t4 



THE ORPINGTONS 



tons, but don't think you can step into success all at 

 once. I repeat, it takes thought, application and work, 

 and I might add — time, to build up a paying business. 



The Golden Rule in breeding Buffs is: — The male 

 transmits type and color; the female transmits size. Fol- 

 low this rule carefully and you will succeed. Like all 

 good rules, it has exceptions. Here is the important one; 

 do not breed males and females widely different in color. 

 A golden buff male mated to dark females will never 

 produce exhibition specimens. 



Let us step out in the poultry yards and mate up our 

 next year's pens. We will first collect all our well matured 

 males and make our selections from them. Here is a fine 

 looking fellow with fine shape but red on the wing bows 

 and almost white under-color. He is no good — never could 

 breed good color from such a specimen: put him in the 

 fattening pen. Well, here is another, of beautiful even 

 color and nice type, but look at that side sprig on his 

 comb. We hate to do it, but out he goes. 



Thus we cull them over till there are a select few left. 

 These have good type, even surface color, though some 

 are a few shades darker than others, good under-color, 

 clear buff wings, short, stocKy, pink shanks, good head, 

 comb and eye. The darkest fellows will show some black 

 in the main tail feathers but none have white in any sec- 

 tion. We pick out the very best one, band him and enter 

 his band number in our stock record book under pen 

 number one, band 19 and so on down the list with the 

 others. 



Next we judge over the hens and pullets, always late 

 in the fall or winter after the hens have fully moulted. 

 First, we sort out all the largest hens which have moulted 

 out a rich even buff, taking it for granted that these have 

 been culled over for defects when pullets. We select the 

 best for mating with our best cockerel and record them 

 in the book under his pen. 



Now we come to the pullets. First, pick out the 

 largest, then cull them over for defects. Throw out all 

 birds that show any trace of mealiness or shafting and 

 then select the pullets that have a good even surface color 

 of rich golden hue, neat, small combs, 

 red eyes, short, heavy shanks and 

 good, deep bodies. Mate these with 

 the best cock we have picked out 

 that is a shade or two lighter and we 

 have pen number two. 



In all matings aim to compensate 

 the defects of one sex by good points 

 in the same section of the other. Fur- 

 thermore, do not mate a lot of nonde- 

 script females to one male and expect 

 to get good chicks on the hit-and-miss 

 principle for it will usually be miss. 

 If you haven't enough females to 

 mate up a full pen, use two or three of 

 the very best and you will be rewarded 

 in the fall by a lot of youngsters that 

 will make your heart glad. 



I have learned through costly ex- 

 perience that the shortest road to suc- 

 cess in breeding Buffs, is to buy stock 

 from one reliable breeder, whose 

 birds have been winning consistently 

 for a number of years. After getting 

 such stock, stick to it, and when you 

 need fresh blood, go to that same 

 breeder for it. 



By way of closing my advice is that you will make no 

 mistake in taking up Buff Orpingtons. As a breed they 

 are the most popular breed of buff fowls and will always 

 remain so. Their many good characteristics are told on 

 other pages herein by abler pens than mine. 



Why We Breed Buff Orpingtons 



J. M. Williams and Co. 



WHEN the question is asked, why do we breed 

 Orpingtons, Rocks, Wyandottes, or in fact any 

 breed, for a profit, the breeder of his particular 

 variety believes that he has the best birds for making 

 money, either for the fancy or common purposes, and 

 will be backed up by scores of other breeders. This we 

 not only find in the poultry business, but in every vocation 

 in life. To make a success of any business we must like 

 it — believe in it, and love to do the work connecte4 with 

 it; then with the proper push necessary in any business 

 and the faculty of letting the people know what you have- 

 to sell, you have the main secret of success in any busi- 

 ness. 



We like the Orpington family from start to finish, not 

 only because we have made a financial success of it, but 

 for the many good qualities they possess. In our several 

 years breeding them we have become so attached to them 

 that they seem like one of the family. The general char- 

 acteristics or make-up of the Orpingtons is such as to 

 make it easily understood, but they have taken a promi- 

 nent place among the old breeds in so short a time and 

 will continue to hold it for all time, not only for a general 

 purpose fowl, but in the fancy as well. 



While we breed and keep the Buff, and White, in both 

 Single and Rose Comb varieties, we must admit that the 

 Single Comb Buff is our choice beyond any question, and is, 

 we believe, the most prominent today in the poultry fra- 

 ternity, still, there are lots of friends in the other colors 

 and we will not take issue with them on that score, as we 

 keep them and like them well. 



In taking the Orpingtons for a general purpose fowl 



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