PARTRIDGE VVYANDOTTES 219 



The exact shade of color in the male remains a matter of discussion. 

 All agree that a bright red color is most desirable and that he should 

 be of the same shade of bright red in neck, back and wing bows; 

 but many breeders have failed to understand the exact tone of red 

 that will meet the approval of the best judges. 



At the New York State fair, September, 1920, we discussed this 

 matter with H. B. Hark, and in August previous we talked the 

 matter over with Walter C. Young, who was to judge the annual 

 club show at Detroit, December, 1920. They both want the bright 

 red ground color seen to such splendid advantage in the lustrous 

 Brown Leghorn male. This is what we have always maintained. 

 Some years ago we made a study of this subject, collecting feathers 

 from the best colored Brown Leghorn males. Bird Bros.' Partridge 

 Rock males, and the best Partridge Wyandotte males. They match 

 in all save under-color, in which the Brown Leghorn has somewhat 

 the deeper shade of slate. Of course, the Leghorn feather is some- 

 what narrower. But the shade of red is the important thing, and in 

 this the bright red of the Standard Brown Leghorn male is the 

 bright shade that Partridge breeders must produce if they want to 

 get under the ribbons on Partridges at the big shows. There is aim- 

 less talk about Partridge color, and Mitchell's Cochins are brought 

 into the argument. There is a color in Mitchell's Partridge Cochins 

 that is different from that found in the Partridge Wyandottes and 

 Partridge Plymouth Rocks of today. Mitchell has produced a won- 

 derful chicken, but if you want to get a line of the bright color with 

 which the most successful exhibitors of Partridge Wyandottes and 

 Partridge Rocks delight the eye of the judge, go study the Brown 

 Leghorn males. This may not agree with some of the theories, but 

 it is practical and will bring home the bacon. 



Mating Partridge Wyandottes. Practically every beginner wants 

 to steer clear of a variety that is bred in double matings. He wants 

 a variety in which an ideal pair are ideal mates; in which his finest 

 male will be his best pullet breeder, and his finest female his best 

 producer of cockerels as well as pullets. Alas, such perfection in 

 the variety is not yet known. And the beginner must accept things 

 as they are. 



He will find that the best penciled females have penciling in their 

 neck feathers. The Standard, therefore, allows penciling in the lower 

 neck feathers, but the upper neck feathers may be striped. This is 

 a compromise between the tendency to penciling in the females and 

 the tendency to striping in the males. 



A well penciled hen, penciled in neck hackle, will produce cock- 

 erels that are inclined to show red tipping on lower breast and thighs, 

 and perhaps a red quill in his hackle and saddle feathers. Such a 

 male often is spoken of as "pullet-bred," that is, bred from a wonder- 

 fully penciled female. Such a male will produce elegant penciling 

 in the pullets which he sires, provided, of course, that he is himself 



