314 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
better than when just starting to lay. The type has varied a good deal at various times in winning birds at 
the principal Shows, and I believe also in England, some Judges favouring the Gamey and some the Minorca 
type ; but, from reports of recent Shows in English Fanciers' papers, I notice that many of the prize-winning 
cockerels have been commended as being ' nice ' and ' cobby ' in type. Now, I consider the word ' cobby ' 
just fits the true Leghorn ; not long in back nor showing so much thigh as the Minorca, nor whip-tailed like 
the Game Fowl, but full in tail, with long sickles, the tail being carried well up. The White Leghorn has 
improved very much of late years in many points, especially in size and colour ; and though I prefer them 
medium in size, still, as all breeds quickly deteriorate through in-breeding, dry seasons, and sometimes 
neglect and want of knowledge on the part of Poultry Farmers, the Fancier comes in useful by supplying 
large cockerels for a change of blood, and to improve the size and stamina of the various breeds throughout 
the Colonies. In colour we can now produce White cockerels— so fixed a white that no amount of sun will 
tan their plumage — but these often fail in leg colour, although there are some Whites that never lose the rich 
yellow colour of legs and beak. Some years ago most of the winning Leghorns showed white in face, and a 
sound-faced old cock was rarely seen, but, thanks to the efforts of the Victorian Leghorn Club, they have 
now much improved in that respect, and by careful breeding it is to be hoped that white in face will become 
unknown, and still leave us fair-sized smooth white lobes. The Brown Leghorn is a very popular variety in 
this country, but scarcely so hardy as the White, probably owing to excessive in-breeding. Like the 
Andalusian, breeding for colour often tempts the breeder to in-breed. I think they thrive better than the 
White in the hotter parts of the Colonies. In Gippsland and Upper Yarra districts of Victoria, which are 
wet and cold in winter, there are few Browns to be seen, and Whites are very plentiful, whereas the Browns 
predominate in the Wimmera and hotter parts. It may be owing to the survival of the fittest. In my 
opinion we are a long way behind the English breeders of Brown Leghorns in Show Pullet Breeding, for 
how few good-coloured brown pullets do we come across even at our best Shows, but we can hold our own 
in cockerels, some of the winners at our Shows being fine specimens. In breeding pullets, it is not so much 
the colour of the stock cock that is to be considered, but rather how he was bred. Many make the error of 
selecting a pullet-breeding cock on account of the bird having a light or washy coloured hackle, without 
regard to strain, etc., the result being dark pullets with cloudy hackles. It is not an easy matter to select a 
pullet-breeding cock by appearance. I prefer to see them while in their chicken leathers ; but, if one has to- 
be chosen which has developed adult plumage, I would select a bird with a light golden hackle, fairly well 
striped, and rather dull in colour of red throughout back and wings, the secondaries being as light in colour 
as possible, but the main point is ' the strain,' that is, if he is a full brother to good sound-coloured pullets. 
I also prefer a pullet breeder to have his comb set rather back on the head ; the pullets from him will not be 
inclined to have folded or ugly combs. A falling comb in the stock cock, if otherwise good, is even an 
advantage. 
" In mating for cockerels similar lines ought to be followed, viz., mating Show cocks with cockerel 
breeding hens. These latter should have rich-coloured, well-streaked neck hackles, dark in body, and if you 
wish to improve on the richness of the sire's colour mate him with hens ruddy or rusty on the wing, also full 
in tail, so that the cockerels may have the same quality. The foregoing may seem troublesome to a 
beginner, but, if he is a true Fancier, the pleasure of producing nearly perfect specimens will more than 
compensate him. 
" The Pile Leghorn can hardly be beaten by any variety as prolific layers. No matter what time of the 
year, if you have a few Piles in your yard, you will never be without eggs. They have the advantage over 
other coloured varieties, inasmuch as there is not nearly so great a temptation to in-breed them, the 
tendency being to become lighter in colour in each generation, so that a recourse to the Brown is required 
occasionally, to keep up the colour in the cockerels especially. I find them breed wonderfully true to 
feather, notwithstanding the introduction occasionally of ' Brown ' blood. They have also one very great 
advantage over the Browns, as Show cockerels and pullets can be bred uniformly from the same parents. 
By mating a Show Pile cock with dark and light hens respectively, a much greater percentage of Show birds 
