LEADING STANDARD VARIETIES 



ing demand fqr what, without doubt, is the best all purpose 

 fovsrl today, and whose breeding to standard requirements means 

 the utilizing of all the scientific knowledge and mental capacity 

 that those who breed them possess. 



As I said above, it has been about fifteen years now that 

 I have been singing the praises of the White Wyandotte and 

 while the story must of a necessity be much the same, it must 

 convince readers that the bird has of a truth "made good" and 

 in many ways has made great gains, otherwise the thousands of 

 breeders of this and other va^i^ties would have discovered the 

 falsity of these claims. 



In closing I can only suggest to my readers to do what 

 seems, at this time, to be the fashion — investigate these claims. 

 Our President, our Secretaries, our Senate, in fact everybody in 

 every walk in life feels they must do that with which the very 

 atmosphere seems charged — investigate — so let me suggest what 

 lines you should follow: For market worth; the laying quali- 

 ties — ^number of eggs, color of shells, and quality of egg; the best 

 of sitters (but easily broken up and careful mothers); plump, 

 qxiick grown broilers; hardy full-breasted roasters with a small 

 amount of offal; hardy chicks. Their eggs will compare favor- 

 ably with those of the Leghorns for ease with which the chick is 

 finally excluded at the end of three weeks incubation. The 

 square built hardy growing chicken, coming to an early maturity, 

 the female producing an exceptionally large number of eggs. 

 Breeding birds always in demand at highest prices. As show 

 birds they occupy today the centre of the stage and command 

 the top prices for show specimens of merit, that mpre than 

 compare with any variety, or breed. As I have always claimed, 

 they are the handsomest birds with pure white plumage, bright 

 red comb and face, and yellow legs, a combination that must 

 please. A word more, "Handsome is that handsome does," 

 is a fitting cUmax to our argument. 



SILVER WYANDOTTES 



While possessing all the requisites of a general purpose 

 fowl of exceptional merit the Silver Wyandottes are primarily 

 and will probably remain an ideal "fancier's fowl." It takes 

 the ingenuity of the most skillful breeders to maintain them at 

 the highest standard of excellence. In short, as a show bird they 

 are difficult to breed to such a, state of perfection as to win in 

 the competition they must meet. This is just what the true 

 fancier enjoys. Honors that come easy are not valued highly. 

 Where recognition in the show room must be won by good hard 

 brain work in selection and handUng of the breeding stock, that 

 is where real pleasure comes to the fancier. He enjoys the 

 trophies of a well fought battle all the more because of the good 

 hard work in the breeding yards and with the growing stock. 



Silver Wyandottes came into being early in the seventies 

 or late sixties and were originally known as American Sebrights. ■ 

 In some sections of the country they are extensively kept by 

 the farmers and are very popular with them. This was the 

 original Wyandotte • variety and at one time enjoyed a most 

 vigorous boom. The White Wyandottes, true sports from the 

 Silvers, being developed and judiciously advertised as a general 

 purpose fowl without an equal, and not without substantial 

 evidence of the truth of the statement, soon after the beginning 

 of the boom in Silvers did much to divert attention from the 

 parti-colored variety, so much so that the Whites completely 

 outstripped the Silvers in the race for first place in popular 

 favor and became a formidable competitor of the Barred Rocks. 

 This did not prevent the Silvers from gaining and keeping many 

 friends and supporters, and today the breeders of this variety 

 are aU staunch advocates of its good qualities both for beauty 

 and utility. Exhibition specimens are in demand and bring 

 fancy prices. As a fowl for the beginner who wishes to study 

 mating parti-colored birds for results in standard requirements, 



this variety is sure to please. On the' city or town lot where 

 dvist, smoke and dirt has to be considered arid where white 

 fowls will not keep clean, there is no variety that will sooner 

 find favor or be more certain to please. The beautiful rich 

 black and silver-white color combinations in this variety are 

 always a delight to the eyes. 



These birds stand confinement well, are hardy, active and 

 vigorous, good layers of brown eggs. PuUets mature at six 

 months and are fine winter layers. Hens make fine sitters and 

 mothers. Cockerels are mature at nine to ten months old. As 

 a meat breed they are a little slower to mature than the white 

 variety, but are of excellent quality, the only drawback being 

 the dark pin feathers. 



BUFF WYANDOTTES 



In the early nineties Buff Wyandottes began to be regarded 

 seriously as a breed with a "future." Their development dur- 

 ing the years immediately succeeding was normal. Popularity 

 came to them as they eaoned it and clung to them because they 

 stood the test. Yet merit is not spontaneous, but must be 

 developed and brought out by careful handUng. In fact, the 

 success of a breed, or variety, is said to depend largely upon 

 the ability and energy of its breeders. In this particular. Buff 

 Wyandottes have been more than ordinarily fortvmate. Some 

 of the brainest men in the fancy have given thought, effort anJi 

 money to improve them. 



While perfecting their shape and color, in aocordaince with 

 the requirements of the Standard, breeders have not neglected 

 the laying and meat producing qualities of their strains. Buff 

 Wyandottes will make a profit on market eggs alone and they 

 grow fast, make good broilers and plump, fuU breasted roasters. 



Their attractive golden-buff plumage, with bright yellow 

 skin and legs, marks them as destined to reach the first rank in 

 popular favor. The Buff Wyandottes undoubtedly had several 

 different origins, some being produced by a Wyandotte-Buff 

 Cochin cross, others by crossing Rhode Island Reds and Wyan- 

 dottes, and still other crosses were used before this desirable 

 breed as we now have it, was produced. 



The Buff Wyandotte, more than any of the other Wyandotte 

 varieties, is more closely related to the Asiatic family, as Buff 

 Cochins were much used in the formation of this breed in order 

 to get the desired coloring. The Rhode Island Red also entered 

 largely into the Buff Wyandotte ancestry, thus increasing the 

 tendency to the Asiatic form, as the Rhode Island Reds were 

 themselves principally descended from the Asiatics. The Buffs 

 mature early, pullets laying at six months old. Cockerels are 

 mature at nine to eleven months old. They possess all the other 

 good qualities of Whites and Silvers. 



NEW VARIETIES 



Columbian, Silver Penciled, and Partridge Wyandottes, and 

 Plymouth Rocks, are among the newer aspirants for pubho 

 favor and are being shown at all the large exhibitions in increas- 

 ing numbers. Their sponsors claim for them all of the meritor- 

 ious features, as general purpose fowls, that are possessed by 

 older representatives of the breeds. 



Undoubtedly the Columbians are destined to become the 

 most popular and it remains to be seen whether the rose comb of 

 the Wyandotte or the single comb of the Rock will gain pre- 

 cedence. At present writing the Columbian Wyandotte seems 

 to have a good lead. They are being bred to good size and 

 shape and their corttpact shape and small neat combs make them 

 very attractive. Briefly the Columbian Wyandotte is a bird 

 having Wyandotte shape, with the beautiful black and white 

 combination known as Light Brahma colored plumage and clean 

 yellow legs. They are said to be excellent layers of brown eggs, 

 good sitters and mothers. Pullets mature to lay at six months 

 old and cockerels are mature at nine to ten months old. 



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