62 



COLUMBIAN IfVANDOTTES. 



But, to my surprise, all chicks from the Buff Wyan- 

 dotte and White Wyandotte hen came with the full mark- 

 ings of a Light Brahma with Wyandotte, shape and comb. 

 I then purchased a full-blooded Columbian Wyandotte male, 

 crossing him on my one-half blood Brahmas, which mating 

 gave me back shape, comb and clean legs; but on account 

 of the material I had to work with I fell short on black in 

 wing, holding all other points. In 1897 I was more fortunate 

 in securing the first Chicago male — very strong in shape, 

 neck and wings — and his females this year are of good Wy- 

 andotte shape and neck like a Light Brahma should have. 



I do not write this to claim that I am the originator of 

 Columbian Wyandottes. I am led to answer the article in 

 the April (1907) number of The Inland Poultry Journal, in 

 which is an illustrated article on the scoring of Columbian 

 Wyandottes, and I consider it the best ever given on any 

 breed — short, plain and instructive. Right here I will say 

 that none of the real merits of the Columbian Wyandotte 

 are exaggerated. They are very good all-purpose fowls, 

 are excellent layers, and, when once established, a breed 

 which we Americans can be proud of. 



and tail extended well down to the skin It was quite likely 

 to show a black, smutty end to hackle feathers, failing In 

 white lacing so much admired in this variety. When 

 flights showed a sufficient amount of black the two colors 

 were quite likely to mingle, giving this section a washed- 

 out color that is very objectionable from a breeding stand- 

 point. This was the condition of color as found on the 

 original birds, and from this mixture the fanciers must 

 make the breed if it was worth considering by the poultry- 

 men as a thoroughbred. How well they succeeded is 

 shown by the admission of this variety to the Standard, 

 and the many elegant individual specimens that have 

 graced the exhibition rooms at the leading shows the past 

 winter. 



THE ORIGIN. 



The original cross, or at least the one we have an ofB- 

 cial record of, is the Light Brahmas — White Wyandottes; 

 both breeds being used for the top crosses, and offspring 

 of the two bred together. Later on Silver Wyandottes were 

 used, crossing the Columbian, both male and female, with 



-'<■■ 



Fig. 79. 

 STANDARD COLUMBIAN WYANDOTTE FEMALE. 



In taking uji this, one of the most popular new 

 varieties of the Wyandotte family, a few words in re- 

 gard to their color and origin will not be out of place. 

 In plumage they are identical with the Light Brahmas; 

 at least, that is what the Standard calls for, and, be it 

 said to the credit of the breeders of this variety, they are 

 fast closing up the gap in color that has for the past 

 years existed between them and the Light Brahmas. 

 To get good striping in neck of males and females with cor- 

 rect tail lacing on both sexes, having at all times the old 

 and well established Light Brahmas as a comparison has 

 been a big task. The first Columbians to attract attention 

 were very defective in color. It is true they showed some 

 black in neck and tail and occasionally showed fairly good 

 in wing flights and secondaries, being more of a dull black 

 or dirty brown, while the lacing so much admired in this 

 variety was decidedly lacking. If lacing appeared in tail 

 coverts with good sound black in male tail it was invari- 

 ably followed with a lot of ticking in back, and quite often 

 color would show in breast and body. If the black in neck 



the Slivers, then using the original Columbians back to 

 these crosses. Some claim that an out cross of Barred 

 Rocks was used, but we are not prepared to prove this 

 statement, the claim being made that another party not 

 the one making the report used the Rocks in perfecting 



! ! ^°^°/- J'^^'l^® T®''^ "'"'='' '^'^"''t, as we have never 

 yet bred a Barred Rock on to any breed with white or parti- 

 white plumage that did not give us chicks with decidedly 

 more black than white. cv-»ucuij 



In my own yards I have used two crosses, one a Light 

 Brahma hen with elegant neck and tail lacing the other 

 a Silver Wyandotte female with almost a solid white breast 

 and oly a trace of lacing on back and body To these fe- 

 males I have mated the best Columbian male I could find 

 and from the cross five females were selected— three from 

 the Brahma hen and two from the Silver Wyandotte ThesP 

 females were again mated to a Columbian Wyandotte cock- 

 erel, and the tail and neck color, the object sought for 

 was quite well established. This color is gradually heine 

 fed into the choicest matlngs, and, strange as it may ap 



