HISTORY OF THE R. I. RED 



breeding standpoint, is what might be termed a "desirable 

 defect." Some of the judges treat this alleged defect with 

 unnecessary severity, often passing or placing bade when 

 selecting or judging Reds, a first class cock or cockerel in 

 surface color, because of this slate undercolor. 



White, however, is a very serious defect in either buff 

 or red fowls and difficult to breed out. Black is often a 

 color reservoir that helps tone up the fading color by feeding 

 with black pigment, but not in allopathic doses. 



The black in Rhode Island Reds should be sound, not 

 penciled or peppered in any feather, but sharply defined. 

 The Rhode Island Red is a solid red fowl with black tail and 

 flight markings. 



Good Study in Color Markings 

 A good study in color markings is "a strictly Standard 

 exhibition Golden Penciled Hamburg male.. The color of 

 such is briefly described in the English Standard as: "Neck, 

 hackle, back, saddle, shoulders and wing-bows, breast and 

 under-parts, a bright red bay; tail, black tinged with green, 

 sickle feathers and tail coverts a rich transparent green sur- 

 face color on black foundation and laced all around with 

 gold." This gives the reader a fair idea of the color of the 

 specimen. 



By substituting the desired shade of red for the bright 

 red bay of the Hamburg — a beautiful color by the way — • 

 and omitting the gold lacing of the sickles and tail coverts, 

 we will describe the general color appearance so the average 

 mind can readily grasp it. 



With red and black clearly defined in sections where 

 such are found, and a sound even red surface color in every 

 other section, rich undercolor and sound red quills will 

 follow. Males with dark brown, chestnut or chocolate 

 colored backs, wing-bows and lesser sickles, and light red 

 hackles and saddle hangers, still seen in specimens exhibited 

 at shows, are not desirable for either exhibition or breeding 

 purposes. 



The aim of the breeders is evenness of surface color, and 

 the day is near at hand when the variegated shades of color 

 found in Red males will be the exception and not the rule. 

 Good Color in Females Rarely Found 

 Improvement in the color of females has not been marked 

 as in the males. It is true, however, that pullets in the past 

 few years have become more even in color and more plenti- 

 ful, but with adult females, the number of two year old hens 

 that are sound in color is still small. 



Hens, that as pullets were rich in surface color, with 

 feathers free from shafting, become uneven, mealy and often 

 shafty in the color of the feathers of the back, wing-bows 

 and breast; the black in the tail and flights loses solidity, be- 

 coming faded and peppery. This loss of red and black color 

 is a most serious problem, one that will take very careful 

 study and proper selection of breeding stock to solve. 

 Standard Color Description Not Satisfactory 

 The Standard description of color, especially in females, 

 has been severely criticised as faulty, but the critics ofifer 

 nothing better to take its place. However, the Rhode Island 

 Red Club of America made an attempt to improve the color 

 description of Reds in the 1910 Standard. 



The latter defines the color of plumage sections of the 

 female as follows: "Neck, red. The tips of the lower 

 hackle feathers should have a black ticking, not a heavy 

 lacing; Wings— Primaries lower web, black, upper web, red; 

 Secondaries — Lower web, red, upper web, black; flight coverts 

 black; wing-bows and coverts, red; Tail — Black, or greenish- 

 black; Plumage — General surface lighter and more even 

 than in the male, free from shafting or mealy appearance. 

 Except where black is specified the color is a rich even shade 

 of bright red, not as brilliant in luster as the male. The 

 under-color and quills of the feathers should be red or salmon. 



15 



Black or white in the under-color of any section is undesir- 

 able. Other things being equal, the specimen having the 

 richest under-color shall receive the award." 



The color of the neck and wing-bows and wing-coverts 

 is simply red, no shade of the latter being given. It might 

 be a medium, light or dark shade of red or the shade a judge 

 just happens to fancy, although under "plumage," the shade 

 of red of the general surface color is described as being lighter 

 and more even than in the male, which would apply to the 

 neck and wing sections if even color is the ideal. 



The black ticking at the lower ends of the neck or 

 hackle feathers does not appeal strongly to fanciers as tick- 

 ing is usually looked upon as undesirable property. But 

 there must be some black in the hackle and lacking a better 

 word "ticking" was used. 



The rich reddish bay surface color of the Golden Penciled 

 Hamburg male comes very close to being the color of a Rhode 

 Island Red female. , 



FIRST PR12E SC-RI RED C0CK,MADI50N SQ). GARDEN Nyi908-9., 

 Bred O^Nned & Exhibited By 



ElUENVJOOD POULTR-! FARM HMBORO PA- 

 G go , V< -TH A<; ■ZH^ W_qV. ■ 



Undesirable Colors 



As to black or white in the under-color being undesir- 

 able there can be no question, that positive black is rarely 

 if ever found, but slate or bluish-gray color will be found 

 not infrequently in the under-color of the back of females 

 where one is strong in surface color and having solid black 

 tails and strong black markings in primaries, secondaries 

 and flight coverts. This slate in under-color, however, is a 

 minor defect, when compared with white. The latter is one 

 of the most serious and dangerous defects the breeder of 

 Rhode Island Reds has to contend with. With females, as 

 in males, a little surplus of black pigment can do no harm, 

 but white in any part of the plumage, on surface or under,, 

 should be bred out as quickly as possible by very close cull- 

 ing of breeders, selecting only such females and males as 

 show very little or no white in any part of the plumage. By 

 breeding from fowls that are red, with careful selection of 

 both sire and dam, the progeny will improve in evenness of 

 surface color and the black markings in tail and wings will 

 increase in soundness of color also. 



