IS 



RHODE ISLAND REDS 



out the fact that several prominent breeders have had the 

 same experience, namely, that the hackle plumage of the 

 male undergoes a summer moult. The rich, even red hackle 

 that the bird wore in winter and early spring is replaced in 

 summer with feathers terminating in a black spangle, ticking 

 or striping. A few weeks later these feathers are dropped 

 and the new clean feathers take their place. (Naturalists 

 inform us that the Gall us Bankiva, the wild jungle fowl, 

 passes through the same process and breeders of high-class 

 exhibition Games of the Black Breasted Red variety have 

 observed the same characteristics). When these R. I. Red 

 males are mated with standard colored females, the progeny 

 (both sexes) comes according to that law of "like produces 

 like." Our lines can remain unbroken and constant progress 

 can be made. 



When all breeders of the Reds make a study of some of 

 these peculiar characteristics and judiciously select and care- 

 fully mate their birds, they may be able to produce a better 

 percentage of birds approaching standard ideals, and thus 

 forever set at rest that delusion that we must double mate 

 our Reds in order to produce the standard markings on both 



sexes. 



Good foundation stock, careful line breeding, with rigid 

 selection and intelligent management, will produce the 

 specimens that approach the ideals. But in our eagerness 

 to get the standard bird we must not lose sight of those 

 features which the originators of this noble breed desired to 

 perpetuate and which have made it so popular and intrinsi- 

 cally so valuable— the hardiness, vigor and prolificacy which 

 must be combined with true shape and standard color ta 

 make the absolutely perfect bird. 



RHODE ISLAND RED AS A STANDARD TYPE 



THEIR ADMISSION TO THE STANDARD— AMERICAN RED CONTROVERSY 



WILLIAM C, DENNY 



SINCE the first exhibit made at the Providence Poultry 

 show in 1895 by Richard V. Browning, Natick, Mass., 

 the success of the Rhode Island Red has been phen- 

 omenal. From an unknown variety, they have as- 

 cended the ladder in the estimation of the poultrymen of 

 America, until today they are exceeded in the show room in 

 numbers, only by Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes and Leg- 

 horns in the order named, and it should be remembered all 



but the Reds are breeds with a larger number of varieties. 



Probably the greatest factor in the success of this famous 

 "father of breeds" has been the strong virile specialty club 

 that has been from first to last ever on the look-out for an 

 opportunity to advertise and advance the interests of this 

 variety. - 



The Rhode Island Red Club of America was organized 

 in the fall of 1898 and the organization perfected at Fall 



F1R5T PRIZE C'k'RL. INDIANA STATE FAIR igoQI 

 " ILLINOIS 



SHAPE SPECIAL PULLET ST. LOUIS 1909 

 flred&OwneiByVvJ.b.LiPE LITCHFIELD ILL 



