10 



THE BANTAM FOWI,. 



MR, S. WALKER ANDERSON'S 

 BIRCHEN GAME BANTAMS. 



breed from females that show good lacing on back and wing 

 bows. Never discard a female that is well laced on back and 

 wings, for she is of great value to improve the color of 

 males. Cockerels that show too light color on back often 

 make the best cock birds, having a tendency to grow darker 

 each year. A true colored young bird is often too dark as a 

 two-year-old. Some use GrOlden Duckwing blood to improve 

 the color, but it is far better to use females as above men- 

 tioned, and thus save much trouble for years to come. 



It is always best to adhere closely as possible to ideal 

 colored specimens in breeding for color. 



We know that some advocate separate pens tor produc- 

 ing males and females. To do this the fol- 

 lowing advice given by a recent writer 

 should be well considered: 



'Select the most perfect colored male 

 bird; one possessing that beautiful pale 

 lemon top color, and plenty of it. Should like 

 him to have all the breast lacing possible, 

 but at the same time should like the lacing 

 to be clear and distinct, and yet possessing 

 black shoulder butts free from lacing. An- 

 other important point to look for is a sound 

 dark eye — the blacker the better. Never 

 breed from a light-eyed bird. The pullets 

 to mate with this bird should be as tall as 

 possible, tight in feather, and as pale in neck 

 hackle as possible, care being taken to see 

 that the pale lemon is continued to the top of 

 the head; this is one of the great secrets to 

 obtain bright colored cockerels. 



"If you want bright colored cockerels, 

 never use dark capped pullets or hens. See 

 that they are clear lemon right up to the 

 comb. Never mind if they are laced on the 

 back, all the better, as you will get more 

 color in your cockerels; and although the 

 pullets from this pen will be useless as show 

 specimens, they are iuvaluabte as cocfc 



breeders; and should some of. them come with bright pale 

 hackles, laced on back, and continued on to the wing or sad- 

 dle, guard these in the same way as you would a Klondylse 

 claim, for there is gold in them as cockerel breeders, al- 

 though in other respects they are \\^orthless. 



"The next season it would be advisable to put these 

 pullets back to the sire, and put the best cockerel of that 

 season's breeding back to the hens. In breeding for pullets 

 it is not necessary to have the cock bird so pale in color as 

 the cockerel breeder. One of the orange shade, or even 

 darker, would be preferable. Oare must be taken to see that 

 he is sound in eye, very clear in lacing on breast, and that 

 the lacing is carried well down to the thighs, and not 

 patchy or irregular. With him mate fo.ur or five pullets or 

 hens that are perfectly sound in body color, quite free from 

 lacing on back, yet well laced on breast. This is absolutely 

 necessary in pullet breeding. The hackle should be as clear 

 almost and as bright as the pullets I have already described. 

 In fact, pullets for pullet breeding should approach as near 

 as possible to the exhibition standard. From this pen I 

 should look for the very best colored pullets, but the cock- 

 erels would be found deficient in color." 



In addition to these matings, some make use of the 

 cross with the Birchen to secure the pale lemon color; 

 Birchens, being partly Duckwing blood, help in this way, 

 but they bring bad features in shanks, which give consider- 

 able trouble to root out. The best way to secure good last- 

 ing color is to continue year by year to select and breed 

 together the best you can find. 



Mr. B. C. Thornton writes of Brown-Red Game Ban- 

 tams: 



"They are fast gaining ground with American fanciers, 

 and some of the best from the other side are being trans- 

 ferred to the yards «f American Game Bantam breeders. 

 The fashionable color of to-day in the male bird is the 

 bright lemon hackle and saddle, and as near to that color as 

 possible on back and wing-bow; fine, narrow lacing on 

 breast, coming well down to the thigh; body color and tail 

 hard, glossy black. 



"The female, in body and tail, should be short, hard- 



3P=- 



BIRCHEN GAME BANTAMS. 



