Wyandottes. 
221 
Buff Wyandottes are of quite recent introduction, and in their manufacture much Buff Cochin blood 
has been used. They were produced in America and England both, at much about the same time. 
In the former country the Silver Wyandotte was employed, being crossed with a breed of fowls known as the 
Rhode Island Reds. In the latter the Silver Wyandotte was crossed with the Buff Cochin, breeding for the 
colour of the Cochin, with the shape and characteristics of the Wyandotte. The Buffs are now fairly well 
established, and bid fair to outstrip their brethren for popularity ; they are good layers of a brownish egg, 
in size a Httle larger than the rest of the Family. They are not so inclined to broodiness as the Whites, 
Silvers, or Golds, and are much easier broken off the inclination to incubate. When anything like perfect in 
plumage they are strikingly handsome and attractive. They also run a trifle heavier than the other varieties, 
some specimens weighing : cocks lolbs., hens 81bs. The buffs are very difficult to breed to Show require- 
ments, coloured feathers such as black or white often appearing in neck hackle, wings and tail. The same 
difficulty confronted the Buff Cochin breeder in the past, but that has been completely overcome, so 
there should be no insurmountable difficulty in breeding the Buff Wyandotte just as perfect. The one plan, 
and only one to attain this object, is by selection and preference, mating each year birds the nearest to what 
is desired. 
In breeding the Buffs the cock or cockerel selected should be as even a buff colour throughout as 
possible, being a trifle darker than the colour required for the Show pen will be a point in his favour rather 
than otherwise, and if his under-colour is sound and good, fair results may be expected. He should be mated 
with about four hens, two a trifle darker than the others, as by this means the desired shade of colour may be 
obtained in at least some of the chickens. The hens should be squarely built, of good size, and as clear, or 
perfectly clear in neck hackles and tails as possible. There should also be some blood relationship between 
the brood stock in order to get even a moderate percentage of good buff coloured chickens, as it is next to 
impossible to breed sound coloured buffs from birds totally unrelated. In breeding for head points 
the better the combs are on the stock birds the better the chickens will turn out in this important 
characteristic, and again if a faulty combed bird is used on the cock's side especially, the fault is almost 
certain to be aggravated. Care must be exercised in mating the stock, avoiding birds on either side which 
have a reddish tendency in plumage, or which run mealy on the wings or whitish in the under-colour of 
the feather. Another fault to be avoided in selecting the stock cock is white in the sickles; if this is present 
even in a small degree as a cockerel, as a cock he will have three parts or wholly white sickles, and a bird 
with this marked defect would fail to breed a single good pullet. 
The Cuckoo Wyandotte is the latest variety of the tribe to make iis appearance, being produced in 
England within the past few years. There is little doubt that the Barred Plymouth Rock was the prime 
factor in the composition, and as most strains of Rocks are somewhat similar in conformation, and the 
colour of beak, eyes and legs, the same as the Wyandotte ; markings and colour of plumage were not 
difficult to secure, and we now have a fowl possessing all the desired Wyandotte characteristics, with the 
beautiful barred plumage of the Plymouth Rock. Great claims are made on behalf of the Cuckoos for their 
economic qualities, and this is not to be wondered at, as the infusion of such distinct blood must of necessity 
increase fecundity. The Cuckoos have evidently " come to stay," though we utterly fail to see the reason of 
increasing the varieties in a recognised utility breed. 
To breed the Cuckoo variety for the show pen — bearing in mind the difference existing in the head 
points between the single-combed and pea-combed Plymouth Rock and the rose-combed Wyandotte, and also 
the slight difference in type— the instructions given on the mating and breeding of Barred Plymouth Rocks, 
will be found an absolute guide to success in obtaining colour and markings in the Cuckoo Wyandotte. 
For the following notes on the Laced varieties we are indebted to Mr. Oscar Wilson, of the Bonaventure 
Poultry Farm, Mount Druitt, N.S.W. Mr. Wilson writes : — 
" It is now ten years since I started breeding Silver-laced Wyandottes, they were quite a new breed in 
N.S.W. at that time — being in the hands of one or two Fanciers only. I was fortunate in securing a trio 
from a friend who had imported some direct from the yards of Mr. Preston, one of America's largest breeders. 
