Breeding Laced Bantams. 
479 
Dear’s Game and Poultry Food, and a very small portion of custard, mixed together in a crumbly 
paste. The custard is made of new milk and eggs, in proportion five or six eggs to half a pint of 
milk; the milk should be boiled in a kettle something after the fashion of a glue-pot. The milk 
being surrounded by water prevents it burning, which would prove very injurious to the chicks ; 
the eggs, after being beaten up, should be added when the milk is boiling, and frequently stirred. 
In a short time a nice thick custard is formed, which, after a slow boiling, should be turned out into 
a hair sieve to thoroughly drain the whey out before using. I never use more than four or five 
eggs daily to every hundred chicks ; clean well-water always by them. 
“ Just a hint as regards Laced Bantams for breeding purposes : the cockerels should have a 
very slightly sickle-feathered tail, perfectly hen-tailed birds being often very unprolific.” 
It will be observed that Mr. Leno, like Mr. Hewitt, remarks on the frequently sterile character 
of perfectly hen-tailed birds; though we must add that we have heard from other breeders of cocks 
perfect in this respect, which were as prolific as could be desired. Much depends on the run, the 
general management, and the degree to which the birds are exhibited, specimens frequently shown 
almost always proving sterile in this breed. 
With regard to breeding Sebrights, very little can be added to the preceding remarks. In 
the old “ Poultry Book”* to which we have already referred, Mr. Hewitt makes three observations 
which we have every reason, from inquiry, to believe are still true. The first is, that in their third 
year many birds become grizzled with white, and consequently unfitted for exhibition. “Fre- 
quently, however,” he says, “ have I found that in this state they produce stock far superior to those 
that have been reared from these same birds in their pristine beauty.” The second is, that the best 
chickens are generally produced when the parents are over-sized , which will be found probable 
enough when the superior vigour of such parents is considered. The third is, that he generally 
found his best-laced birds were bred from parents one of which was very heavily laced, while the 
other was scarcely sufficiently so. “ Why this should be,” he says, “ I know not, but I am confi- 
dent that those that are best laced frequently produce offspring that are far from perfect in their 
markings ; while those exhibited by myself, which have so often proved successful, were bred as 
before stated.” We may add that it is desirable to choose a breeding cock whose comb is as 
bright as possible. We are not aware, in fact, that the livid comb is considered a particular merit 
in any case, and if dark-coloured birds on both sides be bred from, it is apt to become almost black. 
A neat comb is a great point, but rather rare of late, most of the combs now shown being low 
behind, instead of the pike pointing rather upwards as in Hamburghs, which it should do. 
As to breeding the two varieties together, we have no doubt that it improves hardiness and 
fertility, and is of occasional benefit to the Gold ; but we feel equally little doubt that it was what 
ruined the Silvers. Until 1872 we had not seen a pen of real Silvers for years, those so-called 
being simply bad-coloured pale gold ; and in one case we actually saw two pens side by side, one of 
which was called Silver and the other Golden, with scarcely a shade between them. We had 
began to think the beautiful Silver-laced Bantam was altogether lost, when we heard from an old 
friend that two splendid pens had been sent to a Scotch show ; and at the Bristol show soon after 
we saw two pens, the ground-colour of which was as white and clear as the paper on which this 
work is printed. We learnt on inquiry that the Scotch birds had been re-made , or bred over 
again ; and since that time the new strain of Silvers has so increased that this colour is now far the 
most plentiful of the two. The colour is still clear, and we trust may be kept so. That crossing 
such birds with Golden often produces at first pure-coloured chicks of both varieties we quite 
* “The Poultry Book,” by Messrs. Wingfield and Johnson, 1853, pp. 200, 20?. 
