SILVER LACED WYANDOTTES. 



19 



conclusively, even up to the present time, in the yards of 

 our oldest and most careful breeders, as we are continu- 

 ally confronted with this triple lacing on back of hens, and 

 sometimes it shows in the pullets from our best pens, and 

 quite often, indeed, on the hens in their second moult. 



There is one peculiarity in Silver Wyandottes that I 

 have not found in other parti-colored birds. This is during 

 the moulting season of the hens. Sometimes the defect 

 will show on early hatched pullets that moult before cold 

 weather sets in, but more commonly on hens in their sec- 

 ond pr third year. The backs may be good — in fact, the 

 choicest females in the yards — but as moulting begins you 

 will be surprised to see a lot of double or triple laced 

 feathers begin to show up, and gradually they will cover 

 nearly the entire section and sometimes creep into the 

 wing bows and down the breast. From the choicest fe- 

 males of early summer we find the scrub worth eleven cents 

 per pound in September, and many breeders become dis- 

 gusted with the variety; but if they will wait a while and 

 watch developments, they are likely to find another' trans- 

 formation. As winter approaches you will notice a few 

 nicely laced feathers on the back of this same hen, and 

 gradually these good feathers push the poor ones out, and 

 we again find the handsome colored specimen that we were 

 so proud of when we mated our pens in the spring. 



While this change of plumage does not affect all speci- 

 mens, I believe nearly, if not all, breeders have noticed 

 this during their moulting season, and especially on the 

 backs of hens. It seems that nature simply offers a sub- 

 stitute in the form of the penciled feathers to act as a 

 covering throughout moult, or until such time as the speci- 

 men is in shape to produce better ones. 



In Fig 27 are shown three feathers selected from the 

 back of the same bird at different seasons of the year. Fea- 

 ther No. 1 was taken just before the bird began moulting, 

 feather No. 2 was selected during the. moulting, and feather 

 No. 3 about December 15th, or after the bird had taken on 

 her, winter garments. These feathers do not illustrate the 

 best or the worst of the plumage, but are a fair average of 

 the specimen during the three stages referred to. You will 



In Fig. 28 are shown two distinct types of feathers, 

 and before proceeding to discuss different sections, to de- 



It' Fig-. 27. 



notice quite a bit of difference between feathers Nos. 1 and 

 3. Feather No. 1 has a heavy lacing of black on outside 

 of white; the lower edge of white is diamond-shaped, the 

 white following web of feather and meeting at the shaft. 

 The white of this feather is absolutely pure — not a trace. 

 of black — and outside edge is cjearly defined. Feather No. 

 3 has narrow edge of white at outer edge of feather, the 

 lower edge of white is oval shaped, and there are streaks 

 of black in the white center. Feather No. 2 is not only 

 laced, but has nearly every bad feature found in the color 

 of this variety. The top of feather is white, and the entire 

 feather has that faded-out look so utterly disliked by all 

 Silver breeders. 



The Standard, in describing the color of the back sec- 

 tion of Silver Wyandotte females, says : "Web of feathers, 

 lustrous black, with large, oval-shaped white centers, free 

 from black or brown, the black lacing sharply defined and 

 free. from white edging.; under color, dark slate." 



The reader will note that the Standard describes the 

 white center as large and oval-shaped, and w;e feel that the 

 committee acted wisely in so describing it, as, from the 

 oval-shaped centers, we have been able to produce our best 

 show specimens. 



Fig. 28. 



scribe and illustrate the defects, it is well to study these 

 two feathers and get a better understanding in regard to 

 them. 



Feather No. 1 has the diamond-shaped center with only 

 a small margin of black on the sides, and Is somewhat lack- 

 ing in under color, the white extending too far down in the 

 web portion.. Feather No. 1 is rather handsome when 

 viewed by Itself, but it will not hold during moult, and 

 there does not seem to be enough black in it to reproduce 

 in the hen; the white will break through in the two sides, 

 leaving a crescentic finish to the tips; the black will fade 

 at the end, losing the luster so much desired by the breed- 

 ers of this variety. 



In feather No. 2 we find the large oval-shaped center 

 described in the Standard. The black edging on surface 

 shows the same width around the upper edge of feather 

 and along the sides, but this white does not extend so far 

 down as in feather No. 1, showing more slate in under color 

 and a better luster to surface. A feather like No. 2 will 

 hold its color during the season and is fan more likely to 

 moult in well from year to year — in fact, it is the feather 

 that our Standard makers believe to be best for this va- 

 riety, and one that every breeder should strive to obtain. 



Neck. 



In all varieties of parti-colored birds there is consider- 

 able stress laid on color of neck; in fact, many breeders 

 will examine this section first when considering a speci- 

 men for the breeding pen, both male and female, a.nd many 

 birds otherwise good are discarded on account of defective 

 color in this section. That a well laced neck on a Silver 

 Wyandotte, male or female, adds much to the beauty, goes 

 without saying, but it is just as true that the best laced 

 females 'do not always make the best breeders. This the 

 old-timers have learned and quite often birds that an ama- 

 teur would consider just the proper ones to breed from 

 are thrown out of the breeding yards. 



In Fi.g. 29 are shown four neck feathers, "reproduced 

 here to illustrate this point. 



Feather No. 3 fits the Standard description for color, 

 and is described as follows: "Silvery white, with a black 

 stripe through each feather, tapering to a point near ex- 

 tremity of feather; white, free from black or brown edg- 

 ing; shafts of feathers may be white; under color, dark 

 slate." 



