14 
<< 
LES 
anne. 
6 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
The Poultry MW Buttle 
The Wyandotte. 
(By Norman A, Axv.) 
The Wyandotte is one of the best 
known and popular breeds, and one that 
by its all-round usefulness, beauty and 
merit has won its way to the very fore- 
front of our present-day breeds of poultry. 
Although there are 11 different varieties 
or colors, it is my intention to only deal 
with the Silvers, Golds, Whites, Par- 
tridges, Silver Pencilled and Columbians. 
It was about 1884 when first the Silvers 
were introduced into England, and with 
its beautiful, attractive plumage com- 
bined with all other good qualities neces- 
sary in an all-round fowl, it has steadily 
gone ahead and been bred to such a high 
standard of excellence till to-day it stands 
out a world-wide favorite amongst fancy 
and utility poultry keepers alike, equalled 
by few and excelled by none. I admit 
that there are other breeds, such as 
Game and Dorkings, that are better as 
table birds, and others, again, such as the 
White Leghorns, that have as strong a 
claim as layers, yet as a combination of 
the two there is no other breed that can 
equal it. 
Tt is not my intention to make com- 
parisons that are odious to those who 
keep other breeds, but I think I may 
safely claim without fear of contradiction 
that there is no other breed that is bred 
more uniformly to the standard laid down 
than is the Wyandotte. Although color 
and markings have the chief consideration 
from breeders, yet these are not culti- 
vated to the detriment of all other points, 
as is the case with some Mediterranean 
breeds, where most other points are sac- 
rificed for excessive combs and lobes. 
In style and shape the Wyandotte some- 
what resembles the Brohma, although it 
is distinctly smarter in appearance and 
has nothing of this breed’s awkwardness 
about it. Its compact and cobby body. 
graceful arched neck, bold breast, short 
back and neat tail, give it a natural, 
proud carriage, and stamp it as the em- 
bodiment of vitality and vigor. From a 
fancy point of view the Wyandotte is all 
that a breeder could wish for. The number 
of its supporters is tremendous, and 
although prices have reached up to £185, 
£100, and £75 for a single bird of this 
breed, I have no hesitation in saying that 
it has by no means reached the limit of 
its popularity, and a few years will see it 
far in advance of its present-day rivals. 
from a utility fancier’s point of view I 
think the following facts and figures are 
sufficient to convince anyone of its excel- 
lence and of its usefulness either to the 
farmer who has a wide range, or to the 
cottager who has only a back yard. The 
records of the various competitions organ- 
ized and conducted by the English Utility 
Poultry Club form very interesting read- 
ing. I think the first competition was 
held in 1898, although of this and the 
one held in 1901 I regret I am unable to 
find records, but in the one held in 1899 
we find Golds occupying third position, 
with a total of 133 eggs; in 1900 Silvers 
are first, with 223 eggs; in 190% Golds are 
first, with 200 eggs, and Silvers sixth; 
in 1903 Whites are first with 276 eggs, 
which number constitutes a record, neither 
excelled nor equalled by any other breed 
in any competition of 16 weeks’ duration 
ever held. In 1904, Whites again occupy 
first and second positions with 243 and 
218 eggs respectively ; in 1905 Whites 
occupy the third, fifth, and sixth posi- 
tions, with 226, 187 and 180. In the 
present competition the results of the 
first four weeks are just to hand, and we 
find that in Section A, White Wyandottes 
occupy second and third positions, and in 
Section B, Partridges are first, with 
August 1, 1907 
Whites third. Considering that these 
competitions: are held in the most severe 
winter months and are open to any broed, 
the positions held and records established 
are very gratifying to us who are sup- 
porters and breeders of the Wyondotte. 
in a competition held in the sister colony 
of New Zealand, which concluded last 
December, the Silvers proved their super- 
lority over ell other breeds by occupying 
first, second and third positions. 
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 
As the general characteristics of all 
varieties are the same, I will give them 
here, the only difference being color, 
which I will give separately The male : 
Head short and broad ; face, wattles and 
ear lobes bright red ; neck, medium length, 
well arched and with abundant hackle; 
back, broad and flat; saddle, brond, and 
rising gracefully to the tail; body, short 
broad, deep and nicely rounded; vreast, 
full and round; wings neatly folded and 
of medium size ; tail full, neat and nicely 
rounded; shanks, bright yellow, perfectly 
free from feathers, medium length and 
stout. The female: Exactly similar in 
above points, allowing for difference in 
sex. It is good to have an ideal, but in 
striving to obtain this I would like to 
impress upon breeders the necessity of 
paying attention to the utility point, and 
endeavor by judicious selection to produce 
a harmonious combination of beauty and 
utility. The useful qualities of the Wyan- 
dotte must be maintained. It is the 
corner stone of their reputation amongst 
those who judge it from a utilitarian 
standpoint, s» that in aiming at beauty 
of plumage we shonld by no means lose 
sight of the other part of the question. 
I will now give a brief description of 
the different colors, and try to give a few 
hints on the mating and breeding. 
Tre Srrver Wyanporre. | 
It was in 1844 that the first Silvers 
were sent over from Aierica to England, 
and if testimony were needed that breed 
has proved to possess all the good qualities 
claimed for it by its originators. It is 
worthy of note that the pioneers of its 
introduction into England are to-day a 
quarter of a century after amongst its 
most successful breeders and staunchest 
supporters. In 1891 my parents pur- 
chased for me a pen of this color, and, 
although ra her young at the tlme, I can 
look back on a few years’ experience and 
interest in the breed, and have noted the 
steady rise and difference in quality, par- 
ticularly from the pen I first had and the 
stamp of bird I try to obtain now. In 
1895 a pen of Golds was added, and these, 
coupled with the more recently introduced 
Partridges, are my favorites. The jet 
black lacing on a pure white ground of 
the Silvers forms a striking color, and 
breeders should note particularly in the 
stock birds that the lacing is as dense as 
possible, and not brown; that 1t extends 
right round the feather, and the white 
ground color is as pure as possible, and 
free from ticking or mossiness. i 
