2 72 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
same time. Two pullets from one of these birds, hatched on the 7th of March, commenced to lay 
within a day of each other, on the 1 ( 5 th and 17th of the August following, at the ages of five months 
and nine days and five months and ten days respectively, and continued to lay without intermission 
until the 11th of the following November, when I sold them. In the spring of 1872 I obtained 
from a gentleman to whom I had sold a pullet a granddaughter of one of the hens first named, and 
she commenced to lay early, producing an egg per day for five days ; ceased the succeeding three 
days, and then, with a faculty for egg-production at least equal to that possessed by her maternal 
ancestry, laid sixty eggs in sixty-two days. I then disposed of her to a gentleman who, on my 
meeting him some few weeks afterwards, told me that her laying continued to be of the same 
character. One more example will suffice. From a sitting of eggs purchased from yourself in the 
spring of 1871 I have one hen, beautifully pencilled, which may be fairly termed an exhibition 
bird, and which has laid most abundantly. I much regret not having had the opportunity of 
keeping an accurate memorandum of her individual egg-supply, but I am satisfied it is equal to 
either of the instances named. No matter what the condition of the weather, wet or dry, cold or 
hot, there has been scarcely any intermission to her daily produce, not even during her moulting 
season just passed ; indeed I have endeavoured, but without success, to prevent her laying so much. 
The feeding of my birds has been always of the most simple character.” 
It is deeply to be regretted that in great measure these economic merits of the true Brahma, 
as the fowl actually was, belong now to the past, and are not found in the same degree in the 
fowl of to-day. Probably in no case have the vagaries of judges done so much harm as in this 
breed. At one time the two most prominent arbitrators of the day (since deceased) gave prizes 
so entirely to a peculiar pencilling composed of very broad dark markings, quite foreign to the 
Brahma fowl, that pullets resembling in shape and size small Silver-grey Dorkings displaced the 
truer-bred birds. Then an excessively pure “silver” pencilling was encouraged by the same 
judges, and with the same result. These were temporary aberrations, and were both recovered 
from in due time, though not till a weak constitution and weedy habit had been introduced 
into many yards. But a more permanent mischief has been persistent judging and consequent 
breeding according to the Cochin type , and including the encouragement of profuse feather and 
vulture-hocks. The change in these respects has been enormous since the first edition of this 
work ; as may be seen by comparing the engraved plates representing Brahmas as shown to-day, 
with the coloured plates prepared for the original edition of this work in 1872. What we here 
desire to insist upon is the fact that these differences, which can be seen at a glance when thus 
represented, are not matters merely of personal preference, but have injured the fowl \ which is no 
longer what it once was. With heavy hocks have come deficient breast and loss of constitution ; 
the Cochin type itself has fostered the same want of breast ; with the looser and more fluffy 
plumage are associated a more or less yellow skin, coarse flesh, inferior laying powers, and sluggish 
temperament ; for it may be stated as a general truth, that no “ loose-feathered ” breed is ever a 
good table-fowl, or a first-rate layer. To a great extent, what was truly characteristic and best in 
the breed— its hardiness, its pink or white skin and good flesh, and its splendid laying powers— 
have vanished, and we have instead (in reality now, what was wrongly affirmed in the early days), 
simply Cochins of another colour. This is in no way inconsistent with our remarks in Chapter IX. 
It has been no unavoidable result of “ fancy ” judging, but a result long and persistently foretold 
by the present writer, of foolish and flagrantly wrong judging. So really is this the case, that 
present profit and satisfaction from the fowl will largely depend upon simply reversing the disastrous 
path which has been followed, and returning to the older and more tight-feathered model. 
In keeping the Brahma for profit, all this must be considered. It will generally be 
