THE PROPER MATING OF RHODE ISLAND REDS 



A SYMPOSIUM— SUCCESSFUL BREEDERS OF THESE POPULAR BIRDS TELL BRIEFLY THE SPECIAL 

 POINTS THEY SEEK TO HAVE IN THEIR BREEDING BIRDS AND THE FAULTS THEY AVOID— 

 MANY VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS ARE MADE THAT M^ILL AID BEGINNERS GREATLY 



Geo. P. Coffin, Ex-Secretary-Treagurer Rhode Island Red 

 Club of America, Maine 



IN MATING Rhode Island Reds for the production of 

 prize winners, the same rules regarding shape and size 

 should be followed as with other breeds. Particular 

 attention should be given to constitutional vigor, 

 without which the birds cannot attain the symmetrical form 

 and standard type that is desired in the show room. The 

 bird of perfect color should not win if lacking in vigor and 

 the ability to reproduce his kind. 



In the selection of a male to head the pen, see that his 

 head is masculine in appearance, with comb and wattles 

 fairly developed but not beefy, with bright red eyes, and 

 stout beak of medium length. When handled the bird should 

 show strength of muscle, evidenced by the elasticity of the 

 wing when quickly unfolded, and by a vigorous kick when 

 grasped by the shanks. Such a bird will usually resent any 

 intrusion upon his flock, whether of man or beast, and the 

 possession of this stamina usually characterizes the bird that 

 is capable of fertilizing the eggs, as well as being prepotent 

 in transmitting to his offspring his own shape and color. 



In the selection of females, look well to shape and size, 

 and above all things, avoid breeding from immature pullets. 

 Select the females that have a long back and long keel, and 

 shanks of medium length. The body should be broad and 

 the tail well spread, not only as a requirement of the Standard, 

 but because it is indicative of the proper development of the 

 organs of reproduction. 



While the foregoing are general rules, as applying to all 

 breeds, none of them should be disregarded by the breeder 

 of Reds who is striving for improvement. 



As regards the color question, our present Standard is 

 sufficiently clear for the careful breeder to use as a guide, 

 and generally speaking, a pair of Standard colored Reds 

 should produce their equals in color. There is no necessity 

 of "double mating." 



With the progress the breed is making, and the in- 

 creased number that are exhibited, the judges are getting 

 better informed, and the judging is becoming more uniform. 

 But just because a male happens to secure first prize, it does 

 not follow that he is the proper mate- for the first prize 

 female, as the same defects may appear in both. 



The male should be of an even shade of dark red with 

 under-color free from white or smut. Look carefully to the 

 under-color of neck and saddle. White in these sections 

 means a fading of color that will show disastrously in the 

 progeny. Avoid the male whose breast feathers are shafty 

 — the quill Ughter than the web of the feather. This defect 

 will be emphasized in his pullets. Particular attention should 

 be given that the male has good wing markings with the 

 black in lower web of primaries, upper web of secondaries 

 and entire wing-coverts, but is free from black in wing-bows. 

 The Standard calls for the same wing markings in both sexes, 

 but usually they are not so pronounced in the females and 

 cannot be obtained in the chicks of either sex if the sire is 

 deficient. It is highly important that the main and sickle 

 feathers of the male's tail should be black or greenish black 

 if we are to breed those black-tailed females required by the 

 Standard. 



34 



With such males as described above, we mate females of 

 as even a shade as possible, relying somewhat upon the law 

 of compensation to remedy minor defects of color, but never 

 mating extremes in color. Attempting to correct the color 

 of the chicks by mating a dark male to the buffish females 

 usually results in chicks of unsound color, with shaftiness. 

 and mealiness as prominent features. 



Some undesirable features that should be avoided in any 

 mating are white in any feather, black in wing-bows of either 

 sex, white or blue eyes and white in ear-lobes. 



Line breeding is the key-note of success with many 

 breeders of other varieties, and the careful breeder of Rhode 

 Island Reds who secures good specimens for starting his line 

 and practices line breeding will find it of great advantage. 



By close attention to the few details here enumerated, 

 the breeder of Reds can improve his flock. In our own birds 

 which we have carefully bred for twelve years, we have 

 practiced line breeding and the very careful introduction of 

 new blood from reliable sources, keeping a record of the 

 matings, toe- marking the chicks and making a rigid selection 

 of the breeding stock, and each year we can see improvement 

 in their markings, more uniformity in their appearance and 

 their utility qualities have never suffered. 



Irving A. Sibley, Indiana 



We do not practice double mating and always endeavor 

 to have females in our pens that are exceptionally strong in 

 the points where the males are weak and vice versa. 



Select for breeders birds that are as nearly perfect as 

 you can get. We have found that yearling hens, that is, 

 birds coming two years old, mated to strong, vigorous cock- 

 erels produce our best stock. One advantage of this com- 

 bination is we have a larger percentage of fertile eggs earlier 

 in the season than if pullets are used. We never breed from 

 birds which for any reason would be disqualified, no matter 

 how good they may be in all other sections. 



Myron B. Seward, Ohio 



Rhode Island Red pullets, like those of other breeds, re- 

 tain their full brilliancy of plumage until after they begin 

 to lay, but after reaching full maturity they lose a little in 

 show quality, therefore it is best to hatch at intervals during 

 May, June and July in order to have birds that are just right 

 for the December and January shows. 



For the dams I have the best success with hens that 

 have retained their color, selecting those that have long 

 backs and low combs. Discard the hen with the high comb 

 unless your male has a very low one. With the "permanent" 

 red color, long backs and low combs as a base to work from, 

 we can select for red eyes and tail and wing markings. It 

 is the better plan if you are trying to bred birds for exhibi- 

 tion to use only three or four birds which have these quali- 

 ties than to attempt to breed from any that are lacking one 

 or more of them. 



The male to be mated with these birds should be a cock- 

 erel in order to insure vigorous stock. His surface color 

 should be one even shade from comb to tail. He should not 

 have a straw hackle, a dark back and then another color. 

 Some breeders match their hens to the color of the breast 

 of the male. Extremes in males and females produce mot- 



