Red and Yellow-pied Pouters. 
”3 
We have next to consider the Red and Yellow-pied birds, treating the two together, because, 
while they have certainly been a great deal too much crossed and mixed up by breeders, there 
really is a natural relationship between the two colours which cannot be ignored. We are 
sorry to have to say that both colours have for years lately almost “ gone to pieces,” especially 
since Mr. James Montgomery, of Belfast, gave up breeding this pigeon ; for we never knew any one 
produce so many and so good Red-pied Pouters as he did. We think he bred in two seasons more 
first-class birds of this colour than we have ever seen elsewhere in the possession of all the fanciers 
combined ; and no one who remembers the collection of Reds he once sent to the Glasgow Show 
will ever forget the sight. Nay, were we to extend our statement one year more, and say three 
seasons, we might go so far as to say that lie produced more first-class birds of all the colours than 
we ever knew before or since to be bred in the time; and though it is only just to state that he 
bred from birds procured from the veteran breeders — Messrs. George Ure, James Huie, and others 
— and was also assisted by the advice of Mr. Matthew Stuart, of Glasgow, there is no question but 
that to obtain such results in all directions he must have employed extraordinarily good judgment, 
as well as been favoured with, no doubt, some little measure of “luck for which reason we gladly 
give a few pages farther on his method of breeding for various colours, and can but express our 
deep regret that he so soon left the Pouter fancy for other varieties. 
In breeding these birds, the common plan has been to match together a Red cock and a 
Yellow hen, when almost invariably the produce is the same ; indeed, we might almost say it is 
never otherwise unless the cock is aged and the hen young and vigorous, when, as we have so often 
remarked, the produce taking after the most vigorous parent, will sometimes be both Yellows. 
Whenever this is the case, the owner will do well to keep such a pair breeding together as long as 
ever they will produce young in this manner ; because the almost universal rule makes a great 
scarcity of Yellow cocks. We do not indeed think we ever knew above six really good Yellow- 
pied Pouter cocks to be in existence at any one time among all the fanciers of the United 
Kingdom ; and we might say the same of Red hens, and for the very same reason ; that colour 
from this common method of breeding almost always throwing to the cock’s side. Hence there is 
ample room in the Pouter-breeding world for enterprise and skill, were it only to produce these 
two rarities — Red hens and Yellow cocks — of equal quality to birds which arc to be met with of 
the opposite sexes in the same colours. 
We do not, however — and chiefly for the reason that it produces such partial and unsatisfactory 
results — at all approve of this method of breeding ; besides which, we have never known it produce 
such rich-coloured Reds as the proper method, which is as follows : — It will be easily observed that 
Red Pouters are never so rich and true in colour when young as after they have attained the age 
of three years, while some will even improve until five or six years old. It will also be found on 
careful observation, that on the average, and with few exceptions, birds thus matured in colour 
produce much better-coloured young than these very same parents did before their own colour 
became fixed. Nearly every good-coloured Red we ever saw we have known to have been bred 
from birds of mature age ; and we cannot, during the whole of a very long experience, recall three 
instances of such birds being bred from parents in their first or second season. To breed good 
Reds, then, the breeder should breed from parents not less than three years old, if possible, and 
pair two Reds together instead of a Red and a Yellow. As a really good hen of this pigeon, however, 
often ceases breeding (especially if not carefully husbanded and looked after) at the age of three or 
four years, she must often be bred younger ; and to make up for this the cock may be older ; 
indeed, we would not be particular about his age so long as he is able to fertilise the eggs. In this 
way really beautiful Reds may be produced if anything like decent materials can be got to start 
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