GOLDEN WYANDOTTES. 



27 



ing one of tjie most remarkable "booms" ever known to the 

 poultry fraternity, and quoted some strong expressions of 

 opinion as to their great merits. We were, at that time, 

 hardly prepared to adopt all the enthusiastic plaudits of 

 Mr. Kuenne and other writers, who claimed for them that 

 they were unrivaled as both summer and winter layers. We 

 had not then "summered them and wintered them," and, be- 

 sides, it Is usually wise to discount the encomiums of a 

 poultry enthusiast. Under these circumstances we feel that 

 we owe it to this breed to say more in their favor, and, in 

 fact, we cannot speak in too strong terms of praise of their 

 remarkable qualities. 



They are all their lovers claim for them. Their flue 

 shape, beautiful markings, rich plumage and generally high- 

 hred carriage assure them the admiration of every beholder, 

 and long since enthroned them in the position of prime fa- 

 vorites of our yards. They are remarkably beautiful, and 

 are unrivaled for attractiveness. Mr. Kuenne says "they 

 are perfectly docile, may be handled at pleasure when sit- 

 ting, and for rearing chicks are unequaled." Their docility 

 and gentleness attest the truth of this statement, although 

 we did not verify it by allowing any of ours to sit; their 

 eggs were too much in demand for that. Their laying quali- 

 ties are remarkable, and it is within the bounds of truth to 

 say that they closely rival, if they do not equal, the Leg- 

 horns in this. Our pen of seven pullets has laid twenty- 

 seven eggs in four consecutive days — two days of seven 

 each, one day of six, and the next day seven again — which 

 is a great yield. And not only have they been great layers, 

 but their eggs have been remarkably fertile, hatching out 

 a very large percentage of fine, healthy chicks. Of three 

 hens sitting on their own eggs only, two hatched every 

 egg, and the other eleven chicks out of twelve eggs, and 

 it has been rare indeed that we have found an infertile 

 Golden ^\'yandotte egg. The chicks when hatched were no 

 less remarkable, evidencing a high' degree of vigor and 

 "gimp," were quickly on their feet, were foraging for food 

 in the liveliest manner, and showing by their prompt fledg- 

 ing and rapid growth abundant evidence of thrift and early 

 xnaturity. 



These remarkable qualities were so manifest my curi- 

 osity was excited to learn more of their origin, and I ad- 

 dressed a note to Mr. Joseph McKeen, the originator of the 

 breed, asking him about them. He says: 



"The Golden Wyandottes are more than one-half Silver 

 ^^'yandotte blood. The Winnebagoes were the top cross, al- 

 though it crossed both ways the first season. When we 

 cross a Silver Wyandotte male on a ' Black-Red, or Buff 

 female, the chicks of both sexes, according to my experience, 

 will be all, or nearly all, silver color and black combined. If 

 we cross the Winnebago, or other black-red male, on Silver 

 Wyandotte females, the progeny will be, males, silver; fe- 

 males, bay or buffl. Strange, is it not, how males take the 

 color of the dam and females the color of the sire? So, you 

 see, it was necessary to use the Winnebago male on the 

 Silver Wyandotte females to produce Golden Wyandottes; 

 at least, this is the shortest road to the desired end. The 

 Winnebagoes were, when I bred them, a large, black-red 

 fowl. Some of the males had black breasts, others (and 

 these pleased me the most) were a deep reddish bay, all but 

 the tail, which was a very shiny greenish black. They were 

 rose combed, legs clean and yellow. Some of the chicks, 

 however, came single combed, and showed slight traces of 

 feathering on shanks. Soon after I started to breed Golden 

 Wyandottes I dropped the Winnebagoes. 



"Why the Golden Wyandottes have so much vigor I do 

 not understand, but think they must take a good deal of it 

 from the Winnebagoes, as they are a remarkably strong, 

 hardy and vigorous fowl. Those that have kept them praise 

 them very highly. I tear you will grow weary in reading 

 this long letter. Which, when I commenced, I thought would 

 be short. Yours truly, 



"Joseph McKeen. 



"Omro, Winnebago County, Wisconsin." 



The last paragraph of Mr. McKeen's letter is in answer 

 to my direct question as to whether the great vigor and 

 strength of the Golden Wyandotte chicks were due to that 

 of the native Winnebago blood. One point which he clears 

 up is that the Winnebagoes were the "top cross." It has 

 usually been stated that a Silver Wyandotte male was used 

 on Winnebago females. .Another point is that somewhat 

 more than half the blood is of the Silver Wyandottes. 



THE ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS. 



(By Wm. L. Stroud in "The California Cackler," April, 1890.) 



In the autmn of 1880 I was visiting my friend, Joseph 

 McKeen. Not belonging to that class that "despises the 



day of small things," we were given to a fondness for breed- 

 ing fine chickens, which had led us to a mutual acquaint- 

 ance and friendship. As we were going through his poultry 

 houses I caught sight of a beautiful cockerel of glossy 

 golden and black — the golden predominating. Mr. McKeen 

 said to me: "What do you think of my undertaking to 

 breed a new fowl upon the basis of that bird crossed with 

 the Sebright?" We were then breeding what were called 

 "American Sebrights," obtained from Mr. L. Whittaker, of 

 Michigan. This black-red fowl he had some years previous 

 produced by crossing some of the Standard varieties, among 

 them Buff Cochins, and called them "Winnebagoes." He had 

 disseminated them among his neighbors, who had called 

 them _the "Golden Farmer." In the spring of 1881 I was 

 again'with Mr. McKeen, .just as the first brood of new hope- 

 fuls was ready to be cooped. (A part of the brood was 

 from eggs out of a laced hen of immense size, that was to 

 be mine.) I carried home the whole brood, and reared it 

 until about half grown, when it began to show the golden 

 lacing. Mr. McKeen then took it home, expressing satis- 

 faction at what seemed to promise a fulfillment of our ex- 

 pectations. This is the brief little record of my hand in ■ 

 rearing the prototype of what now surpasses what I ever 

 expected to see — the Golden Wyandotte. 



Upon that basis Mr. McKeen has been bringing steadily 

 to perfection this breed, which, in our estimation, for all 

 purposes, rivals all others. In his own words, "They com- 

 bine beauty with utility in a marked degree." No other 

 fowl pleases me so well as these. I think it safe to say 

 that no other variety ever met with such universal favor 

 by fanciers, and all classes that are at all interested in 

 poultry. What in all the poultry world could be more 

 beautiful than a flock of fully matured, choice specimens of 

 Golden Wyandottes, with their red rose combs, clean yel- 

 low legs, large and symmetrical bodies, dressed in the most 

 gaudy plumage of golden and greenish black that glistens in 

 the sunlight? Dr. W. E. Scott, of Ontario, has a beautiful 

 five-acre orange grove in bearing. He visited our Hermosa 

 ranch a few weeks ago to see our flock of Golden Wyan- 

 dottes, and thought they surpassed for beauty anything in 

 the chicken line he had ever seen; that he could grace his 

 orange grove with nothing so appropriate as a flock of such 

 birds, and determined to banish all other fowls and give them 

 free range of his paradise. Mr. McKeen began to send out 

 his annual circular in 1884, announcing his new acquisition, 

 but offered no birds or eggs for sale until about 1886, which 

 year he exhibited them at Chicago, where he sold a trio for 

 ?75, and a few other birds at fancy prices. No one sees 

 these golden beauties but to admire them. Enough has 

 been written in their praise to fill a moderate sized volume. 



One poultry editor in May, 1886, predicted the Golden 

 Wyandotte "the coming fowl for fancy," and it has been 

 much improved since, though perfection is as yet a thing 

 anticipated. To chronicle the opinions of leading fancier^ 

 would monopolize tco much of the Cackler's valuable space. 

 Those who have seen specimens of the Silver Wyandotte 

 can imagine their general appearance, with the white 

 changed to a golden bay. They are a little heavier than the 

 Silvers, which some think is a fault, but we think it a vii-- 

 tue. Their yellow skin and legs render them a desirable 

 fowl for the table or market. When other fanciers learned 

 what Mr. McKeen was doing they began to make experi- 

 ments to the same end, but I think none of them has been 

 able to produce anything to compare with his. 



At the session of the A. P. A. in January, 1888, the 

 Golden Wyandottes knocked at its door for admission to 

 the Standard. Some objection was at first offered because 

 several strains under this name were seeking admission, 

 some of which had but recently come into existence, bred 

 by crossing with the Hamburgs, and inferior in size and 

 general character. These are still being disseminated as 

 Golden Wyandottes. The McKeen strain of Golden Wyan- 

 dottes came into existence by no accident, but with the idea 

 of producing just what they are today, but with a success 

 rather more than anticipated. 



One writer in 1888 says: 'The Golden Wyandottes are 

 unquestionably one of the most handsome varieties of the 

 poultry list, and an ornament to any lawn"; that "the most 

 Indifferent person to the beauties of the feathered tribe 

 could not pass a .flock of Golden Wyandottes without a 

 glance of admiration." "Nor," says this writer, "is their 

 beauty the only cause of their deserved popularity. An- 

 other virtue of vast importance is their great laying quali- 

 ties." From what we know by experience we think their 

 excellent qualities have not been overstated. 



(It is clearly evident that Mr. McKeen was the origi- 

 nator of the Golden Wyandottes. It is just as evident that 



