412 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
at the sides, with something like a bunch of coral in the centre : it is, however, very difficult, if not 
impossible at present, to breed to any exact standard in this particular point. The wattles should 
be long , the crest large, composed of feathers similar to those of the hackle, and inclining rather 
backwards so as not to hide the comb ; the muffling full, so as to hide the face. The colour should 
be a rich black and white, as evenly marked as possible, especially on the breast ; but most birds 
have more or less straw-coloured feathers in crest, hackle, and saddle, and I do not consider them 
an > great drawback, although I would prefer pure black and white if the bird were equal in 
other points. 1 he tail should be dark in colour, well sickled, and carried erect. The legs are light 
in colour, or black and white [we should describe the colour ourselves as pinky white, mottled with 
black], with fifth toe well developed. 
“ The hen should be large, with a small coral-like comb ; crest and muffling large, and as full 
as possible ; colour pure black and white, as evenly broken as can be, the markings being rather 
small. The legs are similar to those of the cock. Red feathers are inadmissible in both sexes. 
“ The cock whose portrait appears weighed, when in fair condition, nine pounds and a half 
and the hen six pounds and a half. The heaviest hen I ever possessed weighed as much as eight 
pounds and a half ; but I have some doubt if she was pure-bred, though I purchased her of a well- 
known breeder. 
“ To breed Houdans, if the hens are light in colour, a dark cock or cockerel should be selected ; 
but I prefer to mate dark hens with a cock or cockerel rather lighter, and from birds so mated I 
have bred beautiful birds of both sexes. I am inclined to think crest comes from the hen, and 
would therefore be more particular in choosing large-crested hens than cocks. 
“ The little cockerels may soon be distinguished from the pullets by their combs, which are 
much more prominent, the pullets often showing scarcely any until they assume their adult 
plumage ; the crests of the cockerels are also composed of differently-shaped feathers, being 
similar in kind to the hackles. In the pullets the crest should be fuller and more round in shape. 
If the chicks are bred from birds of a known good dark strain, I would caution breeders not to 
condemn them for being too light in colour, as if they are well bred they will in all probability get 
dark enough afterwards — at least I have found it so with my birds. Pullets and cockerels must 
be very dark to make good-coloured birds in after years, so that fine young birds, though too dark, 
if good in other points may be kept to show later in life, as well as to breed. 
“ They make excellent birds for the table at an early age, and for market are preferable to 
the Crevecceurs, on account of the lighter colour of the legs. When early hatched the pullets make 
capital winter layers.” 
When first imported the fifth toe of the Houdan was very uncertain, and many birds brought 
from France were also deficient in muffs or beards. The requirements of English shows have led 
to fixture of both points, but in the case of the fifth toe, at least, we are far from sure the decision 
was a wise one. We ventured at the time to predict that sooner or later we should acquire with 
the positive fixture of this point the inevitable “bumble-foot” which so troubles Dorking breeders, 
and we were interested to observe isolated cases almost immediately afterwards. That was several 
years ago ; and since then we have seen many. The breed is yet far from being as subject to the 
complaint as the Dorking, which is partly owing to its being naturally a lighter-made and more 
active fowl, and partly to the fact that the toe has not been “bred in” so long and so thoroughly, 
being evidently derived from the Dorking cross employed to fashion the breed ; but it is decidedly 
on the increase, and we cannot but again express our regret at unnatural peculiarities being thus 
perpetuated in what profess to be table fowls. 
It is worth remarking that Houdan cocks are in general the most vigorous of any, and should 
