R-I. REDS AS EXHIBITION FOWLS 

 the quill being perfectly red at the base. Such females, hav- 



37 



ing good wing and tail markings, we have bred to males with 

 good wmg and tad markings and of even surface color but 

 possibly a little light in undercolor. Last year we uJed a 

 male of extraordinary good surface color and deep under- 

 color and crossed with him a few females with considerable 

 barring, even to the extent of some barring on the wIhrs 

 _ We have produced from this mating some of the finest cock- 

 erels I ever saw. The females seem to carry considerable 

 barring, but the males are all clear in under-color and excel 

 their sire in general qualities. 



I believe the time is coming when we are going to have 

 cockerel matings and pullet matings in Rhode Island Reds 

 the same as is the case in Barred Rocks. We have bred 

 both Rose and Single Comb Rhode Island Reds and find 

 that the Rose Combs are much harder to bring to perfection 

 than the Single Combs. In fact, the Single Combs today are 

 particularly easy to produce in good color. However, at the 

 larger shows last winter the Rose Combs made a wonderful 

 showing for color and I believe were of better type as a whole 

 than the Single Combs shown. 



The Rhode Island Red is 

 probably the most generally 

 popular fowl the country has 

 ever seen. Farmers are adopt- 

 ing the breed and this will in- 

 sure its permanency. The only 

 danger I can see ahead for this 

 wonderful utility 1towl is that 

 the fancier in his anxiety to pro- 

 duce show birds is inbreeding 

 to an extent that will weaken 

 the vitality of his strain and 

 he will have a line of Reds 

 good for the show room but not 

 practical for the barn-yard. 



I bred White Wyandottes 

 for years and I will frankly 

 say that I made that mistake 

 in breeding them. I produced 

 wonderful show birds, but when 

 the height of my ambition was 

 reached I found that I had a 

 strain of Wyandottes that were 

 delicate, without the necessary 

 stamina, and that the egg pro- 

 duction had been greatly re- 

 duced. In fact I had nothing 

 more or less than birds for the 

 show room. 



If less were said about col- 

 or of Rhode Island Reds and 



more about type, stamina and egg production, I personally 

 feel the permanent success of this remarkable American-bred 

 fowl would be assured. 



J. F. Burleigh, New York 



In breeding Rose Comb Rhode Island Reds the Standard 

 requirements of the breed should be- kept in mind when mak- 

 ing up one's breeding yards and one should select birds from 

 those that can be utilized that are best in Standard require- 

 ments. 



I do not breed from very dark or light colored birds or 

 practice double mating, but mate together the birds that are 

 best in Standard requirements. Of course I avoid mating a 

 male with females that have defects in common. As the 

 male is usually considered half of the breeding 3'ard, it is 

 quite essential that he should be a vigorous, all-round, good 

 bird without any very serious defects. I think one of the 



wors defects in Reds is white in the under-color. Such birds 

 should not be bred at all. Rose Comb females are apt to be 

 a httle undersized. The Standard requires clear hackles for 

 the male and ticking in the hackles of the females. This 

 seems to be contrary to nature and consequently makes some 

 culls in both sexes. 



I like to get my chicks hatched in April and May as they 

 usually begin to lay in September and continue all winter if 

 conditions are right. 



E. O. Cornforth, Rhode Island 



During my twelve years' experience breeding Rhode 

 island Reds, I have learned that one cannot breed up-to-date 

 Keds from inferior stock. I beheve in first getting the cor- 

 rect shape and then looking to the plumage. Never breed 

 from birds with short backs and high tail carriage. Select 

 breeding birds with small combs, having the correct number 

 of points. Avoid birds with light-colored eyes or with any 

 trace of white enamel in the ear-lobes. I always aim to 

 have my breeding stock well matured and not under Stand- 

 ard size. 



Have the males an even 

 shade of red from comb to tail 

 with good black tails. They 

 should be strong in wing mark- 

 ings; but always avoid any 

 black in wing-bows or you will 

 have a lot of cockerels with black 

 wing-bows and pullets that are 

 badly peppered. I always look 

 well to the under-color of the 

 breeding males and will not use 

 a bird with any suspicion of 

 white in hackle or over the 

 hips. They must have dark, 

 rich red under-color from head 

 to tail.' While some claim it 

 is desirable to have slate on 

 the back of breeding males, I 

 never use a bird with anything 

 but good, red under-color. 



Always avoid using a bird 

 with any disqualifications, such 

 as stubs on legs or side sprigs 

 on comb. Never breed from 

 birds with white in wing flights 

 or in any of the tail feathers 

 for it will take a life-time to 

 breed it out if you once get it 

 fastened in your stock. 



In building up a non-fad- 

 ing strain of R. I. Reds I have 

 not bred from females that did not hold their color well after 

 moulting. Do not use a yearling hen that has faded badly. 

 Select the dark, even-colored birds that have held their color 

 in moulting and beware of black peppering. 



While it is harder to get the correct wing markings in 

 females than it is in males, a, good per cent of the offspring 

 will come correctly marked if the male is strong in this sec- 

 tion. Avoid smut or slate in the females and do not think 

 because the male is a fine bird that any old hen mated to 

 him will produce prize winners, for if you do that you will 

 be disappointed. 



We often hear it said that Rhode Island Reds will not 

 breed true to color. If mated correctly and the stock is we'l 

 bred, they will throw as many exhibition birds as any of the 

 American breeds of fowls. One cannot throw his birds to- 

 gether haphazard and expect good results. You must study 

 your birds and breed only from the best if you would pro- 



