breasted Red 

 male is sometimes used to secure good color in cockerels. 

 Females from this cross are generally Black-Breasted Red 

 in color, and are only valuable when mated to true colored 

 Duckwing males to improve the color. 



"Silver Duckwing Game Bantams were the old-time 

 birds. They are bred extensively in America, but little in 

 England. They are really a handsome bird when of a pure 

 silvery white; much more beautiful than the Golde'nT No 

 Game Bantam is more beautiful than a iine Silver Duckwing, 

 and a female of this variety is the most beautiful of all 

 Game Bantams." 



RED PILE BANTAMS. 



The Pile Game Bantam cock, when bred to the true type 

 of form and color, is one of the most beautiful of all Game 

 Bantam males, and many assert he is the most beautiful. He 

 is red and white, as the Black-Red is red and black. If the 

 red is of a bright crimson, and the white a pure, clear 

 white, the combination is most attractive. Yellow legs and 

 beaks are most essential to a perfect make-up. Bad or off- 

 coloring of any kind is quite objectionable, and while dark 

 markings are not a disqualification, they detract from the 

 beauty of the bird. 



The female should be pure white, with a golden hackle 

 centered with white, and a salmon throat and breast, the 

 color shading into white on thighs and belly; the purer 

 and clearer these colors, the better. The breast color should 

 not be of a reddish brown, but salmon of a red shade of 

 color. The tendency of the female is to run light in color 

 when produced from Pile matings. This can be improved 

 in many ways, but the better way for general purposes is 

 to breed from females quite dark on breast and with red 

 markings on wings. These birds show the strength of color 

 as derived from the Black-Red cross, and will improve color 

 without so much injury to the leg color. But to produce 

 and maintain a strain of high-class Piles one must certainly 

 feed into their veins some Black-Red blood. This should 

 come from a male with yellow legs and as pure and even a 

 color as possible. Many rules for breeding these birds are 

 given, but the safest and surest way is to use the most per- 

 fect males of the deepest red shade, with females having too 

 much color for your cockerels, and 'with almost white fe- 

 males for your pullets. This will secure a general average 

 of quality and many good birds of both sexes. When the 

 color fa;ils, introduce new blood as above mentioned and use 

 the product of the cross to improve color. 



;:Jll 





PUCKWIUG GAiSr. 5ANTAM COCK. 



