OF STANDARD FOWLS 
is a specification written without consideration of 
existing conditions. There are over 8,000 feathers 
on a fowl. No poultry show requires that a 
judge shall count the feathers to find out the pro- 
portion of white feathers as per specifications, and 
no judge would do it if told to do so; therefore be- 
ing obsolete by reason of its absurdity it is not a 
law. 
An even distribution of the white, with black 
greatly predominating, is the main requirement. 
The similarity between barred and mottled breeds 
is the tendency of the black to spread, run or 
streak into white, which destroys harmony, and as 
like begets like and imperfections come without 
breeding for them, avoid using birds with such 
defects. The black should be black and the white 
white without any intermixing. In mottled breeds 
a disposition for adult birds to moult out white is 
simply nature’s sign of the limit of value in 
strength and stamina as breeders. And while it 
means that vigor is on the out-tide, because of the 
lack of ability to secrete the black pigment, it does 
not mean that such a bird will produce young light- 
er colored than standard requirements; although 
again, as like begets like, such a bird will throw 
young with like tendencies at same age. Instances 
there are a plenty of individuals so vigorous among 
mottled birds that they would retain standard 
markings and color till five or six years of age. 
Therefore surely these are the proper birds to 
breed from to perpetuate this desirable quality. 
Where white and black markings are segre- 
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