160 THE AMERICAN BREEDS OF POULTRY 



a pleasure to see. First cock was, to our mind, the richest colored male we have 

 ever seen. Besides their regular winnings, Bird Bros, won special for display and 

 cup for the best cock, hen, cockerel and pullet. 



In writing of the Partridge Rocks at New York, we said: 



Ilird Bros.' 1st cock had as good a head and as fine a comb as a high grade 

 ixliihition Barred Rock. The writer said to Mr. Bird, "I want to see the stripes 

 in that bird," He replied, "I'll give you one," and lie handed me a saddle feather 

 with as clean cut a stripe as ever is seen in a Partridge Cochin, with, of course, 

 the red of the deeper shade preferred in Partridge Kocks. The stripe went into the 

 undercolor without a break. Messrs. Bird's 1st hen was a paragon of penciling 

 and Partridge Rock coloring. One thing particularly noticeable about her and her 

 mates was that tliey had the type. If there was any Cochin or Wyandotte about 

 Messrs. Bird's females, we were unable to point it out. 



Of their 1st cockerel, J. H. Drevenstedt, who judged the class, exclaimed: 

 "Richest colored bird on the outside that I ever saw !" His tail was as green 

 as velvet. The 2d cockerel had splendid markings, quite equal to those of the 1st 

 bird, but was a shade lighter in color. You should have seen the combs of the 

 1st and 2d pullets shown by Bird Bros. Their heads were like the models seen in 

 tlie Barred and White Rock classes. The 1st pullet's breast was marked to the 

 perfection of a wild fowl and her wing bows were fine. lier fluff was so full ol 

 penciled feathers that it would have been too much trouble to count them. And, 

 wliile a pullet, mind you, she was as cleanly penciled on her back away out toward 

 lier tail or down on the sides as a hen. 



History of Bird Bros.' strain. These breeders started with Par- 

 tridge Rocks in 1909 by purchasing some eggs for hatching from 

 J. PI. Lewis of West Virginia. Lewis was something of an experi- 

 menter. He had originated so-called Golden Barred Plymouth Rocks; 

 and there is no record as to what strain of Partridge Rocks he was 

 breeding. 



The following year. Bird secured from a breeder by the name of 

 Luce in Maryland, a pair of Partridge Rocks that won 1st cockerel 

 and 1st pullet for them at the New York show that year. The origin 

 of the Luce flock is unknown. From these two obscure sources, a 

 great family was to be produced. 



Bird Bros, are breeders. They breed turkeys and they breed 

 potatoes. They haven't much in the way of coops. Situated in south- 

 ern Pennsylvania, along the route of the Baltimore & Ohio R. R., 

 near the Maryland border, they have a late fall, an early season and 

 a not severe vvinter. Their breeding house is rough and unpainted. 

 Their brood coops, twenty inches deep Ijy thirty inches long, are a 

 box with tar paper on the roof. There are some colony houses buiit 

 of two piano boxes joined back to back. 



The young stock on range is housed out in the piano box houses. 

 The young birds run on the blue grass under sugar trees and chest- 

 nuts. Their rations are wheat and cracked corn, open hopper fed. 

 In the morning they get bran, middlings, corn and oats chop, a little 

 beef scrap and charcoal and sour milk. 



_ The birds show wealth of plumage and finish of feather around 

 tail. They have length of body, and this is important for a Partridge 

 Rock should not be a single comb Partridge Wyandotte, short in 



