* 
 
.MEMORIAL POULTRY LIBRARY^, 
 
 — —^ 
 
 ■fHE GJjf Of 
 
 W. A. WOLFORD 
 
 ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY 
 New York State Colleges 
 
 OF 
 
 Agriculture and Home Economics 
 
 AT 
 
 Cornell University 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924066712682 
 
I* 
 
 ^ 
 
 .y 
 
 
BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 BY 
 
 P. PROUD. 
 
 With Two Coloured Plates and upwards of Thirty Illustrations. 
 
 "THE FEATHERED ^VORLD/' 
 9, ARUNDEL STREET, STRAND, LONDON, W.C. 
 
6r 
 
 RA^/C<n/v^ 
 
 B 
 
 7^ 
 
Preface. 
 
 |_| AVING been frequently asked by young fanciers for information respecting the 
 successful brooding and management of that most beautiful and profitable miniature 
 fowl, the Bantam, I at last decided to give the readers of 'Ilia Feathered World such prac- 
 tical information and ad\ioe as I trusted would enable those who had hitherto failed in 
 their efforts, to make their hobby both a pleasurable and profitable one. Bantams, kept 
 under proper management, and by following the advice in mating and rearing which are 
 fully treated of in these articles, should with a little care and attention be made to 
 not only pay the rent of a cottage and three or four acres of land, but in addition yield a 
 handsome profit and furnish a very interesting and healthful hobby as well. My readers 
 will scarcely credit the fact that there are in England to-day several Bantam breeders 
 \vho are making an income of from £75 to £250 on Bantams alone. This is not to be 
 wondered at when we know that prices are obtained ranging from £15 to £50 for really 
 first-class exhibition specimens, whilst the carriage to and from shows is quite 50 per cent, 
 less than on larger breeds, and the cost of feeding is proportionately smaller. Still, it is 
 not all " Klondyke '' with Bantam farming — far from it. The young fancier will have 
 to experience innumerable troubles and worries ere he reaches the top rung in the ladder 
 of Bantam fame. His watchword should be, " Attention and perseverance." 
 
 In writing these articles, which were intended for the amateur fancier and not the 
 professional, I endeavoured to supply the necessary information as simply as possible, so 
 that " he who ran might read." All the varieties were treated of in their turn, accord- 
 ing to their popularity. Full particulars were given of their respective exhibition 
 properties, with instructions how to mate and rear, and as to their general treatment in 
 sickness and in health. In republishing the articles in book form I may add that they 
 are not the outcome of literary knowledge, but of practical experience, and every 
 detail is given that may be of assistance to those who are desirous of taking up a hobby 
 which will give both pleasure and profit in return for a small outlay and a little careful 
 
 attention daily. 
 
 P. PROUU. 
 
Contents. 
 
 Aiulalusians ... , 
 
 „ mating up ur produciuj;' 
 
 ,, description of 
 
 ,, scale of points 
 
 Baskets for Exhibition ... 
 
 liouted 
 
 ,, description of ... 
 
 ,, mating up ... 
 
 „ wliite 
 
 „ Llack ... 
 
 „ whiskered 
 
 „ difficulty of breeding 
 
 „ sc.ile of points 
 
 BnUimas 
 
 „ description of ... 
 
 „ mating u[) 
 
 „ scale of points ... 
 
 Cleaning 
 
 Coops 
 
 Cuckoo? 
 
 „ description of ... 
 
 „ mating up 
 
 ,, scale of jiuints ... 
 Diseases 
 
 Dust-bath 
 
 Feeding 
 
 „ before exhibition 
 
 ,, on return 
 
 Frizzles 
 
 ,, description of 
 
 „ difficulty of rearing 
 „ mating up 
 
 „ scale of points ... 
 
 „ varieties of ... 
 
 „ prenaring for show 
 
 CAME BA"NTAMS 
 
 „ ,, Birchens 
 
 „ , „ mating up 
 
 „ „ Black-reds 
 
 „ „ „ „ mating up 
 
 „ „ Brown-reds 
 
 „ „ „ „ mating up 
 
 ,, „ Duckwings 
 
 M „ ,, mating uii 
 
 „ „ Piles 
 
 „ „ „ mating up 
 
 „ „ Whites 
 
 Haniburgha 
 
 „ mating up or producing .. . 
 
 „ pencilled ... 
 
 „ scal^ of points 
 
 „ spangles 
 
 Hatching 
 
 Houses and Kuns 
 
 Indian Game 
 
 ,, „ description of 
 
 „ ,, mating up 
 
 „ „ scale of points ... 
 
 I'.MiH 
 
 
 
 ... 46 
 
 Japanese 
 
 , 46 
 
 )) 
 
 description of 
 
 ... 4() 
 
 
 fcale of points 
 
 ... 4(j 
 
 Leghurns, buff 
 
 ... f)4 
 
 }) 
 
 „ producing 
 
 35-36 
 
 >) 
 
 „ scale of points 
 
 ... 35 
 
 Malays 
 
 
 ... 35 
 
 ,, 
 
 description of 
 
 ... 35 
 
 ., 
 
 mating up 
 
 ... 3.-) 
 
 „ 
 
 pile 
 
 .. , 35 
 
 jj 
 
 red 
 
 ... 36 
 
 ,j 
 
 scale of jjoints 
 
 . . 36 
 
 )) 
 
 varieties of 
 
 ... 30 
 
 )) 
 
 white 
 
 ... 30 
 
 Minorca 
 
 ... 31 
 
 jj 
 
 mating up or proiuciug 
 
 ... 31 
 
 jj 
 
 scale of points 
 
 52 
 
 Nankins 
 
 ... 51 
 
 }> 
 
 description of 
 
 ... 40 
 
 
 scale of points 
 
 ... 41 
 
 Urpingt 
 
 OUB, butt' 
 
 ... 41 
 
 )) 
 
 „ description of 
 
 ... 41 
 
 
 „ scale of points 
 
 54—56 
 
 O.E. GAME " ... 
 
 ... 52 
 
 jj 
 
 black reds 
 
 ... 49 
 
 jj 
 
 blue duns or blue reds 
 
 ... 54 
 
 ,, 
 
 mating up ... 
 
 ..: 54 
 
 jj 
 
 partridge or wheaten 
 
 12—44 
 
 }} 
 
 scale ot points 
 
 ... 44 
 
 
 spangle i 
 
 ... 42 
 
 )) 
 
 standard 
 
 ... -14 
 
 Fekins 
 
 
 . 44 
 
 jj 
 
 blacks 
 
 ... 44 
 
 ., 
 
 „ mating up 
 
 ... 42 
 
 ^j 
 
 buff's 
 
 U— 20 
 
 ,j 
 
 „ mating up 
 
 ... 18 
 
 J, 
 
 Cuckoos 
 
 ... 18 
 
 ,, 
 
 „ mating up ... 
 
 ... 9 
 
 ^j 
 
 description or standard of 
 
 ... 10 
 
 ,, 
 
 partridge 
 
 ... 16 
 
 ,, 
 
 ,, description of 
 
 ... 17 
 
 J) 
 
 „ mating up ... 
 
 ... 14 
 
 
 scale of points 
 
 ... 16 
 
 ,, 
 
 whites 
 
 ... 12 
 
 Perches 
 
 
 ... 12 
 
 Piles... 
 
 
 ... 18 
 
 „ mating up 
 
 46—48 
 
 Polands 
 
 
 ... 46 
 
 jj 
 
 ditt'erent varieties 
 
 ... 48 
 
 J, 
 
 mating up 
 
 ... 4S 
 
 „ 
 
 scale of points... 
 
 ... 46 
 
 Preparing for exhibition 
 Kocks, barred 
 
 ... 4S 
 
 ... 51 
 
 )) 
 
 „ mating up 
 
 34—35 
 
 
 „ .scale of points ... 
 
 ... 34 
 
 ,, 
 
 buff 
 
 ... 34 
 
 j^ 
 
 „ mating up 
 
 .. 35 
 
 „ 
 
 „ scale of points 
 
 PAGE 
 ... 40 
 ... 40 
 ... 40 
 ... 45 
 ... 45 
 ... 45 
 32—34 
 ... 32 
 ... 32 
 ... 32 
 
 .. 32 
 ... 34 
 
 .. 32 
 ... 32 
 ... 45 
 ... 45 
 ... 46 
 39-40 
 ... 40 
 ... 40 
 44 
 ... 44 
 .. 45 
 20—24 
 
 22 
 
 ... 24 
 22 
 
 ... 20 
 26—30 
 
 ... 29 
 
 ... 29 
 
 ... 28 
 
 ... 28 
 
 ... 29 
 
 . 29 
 
 ... 26 
 
 ... 30 
 
 ... 30 
 
 ... 30 
 
 ... 30 
 
 ... 29 
 
 ... 52 
 
 ... 12 
 
 ... 12 
 
 ... 40 
 
 ... 40 
 
 ... 40 
 
 ... 40 
 
 ... 52 
 41—42 
 
 ... 42 
 
 .. 42 
 
 ... 45 
 
 ... 45 
 
 ... 45 
 

 CONTENTS. 
 
 
 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Rosecombs, blacks 
 
 „ 24 
 
 VARIETY BANTAMS, Andalusians 
 
 ... 46 
 
 ,, „ description of 
 
 .. 24 
 
 )) 
 
 
 Booted 
 
 ... 35 
 
 ,, „ mating up 
 
 .. 24 
 
 9) 
 
 
 Brahmas 
 
 ... 30 
 
 „ scale of points 
 
 .. 26 
 
 
 
 Cuckoos 
 
 ... 40 
 
 „ whites 
 
 26 
 
 j^ 
 
 ), 
 
 Frizzles 
 
 ... 42 
 
 „ „ mating up 
 
 ,. 26 
 
 ^^ 
 
 
 Hamburghs ... 
 
 ... 46 
 
 Sebrights 
 
 36-39 
 
 5) 
 
 
 Indian Game... 
 
 ... 34 
 
 description of 
 
 .. 36 
 
 !) 
 
 
 Japanese 
 
 ... 40 
 
 golds 
 
 „ in-breeding 
 
 .. 36 
 .. 38 
 
 5) 
 
 
 Leghorns 
 
 Malays 
 
 ... 45 
 ... 32 
 
 ,, matingup 
 
 .. 38 
 
 
 
 Minorcas 
 
 ... 45 
 
 „ scale of points 
 
 .. 39 
 
 ,, 
 
 
 Nankins 
 
 ... 39 
 
 ,, silvers 
 
 .. 36 
 
 t) 
 
 
 Orpingtons ... 
 
 ... 44 
 
 Silkies 
 
 .. 39 
 
 
 
 Pekins 
 
 ... 26 
 
 „ breeding and crossing 
 
 ,, description of 
 
 .. 39 
 
 )5 
 
 
 Polands 
 
 ... 40 
 
 .. 39 
 
 
 
 Rosecombs 
 
 ... 24 
 
 ,, scale of points 
 
 .. 39 
 
 ,, 
 
 
 Rocks, barred 
 
 ... 41 
 
 „ scaly leg 
 
 .. 39 
 
 J, 
 
 
 „ buff ... 
 Sebrights 
 
 ... 4.3 
 
 Spanish 
 
 .. 46 
 
 , 
 
 
 ... .36 
 
 „ description of 
 
 .. 46 
 
 ,, 
 
 jj 
 
 Silkies 
 
 ... 39 
 
 „ mating up or producing 
 
 ., 46 
 
 ,, 
 
 
 Spanish 
 
 ... 46 
 
 „ scale of points 
 
 ., 46 
 
 Water 
 
 
 
 ... 50 
 
 VARIETY BANTAMS 
 
 ., -Si 
 
 White Game 
 
 
 
 ... 18 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Birchin Game Bantams 
 
 Black-red pullet (American) 
 
 „ cock ... 
 
 Booted hen, white 
 
 Brown-red and white Pekin (Americai 
 
 Duckwings (pail ) 
 
 Frizzles, black and white 
 
 House, leant ) 
 
 House anil Run 
 
 Indian Game (pai^:) 
 
 Japanese Cock (American) 
 Old English Game (pair) 
 
 „ (Old Style) 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 19 
 
 Pekin, black pair (Anieiicau) 
 
 ... 29 
 
 
 11 
 
 ,, buffpair 
 
 ... 28 
 
 
 16 
 
 „ white cock (American) 
 
 .. 31 
 
 
 56 
 
 Pile pullet 
 
 ... 47 
 
 ill) 
 
 ... 17 
 
 „ cock (American) 
 
 ... 17 
 
 
 15-16 
 
 » pair 
 
 ... 13 
 
 
 43 
 
 Polish and Sebright (American) 
 
 ... 38 
 
 
 49 
 
 Polish, group of white 
 
 ... 391 
 
 
 50 
 
 Rosecombs, wliite 
 
 27- 31 
 
 
 .33 
 
 ,, black (pair) 
 
 ... 25 
 
 
 38 
 
 Sebrights, frilver (pair) 
 
 ... 37 
 
 
 21 
 
 Silkies, group of 
 
 ... 51 
 
 
 23 
 
 Silkie pullet 
 
 ... 53 
 
Supplement to G;bC 3fcatberc^ Morl^ 
 
 OUCKWING, 
 
 BLACK-BREASTED RED. 
 
 BIRCHEN. 
 
 GAME BANTAMS. 
 
 BROWN-BREASTED RED. 
 
 (Specially drawn to illustrate Mr, Fraud's articks on Banlanisj 
 
BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 UAiME liANTAMS. 
 
 Tliciso will natui-iilly iiisL recei\o our iittenUon. 
 Ijeoausc tliuy aio at tlie ju-csent day, ami liavu been for 
 years, the iiiosl, popular ; anil foremost of these are the 
 Ijlaok-reils, followed by piles, duckwings, brown-reds, 
 biroliens, and whites. The reason why black-reds have 
 always retained their popularity is, we believe, in the lirst 
 place, because they are much easier to breed true to colour, 
 and when properly mated very few " wasters " are pro- 
 duced, whilst they require much luss trouble in pre- 
 paring for exhibition than the j)iles, which have to bo 
 ■washed frequently, and it is well known that continual 
 wash iny spoils the plumage and robs the feather of its 
 lustre. Never wash a bird until you are really compelled 
 lo do so. for once you start yon nmst continue. Kull 
 particulars on washing and drying will be given in due 
 course. 
 
 In judging Game Bantams sliajic and style should be 
 the most important, although a nice rich colour is 
 very pleasing to the eye. The male bird should be tall 
 and graceful, shoulders prominent and squarely set, 
 back short and flat (a round back being a very serious 
 fault), tapering off towards the stern ; the thighs should 
 be long and muscular and set well apart, shanks fine 
 and round and as long as possible. Flat shins should be 
 guarded against ; besides counting against the bird in the 
 show-pen, they are a sign of weakness, and care should 
 be taken not to breed from fiat-shinned stock birds, as 
 this defect is hereditary. The toes should be long and 
 straight, the hind toe to be carried as near as possible in 
 a direct line with the middle toe, the iJoint of which 
 should just touch the ground, although in cases where 
 bii'ds have a large amount of style, there will be a ten- 
 dency to carry the back toe too high. This is a minor 
 fault, but where the back toe is carried sideways or 
 inwards this is a serious defect, and amounts to dis- 
 qualification in the show-pen ; it is commonly called 
 " duck-footed." In some cases this is caused by improper 
 perche,s, but in others it is hereditary, and should be 
 strictly noticed when making up the breeding-iDen. 
 
 The head should be long and snaky, eyes large and 
 prominent ; in black-reds, piles, duckwings, and whites 
 the colour of the eye should be a bright red ; a light or 
 very dark eye in t'liese varieties counts heavily against 
 the bird in the show-pen. In brown-reds and birchens the 
 darker the eye the better, as near black as possible. 
 The neck should be long and fine, the hackle feathers 
 litting closely together, wings short and nicely curved, 
 and just meeting at the stern, carried close up, and 
 fitting tightly to the body. Three or four years ago 
 there was a tendency for Game Bantams to be long- 
 winged, but this fault appears to have been overcome. 
 In some cases the bird carries his wings across the back, 
 and wlrich is a bad fault, and is known by the name of 
 "goose- winged." 
 
 The tail, wldch is a most important feature in all 
 Game Bantams, should be small and fine, the feathers 
 carried closely together slightly abu\c the line of tlie 
 body, but not high. The feathers of the tail proper 
 should number fourteen, and should be narrow and line ; 
 the sickles or long tail feathers of the male bird should 
 be as fine as possible, reaching from two to three inches 
 beyond the tail, and should be carried slightly curved, 
 but not forked. 
 
 Si;;c will next engage our attention, and it is the most 
 important feature, not only in Game Bantams, but in 
 every variety of Bantams, and requires very careful con- 
 sideration. At the present day it is the aim and desire 
 of most Bantam breeders anil exhibitors to produce 
 the smallest and finest -boned specimens which, 
 although very handsome and valuable as exhibi- 
 tion birds, are certainly not to be relied 
 upon as stock birds, for nine out of every 
 dozen of these fine specimens are quite unable to pass 
 their first egg, and cfie egg-bound, but if by chance they 
 do lay, the produce from these birds are little puny 
 mites, which it is next to impossible to rear to maturity. 
 This is one reason why young fanciers find great diffi- 
 culty in rearing Bantams. If you have one or two of these 
 small, tinely-bred exhibition birds that have been doing 
 the rounds of shows, and you contemplate breeding from 
 them, my advice is "Don t," and keep them from laying 
 as long as possible. I remember a friend of mine pur- 
 chased one of these small, fine-boned, and extra 
 stylish pullets at the Palace Show two years 
 ago, and took me to look at it and gi\e liim 
 my opinion of her. As soon as I saw her I told him 
 I hoped she would never lay, and he looked at me with 
 surprise, and asked why? I replied that I am very much 
 afraid that her first egg will be her last, and told him to 
 keep her from laying by judicious feeding as longar-. pos- 
 sible. He did so, but in the following Maybe wrote me, 
 saying that she had died in passing her first egg. 
 
 From my own experience I find that pullets in the 
 Ijreeding pen should not be less than lo ounces, and from 
 two to three ounces added to this would gi\e better 
 results ; and cockerels 16 to 20 ounces are quite small 
 enough for all practical purposes. 
 
 Of course proper feeding has much to do with size, and 
 this shall receive attention in due course. 
 
 Black-Reds. 
 
 We now come to the next most important feature, viz. , 
 colour, which in the show pen should count fifteen points. 
 In black-red cocks, the face, head, lobes and wattles 
 should be a bright, healthy red, the neck hackle bright 
 orange, free from striping ; back and wing-bow rich 
 crimson, whilst the saddle hackle should match the 
 neck hackle as near as possible, wing butts black, 
 wing bars a glossy or steel blue, whilst the bays 
 or wing ends should be a light chestnut ; legs, feet, 
 
10 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 and Ijeak, rich olive or willow, but not blue, which 
 we often find in some strains where duckwing 
 blood has been introduced, but in the breeding pen blue 
 legs should be guarded against. The breast and thighs 
 should be black, perfectly free from ticking or lacing, 
 although in adult birds it is rather difficult to get a cock 
 perfectly black in breast. The tail and sickle feathers 
 should be black throughout, including the shaft which 
 runs through the centre of the feather, and which in 
 some strains is more or less red, and generally denotes a 
 pullet breeding strain ; this is, of course, objectionable in 
 the show pen, although not to any great extent, still a 
 black shaft is at all times preferred. 
 
 AVe will now go on to describe the exhibition black- 
 red pullet to match the cockerel, and wliicb should be 
 identically the same in colour, eyes, face, bead, comb, and 
 lobes; white in lobe being a great drawback, although it 
 is a very difficult matter to breed pullets absolutely free 
 from white in lobe. This blemish is sometimes removed 
 by the professional exhibitor with a pair of scissors, an 
 oiDeration demanding considerable skill, and; quite apart 
 from any justification of the act, which is certainly a 
 very questionable one, it may be added, it can only be 
 performed by a very steady hand, without which the 
 remedy being worse than the defect. Honest exhibitors 
 will do well to leave such operations alone. 
 
 The neck hackle of the pullet should be a pale golden 
 colour with very narrow black stripes on eacli side of 
 the shaft, with a light golden edge round the blaclc. 
 The body and wings should be one uniform shade of 
 brownish drab, a nice soft even colour throughout, ^'ery 
 finely pencilled ■with black, this point being of great 
 importance, as the pencilling has a tendency to be too 
 large and coarse, a defect which is ^ery objectionable 
 in the .show pen ; although in cockerel-breeding pullets 
 showing coarse pencilling are sometimes \'ei'y useful, as 
 such pullets generally throw cockerels with good sound 
 bays. 
 
 The tliroat should be a pale salmon, bi'east rich deeji 
 salmon, shading lighter towards the thighs and under 
 the body. The tail should be black, with the exception 
 of the two outer or top feathers, which should correspond 
 as nearly as possible with the colour of the body. 
 
 I have now described the standard colours of the 
 black-reds and will now proceed to gi\'e the young- 
 Fancier advice as to the best way of mating up his 
 breeding pens to produce as nearly possible the necessary 
 requirements above mentioned. 
 
 Now, in the first place, see that your breeding stock 
 is perfectly healthy and free from ' disease. Never by 
 any means breed from unhealthy birds, as it is nothing 
 but labour in vain. If youi- breeding stock is unhealthy 
 your chicks will be 50 per cent, more so, and here let me 
 say that the fewer birds you have in your breeding pen 
 the stronger will be the produce. Be content to breed 
 a few good useful birds rather than a greater number of 
 inferior ones, and remember that one really good bird is 
 worth forty bad ones, either in the show pen or for 
 stock. IMuch has been said about the proper number of 
 hens or pullets to be used in the breeding ]]en to produce 
 the greater number of pullets and vice versa, viz., that if 
 eight hens or pullets are mated to a two-year-old cock 
 75 per cent of the produce will be pullets, and 
 that if only two or three hens or pullets are put with a 
 cock the same per centage in cockerels will be the result. 
 My advice is, that if you pin your faith to the above you 
 will be greatly disappointed, as the experiment has been 
 frequently tried, and in nearly e^'ery instance the result 
 has been in many cases the opposite to what has been 
 looked for. My contention is tliat if a hen is to produce 
 a greater number of pullets than cockerels she will do so, 
 whether there be three or eight hens in the breeding 
 
 pen, and the same applies in cockerel breeding. If 
 the young Fancier has sullicient accommodation it is 
 best to mate up two pens, one for cockerel breeding and 
 the other for pullet breeding. i, . , n 
 
 Now, in mating up the cockerel pen , I should take tlie 
 tallest and brightest coloured cockerel I could find, 
 preference being given to one that is short in back 
 with good prominent shoulder points, and care being 
 taken that his breast bone is straight, and that his back 
 toe is well carried in a direct line with the middle toe. 
 Having selected the cockerel, we should now pick out the 
 hens or pullets, latter preferi-ed, to mate with him, with 
 a view of producing good bright coloured exhibition 
 cockerels. To do this we shall require three reachy tight 
 featliered pullets, very pale in hackle to crown of head, 
 discarding those -with dark caps and coppery hackles, 
 wliich are useless for cock breecling. The hackle should 
 be as silvery as possible, right up to the comb, the body- 
 colour and wings be inclined to red or foxy, with a 
 rich golden edge" round each feather. Select the pullets 
 that are shortest in body and tail, and especially those 
 which show a lot of style and reach, and the more 
 prominent the .shoulders are the better. 
 
 Some breeders prefer to breed from a vvlieaten pullet to 
 obtain the bright top colour ; and although a very satis- 
 factory cross, and one which will give good results in 
 cockerel breeding, yet should this strain by any 
 chance get mixed up with your pullet strain, you will 
 know it to your sorrow ; and it will take years to repair 
 the mischief done. Therefore, if you decide to use 
 ^^■heaten blood in yonr cockerel pen, keep the produce 
 rigoi-ously by themselves, and have them all carefully 
 rung ; this is the only sure road to success in breeding. 
 
 For my own part I prefer to use nothing but black-red 
 ^)ullets in cockerel breeding, such as those stated above, 
 tor the simple reason that should one bird get astray 
 the harm done is comparatively small, and the produce 
 will be found in every way quite as satisfactory. 
 
 The following season I should pick out three or four of 
 the most likely looking pullets bred from this pen, 
 especially those with plenty of reach, the taller the 
 better, and with these I should mate the sire of them, 
 and put the most suitable cockerel with the hens in 
 place of the old bird. By doing so you are building up 
 a strain of your own, which, with care and attention, 
 cannot fail sooner or later to reach to success, for it is a 
 well known fact that to secure colour and the other 
 necessary points in Bantams, you must inbreed ; still, at 
 the same time it must be borne in mind tliat there is 
 a happy medium in inbreeding beyond which it is 
 dangerous to proceed, and in this the young fancier should 
 be guided by the health and stamina of his stock, for 
 if inbreeding be carried too far, the produce will become 
 weakly and difficult to rear; in that case fresh blood should 
 be introduced, and this is best done by obtaining a male 
 bird with a dash of the same strain in him if possible, 
 but not closely related. 
 
 Ha\-ing mated up the cockerel-breeding pen of BlacU- 
 Keds, I will nowgi\e attention to thej^iilletiieii. In the 
 first place, the hens or pullets must be sound in colour, 
 free from rust or coarse pencilling ; this is of the greatest 
 importance m pullet breeding. It is only a waste of 
 time trying to produce exhibition pullets from hens 
 wluch are faulty in colour ; it is utterly impossible to do 
 so. I.esidcs being sound in colour, the hens must be of 
 good sliapc not too small, and the shorter in back the 
 better. Ihe male bird should be from a pullet-breeding 
 strain, and m colour should be darker than the cockerel 
 
 nnw''' 1 "^ ''■''^■'' ■F''^''^' "^ l^i"l °f a briokish top 
 CO mil, and one unitorm shade from his hackle to 
 
 Wlv^llT^^^' ''"'^ ^loilder points should he per- 
 fectly free from lacing and as blaci as possible. This 
 
AN AMEKICAN BLACK-UED UAJIE l!Ai\TAM PULLET. 
 
12 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 refers to cocks as well as cockerels, although the adult 
 birds will in all probability be laced on breast, and I 
 have often found that such bii-ds from a pullet-breeding 
 strain are invariably weak in their bays or wing ends — 
 that is, the bay of the wing end does not continue to the 
 end of the feather ; this is always a good sign when 
 selecting a cock for pullet breeding. In many cases the 
 shaft of the sickle feather in such birds will be red 
 instead of black. If you prefer to breed from an old 
 bird, don't mate him to more than three pullets, espe- 
 cially early in the year, say February, or a large 
 percentage of unfertile eggs will be the result. When 
 breeding from a cockerel hens should be used, and if he 
 is a healthy, vigorous bird you may safely put live or 
 six with him with good results. 
 
 In mating up the black-reds I have taken it for 
 granted that the young fancier has plenty of accommo- 
 dation, but there are scores who have only a very 
 lindted space at their disposal, and in such cases one pen 
 will be sufficient. Where this is so I should take a cock 
 that answered as far as possible to my ideal of a pullet 
 breeder, except I should prefer him to be a light shade in 
 top colour, the paler the better, and Svith him I should 
 mate two cockerel-breeding pullets and two sound 
 coloured pullets for pullet breeding. From this pen I 
 should expect to get both exhiljition pullets and 
 cockerels, though not the same percentage of winners as 
 from separate pens ; still, it can be done, although it has 
 been repeatedly stated that to produce exhibition speci- 
 mens of any vaiiety of poultry two pens should be used. 
 This statement is all right to those who know no better, 
 but from personal experience I know that it is quite 
 possible to breed winners of both sexes from one pen of 
 stock birds when properly mated to give this result. 
 
 Still, where the young fancier has plenty of room at his 
 disposal it is advisable to use two pens, and where it is 
 necessary to build up a strain of your own, separate 
 pens in such oases must be used. Let me state here 
 that when breeding from only one pen never by any 
 means use wheatens ; these may only be used exclusively 
 in the cockerel pens. 
 
 Piles. 
 
 Tlie next most popular breed are piles, the cockerels 
 being the most handsome of all varieties. Although 
 (luito a distinct breed in themselves, it is quite possible 
 to produce the very best by crossing, which I wul show 
 in due course. 
 
 In the first place, the pile cockerel should be identi- 
 cally the same colour as the exhibition black-red 
 cockerel, but with this exception, that where the black- 
 red is black the pUe cockerel must be a sound white, 
 viz., the breast, thighs, wing butts, wing bars, and 
 tail ; legs and beak a rich orange yellow ; willow 
 legs and white legs being very objectionable. 
 Although ten or twelve years ago, Avillow-legged piles 
 could frequently be seen at the top of the prize list 
 at our shows, at the present time a pile with willow 
 legs, however good he may be in other points, does not 
 stand the slightest chance of figuring successfully in the 
 sliow pen. The face should be a bright liealthyred, and 
 when undubbed the earlobes should also be red and free 
 from white. Although it is somewhat difficult to obtain 
 the rich ruby eye in piles as in black-reds, still they 
 should be as red as possible. In the show pen, from a 
 colour point of view, judges dift'er. Some prefer the top 
 colour to be a very dark colour both in Aving bow, back, 
 and hackles, the same as one would expect ^to find in a 
 pullet-breeding black-red cock. For my own part I 
 much prefer the bright top colour and rich orange 
 hackles, but, above all, a pure wliite breast and dark 
 wing ends. 
 
 The breast of the pile co'=k<='-^l /« ^ .^'^.S^'ton 
 feature, as it is much easier to obtain the desired top 
 colour than a perfectly white breast. 
 
 The pile puAet should match the cockerel in point of 
 colour face, eye, legs, and beak ; breast should be a 
 dch salmon, shaSiAg o% to the thighs ; the body, wings, 
 and tail should be a pale creamy-white as free from red 
 or foxiness as possible. Although a.rich da,rk breast and 
 a clear wing is most difficult to obtain, yet m the present- 
 day competition a pullet or hen inclined to foxmess or 
 rose- winged cannot hope to be successful m the show- 
 pen, although, however careful you may be in the selec- 
 tion of your breeding pen, to produce one pullet 
 perfectly clear on breast and back, and a sound 
 rich salmon breast, you will breed hfteen to 
 twenty that are rose-winged more or less, or, 
 what is still worse, a dark creamy colour throughout. 
 When the foxiness on the wing is only conhned to a few 
 feathers on each side, these are often removed by the 
 unscrupulous or habitual faker, and such birds have been 
 known to win repeatedly. Still, by a practical judge 
 this irregularity can quickly be detected, and in such 
 cases the bird should not be passed, but disqualified, for 
 when these feathers grow again the bird is useless as a 
 show specimen, unless the same operation is resorted to, 
 which I am sorry to say is very often the case. I will 
 now go on to show how to breed piles, and will mate up 
 two pens as in black-reds. 
 
 In mating up the breeding pens of piles, I will in the 
 first place endeavour to give my readers the best advice 
 in mating up pure bred piles— that is, birds that are 
 bred from pUes on both sides, as many of the very best 
 exhibition pile cockerels are bred from black-red cocks, 
 and it is \ery important that the young fancier should 
 know when mating up his breeding pens how his stock 
 birds have been produced. 
 
 Taken for granted that the pile cook selected is the 
 most suitable for cockerel breeding in shape and reach, 
 as described in the cockerel -breeding black -red pen, the 
 next most particular point is to see that he is perfectly 
 sound in his white, free from lacing or smokiness on breast, 
 and above all possessing a sound, deep bay on wing 
 end, for without the latter he is no use as a cockerel 
 breeder. I have never known a male bii'd that was weak 
 in colour on wing ends produce a single exhibition speci- 
 men, and tills is quite as essential in breeding for puUets, 
 therefore bear in mind that a pile cock or cockerel weak 
 in his bays is practically of no good whatever either as a 
 stock bird or for exhibition, however good he may be in 
 all other points. Next select three or four tall stylish 
 pullets, deep in breast colour, short in back, and possess- 
 ing plenty of reach, and showing the shoulder points 
 prominently, preference being given to those wliich are 
 nicely rosed on the wing, but not creamy on wing ends. 
 From this pen I should expect to get sound - 
 coloured cockerels, although the pullets would 
 be too warm in colour for exhibition, yet as 
 stock birds they are invaluable, and especially so 
 if mated back to the sire. In pullet breeding, the cock 
 must be sound in wing ends, clear white in his wing 
 bars and shoulder points ; in top colour I prefer a bird 
 of one uniform colour of the darker or brickish 
 colour, and if laced on breast all the better. The hens 
 or pullets to mate to this cock should be as clear as 
 possible on wing and back, free from rosiness or creami- 
 ness, and preference being given to those possessing 
 good salmon breasts, although it is quite possible to 
 breed the very best pullets from hens which are pale in 
 breast colour, providing the body colour is perfectly 
 clear. Cockerels bred from this jpen will be found too 
 pale in colour as exhibition birds ; but those which are 
 extra good in bays and whites should be retained as 
 
A^^^^^ 'it£'' 
 
 .^ ■ 
 
 MR. WALTER FIRTH'S PILE GAME BANTAMS. 
 
 Cock, Winner of Firsts at Penisione, Bingley, Gisburn, Ulverston, and Giicrnscr/, and First and Special Sivansea. 
 Hen, First and Special Peniistone and Belfast, Firsts at Gisburn, Guernsey, Otley, and Darwen, Firsts 
 and Two Sjtccials Sivansea, Third Palace, Second Binnincjliam and Liverpool. ' 
 
14 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 stock birds for another season. Having mated up pens 
 of pure bred piles, I will now go on to show how to breed 
 exhibition specimens by crossing with black-reds. 
 
 Tt is a well-known fact that in breeding from pure 
 bred piles for four or five years in succession, the top 
 colour in the cockerels is lost altogether ; therefore it is 
 necessary to introduce black-reds to build up the 
 colour. The best way to do tliis is by selecting a Ijlack- 
 red cockerel, extra rich in top colour, rich mahogany 
 saddle, the more colour the better, the breast and mng 
 bars a sound black, free from ticking or lacing ; this is 
 a very important point, if we would have piles with a 
 sound white breast. Another special point to note is that 
 the wing ends are a dark chestnut, sound from wing bar 
 I'ight to the veryendof thewing. Don'tbreedfromablack- 
 red which fails in wins' ends, as it will be only labour 
 in vain ; but If care is used in only breeding from a bird 
 as described, and mating him to two or three white 
 pullets, you will be rewarded by breeding the very best 
 coloui'ed pile cockerels it is possible to produce. When 
 I say white pullets I mean what are sometimes called 
 lemon piles — viz., pile pullets clear on wing and almost 
 white on breast — the clearer on breast the better. 
 Although the cockerels from this pen will be yellow- 
 legged, quite 75 per cent, of the pullets will be willow- 
 legged, and as such are useless in the show pen, though 
 generally these are clearer in body colour, more stylish, 
 and sounder in breast tlian the yellow-legged pullets, 
 and if used judiciously in mating them to a reliable 
 pullet-breeding cock -that is pure pile bred, good-coloured 
 pullets can be obtained. 
 
 If tlie pile pullets have a tendency to come pale in 
 breast, it would be advisable the next season to put these 
 to a yellow-legged black -red cockerel that has been bred 
 from piles, preference being given to one of a light 
 brickish top colour of the same shade from neck to 
 saddle hackle, care being taken that his wing bars and 
 wing biitts are free from lacing, although a little lacing 
 on breast is no detriment whatever. To those whose 
 space is limited to one breeding pen I should use a tall, 
 short-bodied cock or cockerel, approaching as near as pos- 
 siljle to the exhibition pile cockerel in colour-, and to him I 
 should mate up two pullets or hens clear on wing and 
 with good deep salmon breasts, and a couple of stylish 
 and reacliy rose- winged pullets, and from this 
 pen I should look for good all-round cockerels, 
 also pullets that would be able to hold their own in 
 second rate competition, although I should hardly 
 expect the pullets to be as clear on wing as those 
 specially bred from a pen mated up for pullet breeding. 
 Piles are best kept on a good grass run, and the nature 
 of the soil has much to do with the leg colour. A heavy 
 clay or a light sandy soil is best for preserving the rich 
 orange colour, while dry limestone soil will quickly 
 transpose the rich yellow to a wliite. I have proved 
 this over and again. Feeding is a very important 
 point in piles. Maize, althougli beneficial to leg colour, 
 will have n tendency to make the body colour 
 creamy, therefore use maize very sparingly in feeding 
 piles. ' Those piles which are lired from blac^lc-reds 
 will invariably be found to have the richest leg 
 colour, and this is a capital guide to the young 
 fancier in introducing a strain of black -red. As soon as 
 he finds that the leg colour is deteriorating, it is a 
 proof that a cross is recjuired to strengtiien tlie colour, 
 although there is no lixed rule as to liow long a time 
 should elapse before introducing tlie blaik-red, some 
 strains requiring a change more frequently tlian others. 
 Still, as a guide, once in three oi- four years will befoimd 
 to be sufficient. 
 
 Whilst on the subject of piles, it will be as well for 
 me to inform the would-be fancier of thi^ very charming 
 
 variety that in all the varieties of Game Bantams there 
 is no other breed that is so difficult to breed true to 
 colour as piles, and none that requires so much atten- 
 tion in preparing for exhibition ; for to be successful m 
 the show pen with piles they require washing very 
 frequently, and be it known that constant washing takes 
 all the nature out of the featlier. Fanciers who have 
 not a good grass run, with a good loamy or clay soil 
 away from the smoke of factory chimneys, should not 
 entertain the idea of joining the ranks of pile fanciers. 
 Ao-ain, breeding pile Bantams is not all lavender — far 
 from it. Should you be successful in rearing, say, 150 
 chicks, and out of this number you can manage to select 
 20 -good enough to win, you may count yourself one of 
 those lucky individuals that Dame Fortune has smiled 
 kindly upon. 
 
 There is always a good demand for really high class 
 exhibition piles, and althougli £50 has been obtained for 
 a single cockerel at Liverpool some years ago, it is rarely 
 that the price exceeds £25, tliis being the sum paid for 
 a cockerel which was exhibited at a small north-country 
 show three years ago, and in his unwashed condition he 
 only scored third, and was catalogued at £3, and un- 
 claimed ; but on his return he was w.ished, and put on 
 the bo.ards spick and span at one of the leading sliows, 
 where he carried off 1st in his class, also gold medal 
 for be^t Game Bantam in the show, and was run up 
 by auction to something like £18 10s., and the purchaser, 
 a week or so later, had the good fortune to accept the 
 tempting offer of £25 for him. From this it will be seen 
 that it pays to wash piles now and, then, since a profit of 
 £22 was derived from the use of a little yellow soap 
 and water. These, of course, are top prices. Still, 
 really good birds are always in demand from £5 to £15 ; 
 therefore one of tlie latter will cover the cost of keep of 
 a good number of wasters, which will always put in an 
 appearance, no matter how much care you exercise iu 
 mating up your breeding pens. 
 
 DUCKWING.S. 
 
 Duckwinga come next on the ILst in point of favour, 
 and are a very pretty and taking variety, and, like the 
 piles, are ratlier difficult to breed true to colour. Unlike 
 the duckwing Leghorns, which are divided into golds 
 and silvers, and exhibited as such, the duckwing Bantam 
 is restricted to golds, as the silvers have not yet found 
 favour in the exhibition world. 
 
 The duckwing cock should, like the black-red, be red 
 in face and eye, breast sound black, also wing butts, 
 wing bar and thighs down to the hock black, the 
 neck hackle and saddle hackle a silvery white, as clear 
 from black striping as possible. Although it is somewhat 
 difficult to breed out this defect, it is a most important 
 point, and should receive careful attention when matini' 
 up the breeding pens. The saddle and wingbow sliould 
 be a rich yellow or orange colour, shading to silvery 
 white in hackle, the wing-ends from the black wing bar 
 to the end of the wing clear white, free from rusty colour 
 at tlie outside edge of the top feathers. Quite 50 per 
 cent, of duckwing cockerels fail more or less in tliis 
 respect. The tail of the duckwing cock should be 
 identically the same as described in the black-red. 
 
 The duckwing pullet should, like the black-red, be red 
 in face and eye, legs willow, her liody colour and wings 
 a light .slate colour, or gi-ey evenly and linely pencilled 
 with black, and free from shaftiness, some strains 
 showing more or less the white shaft on each featlier, 
 which sliould not be ; the colour .should look one even 
 soft grey tiiroughout, the more uniform the better. 
 
 The breast should correspond with the black-red 
 pullet, viz., it should be a dull salmon, althougli it is 
 one of the most difficult points in duck-wing breeding 
 
Ap.vdorijmi 
 
 MR. \>. PKOUD'S DUCKWING GAME BANTAMS. 
 
 Hen, bred 1S98, Winner of\o Firsts and 7 Specials, including Special for Best Bird of any Breed in Shoio at 
 Whalley Bridge. Cock is father of the Hen, Winner of& Firsts, 2 Specials, and 1 Second. 
 
16 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 DucKwiNG Bantams. 
 
 to get a sound breast colour, together ■with a perfect body 
 colour ; the weakness being to run pale in breast, more 
 or less. This is not a very serious defect unless the 
 breast be very pale or almost devoid of salmon shading, 
 then it counts heavily in the show pen. 
 
 As duckwings are derived from black-reds, it is 
 absolutely necessary that you should know how the 
 birds you intend using in the breeding pens have been 
 produced. 
 
 If the duckwing pullets are pure I should take two or 
 thi'ee and put to a black-red cockerel, which I have before 
 described in the black-red cockerel-breeding pen, and 
 from these I should expect good coloured duckwing 
 cockerels, but no pullets ; the pullets would be black- 
 reds, and, being bred from the duckwing hens, they 
 should be marked or rung to prevent them being used in 
 the black-red pens another season. The best use for 
 such pullets, if they are sound and level in colour, and 
 clear in hackle to crown of head — i.e., free from dark in 
 cap — is to put them to a silver duckwing cockerel, and 
 by doing so good-coloured duckwing pullets should be 
 the resiilt. Another way to breed duckwin" pullets is 
 by mating a sound-coloured duckwing cock — that is, 
 pure duckwing bred for two or three years back, and 
 with him mate three or four of the soundest-coloured 
 hens or pullets, care being taken that they are not ■ pale 
 in breast. Any pullets from this pen that are not up 
 to exhibition standard in point of colour should be put 
 back to a black-red cockerel the next season, for the 
 purpose of breeding duckwing cockerels. 
 
 In breeding duckwings, where other varieties of Game 
 Bantams are kept, it is advisable to keep them rigor- 
 ously by themselves, and their produce carefully rung, 
 or incalculable harm can soon be done, especially 
 amongst black-reds. 
 
 Brown-reds. 
 
 Brown-reds will next engage our attention. Although 
 ,50 per cent, of the shows provide classes for black or 
 brown-reds, it is very rarely we find one single specimen 
 of thedatter. What is the reason? Well, in the first 
 
 place, black-reds have always taken the lead, and I am 
 firmly of the opinion that they always ynll, although the 
 brown-reds appear to be making steady progress, so 
 much so that, in pullets especially, there are to-day some 
 that could hold their own against the best black-reds, 
 both in type and quality ; still, the judges have always 
 hitherto given preference to black-reds. In cockerels the 
 bro^vn-reds are still a long way behind the black- 
 reds. The colour has been obtained almost to per- 
 fection, but there is yet too much feather, and, 
 with one or two exceptions, the tyjDe and state- 
 linesB of the miniature Game Fowl, which we find in 
 black-reds, piles, and duckwings, is still wanting more 
 or less in brown-reds. Another reason why so few 
 brown-reds are found competing against black-reds is 
 that, as yet, the former are practically in the hands of 
 three or four exhibitors, whom we find clearing the 
 boards at our more important fixtures ; and until they 
 become more widely distributed this state of things will 
 continue. But the "main reason, I believe, is that the 
 judges have a decided preference for the black-reds; 
 that is why we very seldom find brown-reds competing. 
 In my own mind, I think that black -reds should com- 
 pete alone, and let the brown-reds come under the head 
 of A.O.V. Game Bantams where classes cannot be pro- 
 vided for them. I believe this would in some measure 
 be the means of making the brown-reds more popular. 
 
 Brown-reds, like the black-reds, breed true to colour, 
 and are much less trouble in preparing and keeping in 
 show form than piles or duckwings, and can be kept 
 almost anywhere, where it would be next to impossible 
 to keep the former. The brown-red cock should have a 
 very dark mulberry face, almost approaching black, the 
 darker the better ; the eye should be as dark as possible, 
 a red or light eye counting heavily against the bird in 
 the show pen ; the legs and feet should be almost black. 
 The neck and saddle hackle should be a pale lemon, the 
 back and saddle rich lemon, breast black ground colour, 
 with pale lemon lacing round each feather and showing 
 the shaft of the feather, the lacing to start at the 
 throat, and continue down to the top of thighs. Wing 
 bar and tail black, the latter as fine and as short as 
 possible, although it is very rarely we find the brown-red 
 so fine in feather as the black-red, especially when the 
 bird possesses that pale lemon top colour which is all 
 the rage at the present time. A few years ago the lemon 
 top colour had not been obtained ; in its place we found 
 then dark orange or nearly red, and I believe it is the 
 result of breeding for colour alone that brown-red] 
 fanciers have lost the hardness of feather ; for it is a " 
 
 Black-red cock. 
 
BROWN-RED GAME. 
 
 17 
 
 An Ajierican Pile Game IJaxtam Cock. 
 
 veil-known fact that the ligliter the colour the softer the 
 eather, and vice cersd ; yet, to be successful in the show 
 )en, a brown-red cockerel must possess that beau- 
 iful lemon top colour which to-day is more than 
 lalf the battle, irrespective of hardness of feather. Still 
 
 contend that in judging Game Bantams shape and 
 ,ype should be the first requirements, then colour and 
 lardness of feather. The brown-red pullet to match the 
 iockerel should be identically the same in face, eye, and 
 egs. The neck hackle should be a pale lemon with a 
 larrow black stripe, and this colour should reach to the 
 n-own of the head ; the weakness in brown-red pullets is 
 ;o be oopjier}' or dark capped, viz., the top of the hackle 
 ;owards the head runs a dirty coppery colour, which 
 s a great objection ; although it is one of the mysteries 
 )f Game breeding to produce clear lemon-hackled pullets 
 ree from lacing on the back and shoulders, still, it can 
 je done with careful mating and perseverance. The 
 jody and wing should be a glossy black, free from lacing 
 )r shaftiness ; the ground colour of the breast should be 
 jlack, each feather from the throat to the thighs 
 listinctly laced with pale lemon, the lacing to be 
 iniform, and continued well down to the thighs, the 
 jreast lacing being one of the most important points, as 
 |uite 30 to 40 per cent, fail move or leas in this respect. 
 
 In mating up brown-reds for producing exhibition 
 «okerels, it Ls necessary to have a separate pen, and to 
 
 10 this I should select the most perfect coloured male 
 lird I could find, one possessing that beautiful pale lemon 
 op colour and plenty of it. I should like him to have 
 
 11 the Ijreast lacing possible, but, at the same time, I 
 liould like the lacing to be clear and distinct, and yet 
 ossessing black shoulder butts free from lacing. 
 Lnother important point to look for is a sound dark eye, 
 le blacker the better ; never breed from a liglit-eyed 
 ird. The pullets to mate with this cock should be as 
 vU as possible, tight in feather, and as pale in 
 
 neck hackle as possible, care being taken to see that the 
 pale lemon is continued to the top of the head ; this is 
 one of the great secrets to obtain bright coloured cock- 
 erels. If you want bright coloured cockerels, never use 
 dark capped pullets or hens ; see that they are clear 
 lemon right u| I to the comb; never mind if they are 
 laced on tlic back, all the better, as you will get more 
 colour in your cockerels, and although the pullets from 
 tills ])en will be useless as sliow specimens, they are in- 
 valuable as code breeders, and should some of them come 
 wiLb bright i)ale hackles, laced on back, and continued 
 on to the wing or saddle, guard these in the same 
 way as you would guard a Klondyke claim, for 
 there is gold in tlieur as cockerel breeders, although 
 in other respects they are worthless. The next season 
 it \vould be ad\'isable to put these pullets back to the 
 sire, and put the best cockerel of that season's breeding 
 back to the hens. In breeding for pullets it is not neces- 
 sary to have the cock bird so ]iale in colour as the 
 (•ocl<orel breeder. One of the orange shade, or even 
 darker, would ha preferable ; care must betaken to see that 
 he is sound in eye, very clear in lacing on breast, and 
 that the lacing is carried well doNvn to the thighs, and 
 not patchy or irregular. To him mate four or live 
 pullets or hens that are pei'fectly sound in body colour, 
 (|uite free from lacing on back, yet well laced on breast, 
 'i'his is absolutely necessary in pullet breeding ; the 
 liackle should be as clear almost and as bright 
 as the pullets I l)a\'e already described ; in fact, 
 pullets for pullet breeding should approach as near as 
 possible to the exhibition standard ; from this pen I 
 should look for the very best coloured pullets, but the 
 cockerels would be found delicient in colour, and of a 
 darker shade ; these, however, although only suitable for 
 second-rate competition, should always be retained aw 
 
 Some iiMP.EiCAX Bantams. 
 
18 
 
 BAiVTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 pullet breeders, and by doing so you are building up your 
 own strain, which is very desirable in Game Bantam 
 breeding. 
 
 Having described the mating-up of the breeding pens 
 of pure brown-reds, I will now go on to show how the 
 young fancier may produce exhibition specimens by 
 introducing a cross of another variety. 
 
 Years ago, when the now fashionable pale lemon top 
 colour was first produced, many fanciers were at a loss to 
 know how it bad been obtained, although bad they been 
 able to have got to the right side of some of our 
 celebrated large Game breeders of this variety, they 
 would have learned the secret much earlier, for the 
 bright lemon colour had been secured in the large Game 
 years before we ever saw it in the Bantam. 
 
 How was it obtained ? Simply by crossing with 
 birchen blood. The question that will naturally rise in 
 the mind of my readers now will be, Yes, but how are 
 birchens produced ? But for answer you must " bide a 
 wee." This information will come in due course, but 
 sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. Although I am 
 not in favour of the introduction of bii'chen blood in 
 brown-reds, for the simple reason that by doing so, to a 
 certain extent, you are losing the dark gipsy face so 
 characteristic in the pure bred brown-red, still there 
 are times when the young fancier is driven into a corner 
 as it were, and will puzzle his brains bow it would be 
 possible to get the desired pale lemon top colour and 
 lacing already described, seeing that he does not possess 
 the colour in the cockerel' breeder. 
 
 The only remedy for this defect is to select a Birchen 
 cock or cockerel with plenty of top colour, as silvery 
 white as possible, and well-laced bieast, and put him to 
 three or four pullets or hens ; if you use a cock then put 
 pullets, and vice versa. In this case it is not absolutely 
 necessary to have the hens so pale in hackle as described 
 in the cockerel-breeding pen above. 
 
 From these you should obtain cockerels quite as bright 
 in lemon as those from the pure cockerel pen, widi the 
 only exception that there will be a tendency for the 
 produce to be lighter in eye and face. 
 
 From these cockerels it would be advisable to select 
 two or three of the tallest, palest in top colour, preference 
 being given to those having plenty of distinct lacing on 
 breast. By using one of these with the same hens the 
 following season, and another with the best coloured and 
 tallest pullets, you will still retain the desired colour and 
 at the same time be improving the face colour and eye. 
 It would not be found advisable to use the birchen cook 
 a second season, unless it was with the idea of breeding 
 more birchens, and this could be brought about by 
 putting him to the birchen pullets which are certain to be 
 found among the produce of the birchen cock and brown- 
 red hens, and of cpurse the following season the per- 
 centage of birchen would be much greater. 
 
 Birchens and Whites. 
 
 There Ls no variety of Bantam, with the exception of 
 Old English, that has grown more in public favour 
 during the past two or three years than Ijirchens, and 
 this is not to be wondered at, for I know of no j^rettier 
 or more taking bird than the birchen pullet. 
 
 Birchens have been bred and exiiibited for many 
 years, but it is only lately they have been able to make 
 headway, and if persevered with, now that they have 
 found favour, they have every appearance of being 
 as fully established a variety as the duckwings 
 and brown-reds from which they have descended. 
 Birchens were obtained in the first instance by crossing 
 a silver duckwing cock with brown-red hens, but at the 
 present time tliey are bred true to colour from pure 
 
 birchens. The birchen cock should resemble the brown- 
 red in every respect except top colour and breast lacing 
 —viz where the brown-red is lemon the birchen should 
 be silvery- white, the whiter the better, providing that 
 the dark' gipsy face is still retained, although it ls a diffi- 
 cult point to obtain, the same depth of dark mulberry face 
 colour in birchens that is found in brown-reds, simply 
 because the variety has been obtained by a cross with a 
 red-faced variety. Still, with perseverance and careful 
 mating to breed out the defect it can be done, and has 
 already been accomplished by one or two who have made 
 thisvarietyaspeciality. Thebirchenpullet.inbodycolour, 
 face, head and eye, and legs, should be identically the 
 same as the brown-red pullet. The neck hackle should 
 be a silvery white, with a narrow black stripe on each 
 side of the white, and should be free from any other 
 tint, such as lemon or straw, both being considered 
 defects in birchens, but which will be found more or less 
 in those strains which have not been bred pure. Birchen 
 pullets also have a great tendency to be dark-capped, 
 %.e., the silvery hackle, which should be one distinct 
 colour from base to the crown of the head, becomes 
 much darker or nearly black towards the comb ; this 
 should not be, rs I pointed out in my remarks on brown- 
 reds, and it counts heavily against the bird in the show- 
 pen. Another weak point in some strains of pullets 
 is the scarcity of lacing on the breast. I have seen some 
 of the most typical-shaped, clear hackled pullets which 
 have been thrown back for the want of breast lacing, -j 
 Tlie breast should be well and distinctly laced from the' 
 throat almost as far down as the top of the thigh, but 
 at the same time the back and wing must be free from 
 lacing, which is not easy to secure, as only those who 
 have ured them know. Of course, as I have just said, 
 the want of breast-lacing will throw a bird back con- 
 siderably in the eyes of a competent judge, yet it would 
 not be so fatal as laced back and shaf ty wings, providing 
 it was as good in other points ; and it would be as well 
 for the young fancier to bear this in mind when making 
 his selection for the show-pen. 
 
 Another stumbling-block in birchens is the colour of 
 the eye, which should be dark brown, as near black as 
 possible, although it is next to impossible to breed 
 birchens as dark in the eye as brown-reds, but red eyes 
 are certainly not to be countenanced, no more than a dark 
 eye is in black-reds, yet birchens with red eyes are often 
 found winning, but this is wrong, and should handicap 
 the bird heavily in the show pen, whilst light eyes 
 should put the bird out of the running altogether, the 
 same as in black-reds or brown-reds. 
 
 In breeding birchens they must be mated up precisely 
 the same as described in brown-reds. Should the young 
 fancier be unable to procure birchens, which he should 
 have little difficulty in doing by inserting an advertise- 
 ment in The Feathered World, it would be advisable for 
 him to get a brown-red hen or pullet, one heavily lacedf: 
 on breast preferred, and mate her to a silver duckwing 
 cockerel ; the latter can be obtained from any breedei j 
 who makes a speciality of breeding exhibition duckwingj 
 pullets, and such a bird can be obtained for 15s. or £1,;^ 
 simply because sih'er duckwing cockerels are useless in"; 
 the sliow pen, but essential in the breeding pen. Still, < 
 where bircliens can be secured I strongly advise their 
 use, in preference to crossing as above, as it is a great 
 saving of both time and trouble. 
 
 Another variety that has come forward more promi-j 
 nently during the last year or two are whites, and, strangei 
 to say, these originally descended from brown-reds, and 
 at the present day some strains of bro^vn-reds will still, 
 throw whites. Although a very pretty variety, I don* 
 think they will ever "take on " with the Fancy. 
 
BIECHIN CAME BANTAMS. 
 
 B.2 
 
20 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 Whites can also be produced by breeding from the 
 light lemon-coloured piles, but it will take at least three 
 years to breed out the lemon tint in the hackle. Still, as 
 pale lemon piles are onl_y " wasters " in tiie eye of the 
 pile breeder the foundation could be laid for an outlay 
 of 30s. for a breeding pen. By breeding from lemon 
 piles as near white as possible, and there are plenty of 
 these to get, especially about August or September, 
 when pile breeders will be glad to dispose of such at 
 from 7s. 6d. to 10s. each, the rich orange-yellow leg 
 so necessary in whites will be all the more readily 
 obtained, as whites bred from the ofifshoots of brown-red 
 are more or less willowy in leg colour, which is con- 
 sidered a defect in the show pen. Whites should be 
 pure white in body colour, rich yellow legs and feet, 
 also beak ; face, comb, and eyes red. Willow legs a 
 disqualiflcation. 
 
 Whites can only be kept satisfactorily where the 
 atmosphere is free from smoke, and where they can have 
 free range on a good grass run. Kept under such circum- 
 stances they look very pretty indeed. 
 
 Scale or Points for Game Bantams. 
 
 Good head and neck 8 
 
 Good eyes lu 
 
 Good body and wings 10 
 
 Good legs and feet 10 
 
 Rood tail 8 
 
 Good shape and style li 
 
 Good colour 15 
 
 Good condition .. 8 
 
 Hardness of feather 9 
 
 Correct size, etc 10 
 
 100 
 
 The same scale to apply to detects, and deducted a'cordlngly. 
 
 Disqualifications. — Crooked breast bone, duck-footed, wry- 
 tailed, roach-backed. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 OLD ENGLISH GAME BANTAMS. 
 
 There is no other breed of Bantam that has awakened 
 such interest, or caused such a boom in the Fancy during 
 the yeai' 1898 as Old English. For years this cliarining 
 variety has been hanging fire as it were, but, like all 
 other new breeds, once they are launched in the exhibi- 
 tion world, and classes provided for them, their popu- 
 larity is quickly assured by such a novelty lover as 
 the English exhibitor. And why, I ask, should not the 
 Old English Game Bantam find equally as much favour 
 as the large breed of Old English Game, from which they 
 have descended ? To-day in North-country shows and at 
 all the big events throughout England, there are no 
 classes which fill better or pay better than Old English 
 Game,l^and I have no hesitation in saying tliat, with 
 proper attention in breeding, tlie Old English Game 
 Bantam would soon become a very popular breed. 
 
 I was greatly amused at the correspondence which 
 appeared early in 1899 in the columns of I'ke 
 Feathered World, re the origin of Old English Game 
 Bantams, and whilst reading this correspondence, and 
 enjoying my evening pipe, with Tny feet on the fender, 
 my thoughts have gone back nearly thirty years to my 
 schooldays, when I first entered the ranks of Bantam 
 fanciers. My first purchase I well remember, even yet, 
 was a pair of lovely little yellow-legged spangled or 
 spreckled Bantams, for which I paid the modest sum of 
 Is. 4d. each, and these ivere spangfes, beautifully broken 
 in colour, cobby in shape, and nice flow of feather, per- 
 haps not quite so small as the present day type, but 
 Otherwise quite their equal. At that time I was only 
 
 eight years of age, and I also remember, as if it was only 
 yeste/day, the schoolmaster examining us in history one 
 sultry afternoon in July, and as we each toed the mark 
 round the blackboard, and it came to my turn, 
 the master in solemn tones asked me who was the 
 orio-inator of Old English Bantams, and in those days 
 I had a lot of George Washington's; disposition 
 about me, and could not tell a lie, so I replied, "Pleas?, 
 sir it wasn't me." At this he smiled, and said, I am 
 quite aware of that, Pringle. But you keep Bantams, 
 don't you ' " I answered, " Yes, but I bought them from 
 Richard Noah, at the Mill, and I believe he got them 
 from his grandfather, who kept them, so he says, ever 
 since he was a lad." The master did not ask me any 
 further questions that day. , , . , t 
 
 This was my first experience, and ultimately 1 gave 
 up the spangles infavour of the modern black-reds, which 
 I have kept on and off ever since. But I am digressing, 
 and, as the old lady remarked, I must get on with my 
 knitting. «, , „ ,. , 
 
 As an example of the rapid strides the Old English 
 Bantam has made I need only refer to Whitehaven 
 Show of November 11th, 1898, where a black-red cockerel 
 which carried off first prize was claimed at catalogue 
 price, £10, although, had this bird been seen running 
 about in any of the back yards twelve months previously, 
 it might have been bought for eighteenpence. Then at 
 Birmingham Show, three weeks later, the third-prize 
 bird was bid up to £11 lis. and which a couple of years 
 ago would not have fetched as many shillings. 
 
 Why is it, then ? you ask. Simply a whim of the 
 Fancy, which must have something novel, no matter 
 what the price may be. Still, I honestly believe that 
 Old English Bantams have come to stay, and I shall be 
 greatly surprised if they don't "become very popular in a 
 short space of time. They are exceptionally hardy and 
 healthy ; they will live and thrive where it would be 
 impossible to rear the Modern Game Bantam. Of course, 
 like the Old English Game fowl, the variety of colours is 
 legion, but those whidi up to the present have found 
 most favoui-, both in the eyes of judges and the Fancy, 
 are spangles and black-reds, whilst here and there a blue 
 dun will be found in the prize-list, but for my own fancy 
 give me the spangles, which I consider a very attractive 
 variety, and which must ultimately become tlis most 
 popular. 
 
 Compared 'with the Old English fowl, the Bantaifi is 
 yet in its infancy, as it were, from a standard point of 
 excellence, and some little time must elapse ere the 
 necessary improvements can be attained, even by careful 
 breeding. 
 
 I will now try and describe what I consider should 
 constitute an ideal Old English Game Bantam. 
 
 Head medium length. Beak strong, slightly curved. 
 Ej/e large, fiery red and bold. Comb small and single 
 and of fine texture. Earlohes free from white. Face awi 
 wattles, bright healthy red. Neck, fairly long, and well 
 set on between square and prominent shoulders. Neck 
 hack e to come down well on to the shoulders. Chest, 
 broad and full. Breastbone straight (this is very im- 
 portant), the breast being firm and well developed. Back 
 short, broad at shoulders, and tapering towards the stern. 
 Wings short, first meeting under tail and fitting closely 
 to the body, and should be full, otherwise 
 the bird has the appearance of what is termed 
 fiat-sided. Tail should be dh-ectly in opposition to 
 the Modern Game Bantam, viz., main or primary 
 feathers, fairly long and strong ; sickles, broad, good 
 length and nicely bowed, with four or five side-hangers 
 of medium length covering the width of the tail each 
 side. Legs, short, thick, muscular in thighs, well set 
 
W;zi"-" 
 
 MESSRS. R. & D. KERR'S O.E.G. SPANGLE BANTAMS. 
 
 Cock, Winner of First and Specials, Distington and Longtown, also Fourth Manchester. Hen, Winner of 
 First at Cleator Moor, Egremont, Distington and Blennerhasset. 
 
22 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 apart; shmi'cs, medium length, round in front — not flat 
 (wliicli shows weakness), and in black-reds, spangles, 
 and blue duns the colour of legs should be white or 
 yeltoiv, white for preference. Toes, fairly long and 
 nuiscular, straight ; the back toe to be carried in a 
 direct line witli the middle toe, and should grasp the 
 ground firmly, the point of the toe being flat on the 
 ground. Carnage, quick and sprightly, with a bold, 
 defiant look. The bird in the liand sliould handle hard 
 and firm ; the liarder the better. 
 
 Points of Colour. In Blade -reds. — Cocks : Face and 
 eyes, red ; beak, white or yellow, to match the legs ; 
 neck and saddle hackles, bright orange-red ; back and 
 wing-bow, deep red ; breast and thighs, black ; wing- 
 bar, Ijlne-black ; wing-end or bay, rich chestnut ; tail, 
 glossy black. Althoun-h white in tail is to some degree 
 a fault, it should only count against the bird very 
 slightly in the show-pen. 
 
 The'hen to match this cock should be either partridge 
 or wheaten. The former should lie the same as the cock 
 in face, eyes, beak, and legs; neck, lemon or light orange, 
 with a narrow black stripe on each side of the shaft ; 
 breast, rich salmon, shading lighter towards the thighs ; 
 back and wings, partridge colour, or a brownish drab of 
 one even colour all over, 
 and free from rustiness and 
 shaftiness ; tail, black, ex- 
 cept the two top feathers, 
 which should correspond 
 with the body colour. The 
 wheaten hen should match 
 the cock in face, eyes, and 
 legs ; neck, bright golden ; 
 breast and thighs, pale 
 fawn ; body and wings, 
 darker shade or wheat 
 colour ; tail, black, with 
 the top or outer feather 
 tinged with wheaten. Size : 
 Cocks, 18 to 25 oz. ; hens, 
 15 to 20 oz. 
 
 Spangles. — Both the cock 
 and hen should resemble 
 each other in every respect 
 as to colour, viz. : face, 
 head, and eye, bright red ; 
 plumage throughout, black, 
 red, or blue, evenly span- 
 gled with white ; tail, black 
 and white ; legs, white or yellow. 
 
 The breeding of Old English Bantams is as yet a bit 
 of a lottery, as no standard has been fixed that I am 
 aware of, and such being the case, there is no guide for, 
 the young fancier as to what is really required. Still, 
 if he breeds to my description of what I consider an 
 ideal Old English Game Bantam, as the Yankee says, I 
 guess he'll come out on the top of the heap when the 
 prize cards are distributed. 
 
 Black-red cocks may either be bred from partridge or 
 wheaten hens. Strange to say, the soundest and 
 brightest coloured cocks are to be bred fi'ora a partridge 
 hen ; if the cock bird is also partridge bred, this is impor- 
 tant. Partridge-bred cocks, as a rule, are much brighter in 
 colour than wheaten-bred cocks, and are frequently 
 found to be a bit striped in hackle, and it is these 
 bright-coloured birds that find most favour in the show- 
 pen. 
 
 To breed sound coloured partridge hens I would pro- 
 ceed on the same line of colour as stated in modern 
 black-red Bantam pullet breeding, care being taken that 
 your male bird is not wheaten hrecl. If he is your labour 
 
 will be lost. To breed partridge pullets you must have a 
 partridge-bred cock bird, and don't you f.^gf «• ,A 
 wheaten-bred cock, with partridge hens spoils the colom 
 
 F. GOODACRE'S BL. 
 
 Zealand 
 
 in both wheaten and partridge chickens. To ^reed 
 wheaten hens I should select a good-coloured wheaten 
 hen and put her to a wheaten-bred cook. "The cocks 
 from wheaten hens are generally a shade darker than 
 the partridge-bred birds, and are more inclined to .show 
 red in breast more or less. , , . i 
 
 In breeding spangles I think if even-coloured birds are 
 selected on both sides, the produce botli m cockerels and 
 pullets will be found satisfactory, as, unlike many 
 colours, one pen will be found to produce good specunens 
 of both sexes. Should, however, the clucks come too 
 light in colour the following season I should use a 
 partridge hen, or even a wheaten, although for preference 
 I should use the partridge, as partridge-bred spangles 
 always appear to me to be much harder in feather and 
 more taking in colour than wheaten spangles. To breed 
 evenly-spangled pullets it is best to use a light-coloured 
 cock, but as an all-round breeder I should prefer a 
 medium-coloured, evenly-spangled bird. 
 
 Blueduns orblueredsare only tobefound here and there, 
 although they aie quite as pretty as the black reds. In 
 the first place, I think the 
 name blue dun hardly cor- 
 rect. The blue-breasted red 
 cocks I would call blue red. 
 These may be bred from 
 blues on both sides, but I 
 think one could hardly 
 know what colour to ex- 
 pect in the chicks, as they 
 "sport" all ways, and re- 
 quire very careful breeding 
 to get the colour fixed. I 
 have seen a good blue cock 
 bred from a sound blue- 
 breasted cock and wheaten 
 hen, and I think a pullet 
 could also be bred same 
 way, or fi'om blues on both 
 sides. A blue-red cock can 
 be bred from a blue hen and 
 a sound-coloured black- 
 red cock. In fact, they 
 can be bred any way almost, 
 and as colour is only a 
 secondary consideration in 
 Old English Bantams, it is not of very great importance 
 how they are bred, providing the proper shape, type, and 
 size is all there. 
 
 A little advice, and then I've had my say on this 
 variety. Don't try to breed Old English Game Bantams 
 by crossing with the Modern Game Bantam, for it can't 
 be done ; and don't try and palm of3f a rank waster of a 
 Modern Game Bantam to a judge as an Old English 
 Game Bantam, for that won't do in 1900, although it 
 did in 1898. If they have to be Old English let thera 
 be Old English, for there are hundreds of tliem in the 
 country to-day, and have been for years. 
 
 In judging Old English Bantams care should be taken 
 to have the proper cobby type, broad in chest, low on 
 leg, firm in breast, and straight in breastbone, strong in 
 head and beak, with a red fearless eye, feet well on tlie^ 
 ground, and sound in back toe, with bold but graceful 
 carriage, quick in movements, and ever on the 
 alert. The tail should be full, and the sickles and 
 side-hangers of the cock should be fairly long and 
 well curved, not whip-tailed, as is often seen. Dark 
 legs, light eyes, crooked breast-bones, wry - tailed, 
 
 ACK ROSECOMB, A NEW 
 
 WlNNEB. 
 
24 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 and duck-footed should one and all amount to disquali- 
 fication. 
 
 Scale of Points for Old enslish Bantams. 
 
 Head and beak 
 
 Eyes .... 
 
 Back 
 
 Breast and body . . 
 Wings 
 
 Thighs .. .. .. ;; 
 
 Shanks .... 
 
 Feet ;.' ;; ;; ;; 
 
 style and can-iiige 
 
 Handling 
 
 Plumage 
 
 Colour 
 
 8 
 
 10 
 
 8 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 i 
 
 6 
 
 10 
 
 10 
 
 12 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ROSfiCOMBS. 
 
 Having gone fully Into all the principal breeds of 
 Game Bantams, and which have hitherto received 
 the whole of our attention from the commenoemeot of 
 this hook, I will now go on to the Variety Bantams, 
 which are quite as popular as the Game, and as a rule 
 present less difficulties to the young fancier in rearing 
 and preparing for exhibition, with the exception of 
 Rosecombs, which are undoubtedly the most popular of 
 Variety Bantams. 
 
 I don't think there is any other variety that has 
 improved so much during the past five or six years as 
 black Rosecombs, or any breed that has attained the 
 height of perfection as this charming variety. 
 
 At the present day, competition in Rosecombs is 
 excessively keen at all shows, and a bird to be 
 successful at any show must approach very neai'ly to the 
 ideal standard of perfection, or his chance of success in 
 the prize list will be a very poor one. There is no doulbt 
 whatever but that the Variety Bantam Club is largely 
 responsible for the rapid strides this breed has made during 
 the past few years, as well as doing much good work in 
 furthering the interest of all Variety Bantams. Yet there 
 is, I am sorry to say, much more 'to do, and although I 
 shall undoubtedly offend some of my readers, I candidly 
 think there is no' other breed except Haraburghs which 
 is improved by science and art more than the Rosecomb 
 Bantam. I do not hesitate in saying that quite 40 to 
 50 per cent, of the present-day Rosecombs are manufac- 
 tured, not bred. That is a large percentage, but it is 
 nevertheless correct, and yet these birds go on winning 
 and will do so until either the Variety Bantam Club or 
 the Poultry Club put their foot down firmly in the matter. 
 It seems a great pity that it should be so, for there is no 
 more handsome bird on the whole poultry list than black 
 Rosecombs, which have been before the Fancy for nearly 
 fifty years. 
 
 Black Rosecombs are fairly hardy, but the chickens 
 require very careful attention during the first few weeks, 
 as they are at times difficult to rear, especially so on a 
 cold, damp soil. They are capital layers, and not 
 very apt to become broody. 
 
 I will now describe what is considered an ideal Rose- 
 comb cook: Comb fitting close to head, fairly broad and full 
 infront, tapering to alongleader or spike at the back, the 
 leader to be fine, and have an upward tendency towards 
 the end ; the comb to be well and evenly serrated, not 
 hollow in front or centre, but level throughout ; face 
 cherry red, smooth, and free from white, which is often 
 found just under the eye ; head short and fairly broad, 
 beak dark and slightly curved ; eyes dark and full, ear- 
 lobes white, large, and round, of smooth texture, and 
 the thicker the better, although a bird with a large thick 
 
 lobe is liable to go white in face as a rule ; wattles 
 round and smooth, neck short and thick, full nackle, 
 covering the shoulders well; back short and broad, 
 wings fairly large, but not too long ; tail large, primary 
 feathers long and broad, sickle feathers long, and as 
 broad as possible, the end of the sickle to be almost as 
 broad as the commencement, not running to a fine point. 
 The sickle should be gracefully curved till it almost 
 touches the ground. The side hangers which cover the 
 tail should correspond with the sickle, as broad as 
 possible, and the more of them the better. The 
 breast should be broad and full, and carried for- 
 ward, with the head thro^vn back. Legs short and flue, 
 black in colour, not slaty-blue or pale, although adult 
 birds will be found paler in legs than cockerels, and 
 either black or white toe nails, latter preferred. Carriage 
 jaunty and lively, yet graceful in movement ; weight, 
 14 to 18 ozs.; colour lustrous, greenish black, the 
 brighter the better. 
 
 Hen : Comb, head, face, eye and lobes same as 
 described in cock ; earlobes of nice size, the larger 
 the better, if smooth, white, and of firm tex- 
 ture ; wattles fine, round, and bright healthy red in 
 colour ; back as short as possible, tail carried rather 
 gay, wings carried slightly below the body, not too long ; 
 breast full and carried forward as in cock ; legs short 
 and fine and black in colour ; carriage jaunty yet 
 graceful. 
 
 Having described my ideal I will now try and instruct 
 my readers how to mate up to obtain these require- 
 ments. Before doing so, just a word of advice. If you 
 contemplate taking up this variety, go in for some 
 reliable strain, and keep that sti-ain pure. Don't buy 
 from first one and then another, and hope for success ; 
 if you do you will regret it, for the only sure road to 
 success in Rosecomb breeding is by keeping one strain 
 pure. Of course it would not always do to breed year 
 after year from your own, unless you retain a certain 
 number of stock birds annually for this purpose, which is 
 done by our most successful breeders, and then this 
 must be done judiciously. Let the health of your 
 chickens guide you as to tlie necessity of fresh blood in 
 your stock, and then it is advisable to use only those 
 with a dash of your own strain in them, rather than 
 a direct cross, as by using quite a new strain you will in 
 all probability get your birds much too large. 
 
 To breed exhibition black Rosecomb cocks, I would 
 select a cock with a long comb nicely worked through- 
 out and tapering off to a long leader, lobe of good size, 
 round and of good texture; body small, and short in hack; 
 plenty of feather, and low on leg, which should be black. ^ 
 To this bird I would mate three or four hens or pullets, for- ' 
 mer preferred, all possessing good combs and longin leaders; 
 this is important. The lobes should be thick and smooth, 
 and of nice size ; face free from white, and dark in eye 
 and dark legs. Body as short as possible, but plenty of 
 tail, and see that the tail feathers are broad, and if the 
 top feathers on each side of the tail are curved all the 
 better. From this pen you should get a good percentage 
 of first-class exhibition cockerels. Although it is quite 
 possible to breed both good cockerels and pullets from 
 one pen, still, it is advisable, where practicable, to use 
 separate pens ; for to breed from one pen you must have 
 a thorough knowledge of how each individual bird is bred 
 and whether of a cockerel strain or a pullet strain. 
 
 In pullet breeding the male bird should have a big 
 lobe, as thick and as smooth as possible, but must be free 
 from white in face, both these requirements being of 
 great importance. He must also be short and cobby, 
 and by no means long in back. The hens to mate with 
 him should approach as near as possible to the ideal 
 
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26 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 already described. The produce from each pen should 
 be marked and kept separately for future breeding. 
 brom the pullet pen, should you by chance breed a 
 cockerel good in head points and shape, yet faulty in 
 colour, viz., red or bronze in saddle or back, don't go 
 and wring his neck as a " waster"; if so, you are killing 
 the goose that lays the golden egg, as it were, for it is 
 these bronzed backed, red hackled ones which breed 
 the richest coloured birds. You didn't know that before, 
 did you ? yet it is a fact all the same. Here endeth the 
 blacks. 
 
 AVhites, like the Irishman's promotion, have had a 
 downward tendency the last few years, so that at the 
 present time a really first-class white is very rare indeed. 
 This variety appears to have been greatly neglected, but 
 why I am at a loss to tell, as it is a very pretty and 
 taking variety. True it requires more care and atten- 
 tion in preparing for the show pen and preserving its 
 colour, which is liable to become tanned by exposure to 
 the sun and weather, still, where kept under favourable 
 circumstances, there is not a more taking variety. The 
 points required are the same as in blacks, with the 
 exception of the colour, which should be pure white, not 
 yellow or creamy on back ; legs, beak, and feet should 
 also be white ; lobes white ; face, comb and wattles, 
 bright red. 
 
 In mating up whites the same lines must be -followed 
 as in blacks, and where lobe and length of feather have 
 been deficient, these have been remedied by crossing 
 white hens with a black cook, and for this purpose it is 
 best to select a male bird that is inclined to be slate 
 coloured in leg, the paler the better, but possessing 
 plenty of feather and large lobe. The produce from 
 this pen would come all self-colours, i.e., blacks or 
 whites, not mottled ; the whites would in all proba- 
 bility show a little duskiness in leg colour, but this 
 could be remedied the following year if bred back, viz., 
 the white hens mated to the best of the cockerels, and 
 the pullets mated to a white cock ; by doing this you 
 would greatly improve the lobe and length of feather. 
 
 Scale op Points. 
 
 Comb . . 20 
 
 Lobe and face .. .15 
 
 Length and width of feather . . 16 
 
 Shape and carriage 15 
 
 Colour 10 
 
 Size and weight . . . . .... 10 
 
 Colour of leg . . 5 
 
 Condition 10 
 
 100 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PEKINS. 
 
 There is no doubt whatever that next to the rose- 
 combs in popularity comes the Pekin, or what was 
 formerly called the Cochin China Bantam, owing to the 
 variety having originated from China, the first pair we 
 believe having been imported from Pekin about 40 years 
 ago. At that time buffs were the only colour estab- 
 lished, but to-day we have buff's, blacks, whites, cuckoo.", 
 and partridge ; to say nothing of mottles or Ancona 
 Pekins, which are the very latest additions to the breed. 
 The original butts were quite different to the present- 
 day type, both in shape and colour, being higher 
 on leg, longer in back, and more inclined to be what is 
 termed " vulture hocked," more after the style of the 
 booted Bantam. Through the introduction of the Cocli n 
 blood by breeding down from the larger breeds, the 
 shape and feather, as well as colour, hiive leen greatly 
 improved, whilst the size also has been reduced. 
 
 With the exception, perhaps, of the % ery best exhibition 
 specimens of butf Cochins, the Pekin Hantam can lay 
 claim to superiority over all the other varieties of 
 Cochins, from an ideal standard of perfection point of 
 view. . 
 
 As an instance of the growing popularity of the 
 Pekin I need only refer to Liverpool hhow of 
 1899, where in the two black rosecomb classes we 
 find thirty-nine entries, and in buflt Pekins alone there 
 were no less than thirty-eight entries. Although the 
 cup for the best Variety Bantam cock was secured by 
 the winning rosecomb cockerel, the cup for the best hen 
 fell to the black Pekin, the honours thus being equally 
 divided, and both these birds were pronounced to be as 
 near perfection as it is possible to attain. 
 
 Pekins can be kept under almost any circumstances, if 
 they are liberally supplied with fine sand for the floor of 
 their houses and runs to protect the foot feather, which is 
 the only drawback to the variety. They are capital layers 
 of tinted eggs, they lay early in the season, and 
 the chickens are easily reared if the breeding 
 stock are healthy. Of course, like all heavUy- 
 feathered bii'ds, unless the foot-feather of tlie male 
 stock bird is cut short, there will be a large 
 percentage of clear eggs, but this can always be reme- 
 died by cutting the foot feather short in cocks and 
 round the vent of the hens, and for this reason it is best 
 to keep birds, especially for stock, apart from the exhibi- 
 tion ones. This is doneby some of our most successful Cochin 
 breeders, and a system I can thoroughly recommend to 
 everj'one, as by doing so you will not only have a greater 
 percentage of fertile eggs, but the chickens will also be 
 much stronger and a pleasure to rear. Pekin hens are 
 capital sitters and mothers, they very rarely lay more 
 than a dozen eggs before becoming broody — this is one 
 of the drawbaclcs to keeping Pekins. Again, for breed- 
 in'g the very best broody hens by crossing the Pekin hen 
 with a Silky cock, their produce cannot be equalled. There 
 is little wonder then that Pekins are such favourites, 
 as even the "culls" in pullets will fetch 5s. each as 
 brooders, and find a ready sale at this through an 
 advertisement in The Feathered World during the 
 hatching season, from January to June. , I have proved 
 this over and over again ; m fact, just through a 
 casual mention of theu' being such reliable sitters in one 
 of my recent articles I have been infested with applica- 
 tions from all parts lor sitters, and have had to refuse 
 quite fifty or sixty applicants, as I had none to spare. 
 Sitting hens suitable for Bantam eggs appear to be a 
 very scarce commodity indeed, and I am surprised that 
 someone does not go in for these as a speciality. Where 
 the fancier has plenty of accommodation I feel 
 sure it would pay well. Unlike the rosecomb 
 mentioned in my last, the Pekin offers little scope 
 for the habitual faker or trimmer, apart from its 
 tail, which, I am sorry to say, is more often left 
 at home than sent with the bird to the show. 
 The time has now come for this fi'audulent practice to 
 be discontinued, for it is nothing short of fraud or dis- 
 honesty to show a bird with a pulled tail. A Game 
 Bantam or a rosecoml) Bantam with a pulled tail would 
 not be acknowledged by the judge ; then, I say, why 
 should the Pekin be made an exception, and be allowed 
 to score in the prize list, as is now the case in 50 per 
 cent, of the present-day Pekins ? 
 
 I will now describe what I consider an ideal Pekin, 
 and, for simplicity, give the shape and type first, which 
 is the same in all the different varieties. In the 
 first place, the Pekin is intended to represent the 
 large Cochin in miniature, and should therefore be 
 as near as possible the same shape as the Cochin. 
 Commencing at the liead, the comb should be single and 
 
WHITE KOSECOMB BANTAMS. 
 
28 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 Miss Southam's Buff Pekin Cock. 
 
 finely serrated, and the smaller tlie comb the better 
 although it is almost an impossibility to breed Pekins as 
 small in comb in compai-ison to the Cochin : eyes red, 
 or nearly red, face red and smooth, lobes free from 
 white, neck short and thick, chest broad and carried 
 well forward, back short and broad, the shorter the 
 better ; cushion full and nicely rounded, tail short and 
 full, the feathers of the tail proper, twelve in number, 
 being much softer in the quill than in any other breed 
 of Bantam, and should be curved, not straight, as in 
 other varieties. In addition, the cock's tail should be 
 well furnished with side liangers corresponding in 
 colour with the body. The wings should be short, 
 and tightly tucked up, legs short as possible, so 
 that the body almost touches the ground ; the legs 
 should be abundantly feathered right to the end of the 
 middle toe without being "vulture hocked," which is a 
 great defect in all Pekins. The colour of legs in all the 
 varieties of Pekins should be yellow, and the richer the 
 yellow the better, although it is a difficult point to get 
 in blacks. Willow or green legs should count heavily 
 against the bird in the show pen. The one prevailing 
 weakness in all Pekins is scaly leg, but this can be pre- 
 vented by proper care and attention in keeping the 
 houses and runs dry and clean. Where the birds are 
 kept on nice dry sand scaly leg will rarely appear. 
 
 Colour will now engage our attention, commencing 
 with the leading variety — Buffs. The exhibition cock 
 should be a rich dark orange, not red ; one uniform 
 shade throughout, including tail and flight feathers, 
 when the wing is opened out. The iiutt' should also be 
 solid buft', not white or dusky, which is often the- case. 
 White or black in the flight feathers or tail is a serious 
 defect, more especially white, and a, cock showing this 
 defect should never be retained as a stock bird, for in 
 all probability a great percentage of the produce would 
 be useless. The hen to match the cock should be a rich 
 golden buff, just a shade lighter than the cook ; 
 
 or, to be more definite, should correspond as near 
 as possible with the breast colour of the cook. This is 
 also a capital guide in mating up the breeding pen. 
 The colour should be even throughout, not paler in 
 breast than in body colour, but one rich level buff all 
 through, free from white or black, and buff in under 
 colour or fluff as well. 
 
 From outward appearance a bird may seem a solid 
 buff, but when examined carefully may be found slaty 
 in fluff, sometimes almost black. The flight feathers 
 when the wing is opened out may contain more black 
 or white than buff', and the tail likewise. It is, there- 
 fore, really necessary in judging buffs to examine each 
 specimen carefully for these defects, which are often 
 hidden by outward appearances. In mating up 
 buffs preference should be given to a male bird of the 
 darker shade, providing he is pure in flights and tail, 
 especially free from white, which is highly important. 
 When I say darker shade, I don't mean a red or dark 
 cinnamon, but a rich, deep orange buff of a level colour, 
 not dark in saddle and pale in breast, the richer or 
 deeper in under colour or fluff the richer will be the 
 colour of the produce : this is one of the most important 
 features in buff breeding. The bird may appear to be 
 an excellent top colour, but on examination his under 
 colour may be white or nearly black, both of which are 
 detrimental to producing satisfactory offspring. 
 
 The hens to match this cock should be as rich and 
 level in colour as possible ; don't breed from pale mealy 
 hens, or those showing a mixture of white in the feather, 
 and, above all, avoid those white in flights or tail. By 
 selecting a pen as described, saj not more than four hens 
 and a cock, exhibition specimens of both sexes can be 
 produced from the same pen. Unlike most varieties of 
 Bantams, the Pekin does not attain perfection until 
 after the second year, as it is not fully -developed until 
 twelve months old. They can be hatched as late as 
 July with success, and by hatching late the size and 
 
 Miss SouTHAM's_B0FF Pekin Pullet. 
 
PEKINS. 
 
 29 
 
 An American Ur.ACK I-'ekin Cock. 
 
 length of l©g are reduced, both important features in 
 Pekins. 
 
 Blacks should be the same as bulls in comb, face, 
 eyes, and legs. The plumage should be a lustrous beetle- 
 green, as seen in the black Hamburgh, although it 
 is hardly possible to obtain the same sheen as 
 in Hamburghs, but the more lustre the better, as colour 
 in blacks is a very important paint. The fluff or under- 
 colour should also be black to the skin, not grey, which 
 is often found in blacks, although birds with sound black 
 fluff are few and far between, still, if bred pure and not 
 allowed to cross with the whites, they can be bred sound 
 in fluff ; it is the crossing with whites to strengthen 
 the strain and obtain the length of feather that 
 is the cause of grey in under - colour and hackle, 
 which we frequently find in blacks. To breed blacks, 
 although it is quite possible to breed exhibition 
 specimens of botn sexes from one pen, I should 
 advise, where practicable, to mate up a cockerel- 
 breeding pen separate from the pullet pe^. In the 
 cock pen I should select the shortest backed bird I could 
 find, one possessing plenty o' feather on shanks and 
 around the hocks and carried out to the end of the 
 centre tae. I should like him low on the leg, 
 excelling in lustre and free from white or grey 
 in under-colour and foot feather. The male bird 
 in the pullet pen should be descended from a 
 pullet-breeding strain. A good guide in the selection 
 of cockerel for pullet breeding is to notice if he possesses, 
 more or less, a tinge of red in the saddle and neck. If 
 this is found, you can mate him up with conhdence that 
 he will produce the glossy sheen in the pullets, but the 
 hens in both pens should be free from any foreign colour 
 and as shapely as possible, discarding those grey or white 
 in fluff or white in lobe. 
 
 Wiiite Pekins have found many admirers during the 
 past few years, and are making steady progress. When 
 kept under favourable circumstances — i.e., shaded by 
 covered runs, or kept in small woods or orchards from 
 the sun's rays — white Pekins are a very pretty variety 
 to keep, but should never be attempted where the only 
 accommodation is a backyard. To be successful with 
 whites they must have grass and a run with covered 
 top and a portion of the sides and front, whilst the floor 
 of the house should have fine sea-sand, to the depth of 
 three or four inches, to protect the foot-feathec and keep 
 it clean. Whites are easy to breed true to colour by 
 
 keeping them pure and in-breeding, but should your 
 chicks come weakly through too much in-breeding then 
 the bast plan would be to introduce a sound-coloured 
 black cook, and mate him to the white hens. 
 Prom these you would get both blacks and whites ; the 
 former would be more or less grey in under-colour, and 
 show perhaps a little white in foot feather, which, as a 
 rule, disappears before the bird is exhibited ; the whites 
 will be found very pure in colour, although perhaps not 
 quite so rich a yellow in leg colour, but the produce will 
 be found stronger than the previous year, and more 
 feathers will have been obtained as well. It would not 
 be wise to breed from the blacks produced in this way, 
 even should they be perfectly sound in colour. 
 
 Cuckoo Pekins are a much later addition to the 
 Fancy than blacks or whites, and do not appear to be 
 making any headway at all. Doubtless this is greatly 
 due to the difficulties of producing them true to colour. 
 It is very rarely we find a single first-class exhibi- 
 tion specimen at any of the provincial shows. In 
 markings they should be similar to the Scotch 
 Grey Bantam, the ground colour should be a very 
 pale blue, with dark (almost black) bars ; the more 
 clearly defined in barring (as in Plymouth Rocks) 
 the better. Like the Scotch Grey and Plymouth Rock, 
 the ground colour varies considerably, but the colour 
 should be as uniform as possible, and the barring fine 
 and distinct ; and not only should the top feather be 
 barred, but the under-colour and foot feather as well. 
 This is very important when mating up the bird for 
 breeding purposes. I have seen perfect top-coloured 
 birds entirely devoid of fluff barring ; but these are not 
 the birds that should be selected for the breeding pen, 
 and, again, never select birds that show any great 
 amount of white in tail or flights. This is a great 
 weakness in all barred varieties, and should be strictly 
 guarded against. 
 
 In mating up the breeding pens, it would be as well to 
 use two pens. For the cockerel-breeding pen, select a 
 very uniform-coloured bird of the medium shade. See 
 that his tail and sickle feathers are well barred down to 
 the root, and that his flights when opened out are sound 
 and free from white. With him mate up three hens or 
 pullets of a nice level colour and clear in gnrand colour. 
 In the pullet pen I should use a lighter shade of colour 
 in the cock, but not brassy on top. This is a serious 
 fault. See that his breast is clear and fine in markings, 
 not blurred or indistinct ; a little dark on tail is no 
 objection, but he must show no trace of white either in 
 tail or wing. By mating him to three or four distinctly 
 barred hens, nice and clear in ground colour, and 
 especially sound in the black of the barring, you should 
 be rewarded by a good percentage of exhibition pullets. 
 
 An American Black Pekin Hex, 
 
30 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 and the coclierels the following year would be found use- 
 ful if mated back to the hens again, as well as breeding 
 cockerels and pullets together. By doing this you will 
 have two strings to your bow as it were. Should any of 
 the pullets come black, by mating these to a finely 
 barred cockerel of the lighter shade you would in all 
 probability breed the very best of cuckoo pullets, and 
 pullets bred in this manner are very useful as future 
 pullet breeders. 
 
 We have now come to partridge Pekins, which are 
 one of the latest editions to the variety. Tliese are 
 intended to represent the partridge Cochin in miniature, 
 though as yet they have made but slow progress 
 towards the ideal, .md have not made many friends. 
 This; is no doubt owing to the many difficulties experi- 
 enced by those who have endeavoured to establish tlie 
 correct colour and markings in the pullets, combined 
 with length of foot feather and small size, all difficult 
 points to overcome, although with care in mating and in- 
 breeding there is no reason why the desired requirements 
 should not be obtained, although it will require a lot of 
 patience and perseverance, both essential trails in every 
 would-be successful fancier's life, and without which no 
 fancier can hope to reach the top rung of the ladder of 
 fame in the Fancy. To describe the colours of the 
 partridge Peldn cock I cannot do better than refer my 
 readers to the top-colour of the black-red Game Bantam 
 cock. Both these birds are identical in colour, except in 
 hackle, where the partridge Pekin shows more stiip- 
 ing and is generally two shades of colour in hackle, 
 dark orange towards the head, shading off towards 
 the shoulders to pale golden. The breast and 
 thighs should be a sound black of a greenish shade, 
 legs and feet yellow, and well furnished with black 
 feathers right to the end of the centre toe, and as free 
 from white foot feathering as possible, and the longer 
 the feather the better. The hen sliould be a rich 
 chocolate ground colour, of one even shade throughout, 
 every feather evenly pencilled with black, except 
 hacUles, which shotild be a light golden, the ground 
 colour and pencilling being two of the most important 
 and difficult points to obtain. 
 
 To breed partridge Pekins it is desirable to have 
 two pens, as it is next to impossible to breed exhibi- 
 tion cockerels and pullets from the same pen. In 
 the cock pen you would reijuire to have the male 
 bird particularly bright in bis top colour, and sound 
 black in breast, thighs, fiuff, and foot feather, otherwise 
 your cockerels would be rusty in fluff and brea-t, and 
 white or grizzly in foot feather. The bens to Inate with 
 this cock should be as pale in hackle as possible ; they 
 need not be particularly good in pencilling, as this is 
 not necessary in cockerel breeding, but see that they are 
 well feathered, and especially so on middle toe. Now, 
 to produce the best exhibition pullets you should select 
 a cock a shade darker than the above, and one 
 that is coarser in his striping of hackle; in all probability 
 he will be more or less faulty in breast colour and fiuff, 
 showing red or rusty coloured feathers, if so, all the 
 better for tlie purpose you re(iuire and a capital guide 
 that he is a pullet breeder. To him mate three or four of 
 the very soundest ground-coloured hens you can find, 
 well and distinctly pencilled, and from these you may 
 expect a good percentage of sounil coloured pullets. 
 
 In mating uj) both pens always have the proper shape 
 in your eye— viz., broad in chest, short in back and leg, 
 low on the ground and abundantly feathered, all neces- 
 sary points to be considered when mating up. 
 
 In the first place strive for colour and type, and when 
 you have mastered these requirements you can always 
 reduce the size and retain the colour, etc., by inbreed- 
 ing. 
 
 Scale of Points— Pekiss. 
 Head and comb 10 
 
 Length o£ feather and fluff 
 
 Colour 
 
 Shape and car/iage 
 
 Shortness of leg . . 
 
 Size 
 
 Condition .. 
 
 2a 
 20 
 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 
 100 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 BRAHMA BANTAMS 
 are another variety of the feathered-legged tribe, whicli 
 have been before the Fancy for the past ten or twelve 
 years, but as yet are in the hands of only a few breeders, 
 who may be counted on the fingers of one hand ; con- 
 sequently it is not often that classes are provided for 
 them, apart from the big events, such as Palace and 
 Liverpool, where we find classes set apart for them. 
 Although a very pretty and hardy variety, I do not 
 think they will ever become as popular as either the 
 Pekin or Booted, principally on account of the difficulty 
 of bleeding them true to colour, and at the same time 
 keeping down the size and producing the required length 
 of foot feather, a point in which fifty per cent, of the 
 Brahma Bantams of to-day fail. 
 
 Like the large Brahmas, from which there is no doubt 
 but they have descended in years gone by, there are two 
 varieties only, viz., lights and darks, the former as yet 
 being most favoured, doubtless on account of being the 
 easier of the two to breed true to colour. Still, I con- 
 sider the darks equally as handsome, in fact, a very 
 taking variety. 
 
 The hens are good layers of a tinted egg, and the 
 chicks are fairly hardy, and easy to rear. 
 
 In shape they should i-esemble the Pekin as near as 
 
 Eossible, with the exception that the Brahma is a trifle 
 igher on the leg, and the hens especially lieing longer 
 in back and tail. The light cock should have a triple or 
 pea comb ; face and wattle, red ; hackles, silvery white, 
 striped with black towards the bottom ; the back, wings, 
 shoulders, breast, and thighs, wdiite ; tail, black ; the 
 top outer feathers, or what are termed hangers, slightly 
 edged wi'iji white ; legs, yellow, heavily feathered with 
 ^vhite feathers to end of middle toe, the more free from 
 black the better ; beak, yellow, to match the legs ; eyes, 
 red or yellow. 
 
 The lien is white in body, with neck hackle also white, 
 but plainly striped with black ; the wings when opened 
 out should show black in primaries, and also in under- 
 secondaries ; tail also black, to match the cock ; legs, 
 feet, and beak, yellow, and well furnished with white 
 feathers to end of toes ; eyes, red or yellow. 
 
 The dark Brahma cock should have a triple or pea 
 comb, face red, also wattles and lobes, latter free from 
 white ; beak and legs, yellow or horn colour ; neck 
 hackle, silvery white, striped with black, the stripe to be 
 broader towards the bottom of hackle ; breast, thighs, 
 leg and foot feathering, tail, wing butts, and shoulders, 
 sound black ; wing bow, back, and shoulders, silvery 
 white ; the saddle hackle same colour, but with distinct 
 black striping ; wing bar and tail hangers, rich green- 
 black ; the leg and foot feathering to be a sound black 
 and as long as possible— the le^s white in foot-feather 
 the better, although it is a difficult matter to get the 
 foot-feather absolutely sound in either colour, as black 
 will invariably show in the foot-feather of the lights, 
 but it should always be guarded against when mating up 
 the breeding pen. This only lefers to the cocks, as the 
 hens are generally fairly sound in this respect." The dark 
 henshould be identically the same as the eockin face, eyes, 
 
BRAHMA RANTAMS. 
 
 31 
 
 In breeding pullets the order must be reversed. See 
 that your hens or pullets are sound and uniform in 
 ground colour, also regular and even in pencilling. This 
 is absolutely necessary. The cock should be as described 
 before, with the exception that if he shows a little pen- 
 cilling on breast and Hull', and also wing bar, all the 
 better for pullet breeding ; the more lacing he shows 
 proves him to be descended from a pullet-breeding strain. 
 J''roiu this pen it would be a Ivisal^le to i-etain three or 
 four of the best and soundest-coloured pullets, also a 
 couple of the best-shaped cockerels, and the following 
 season bi'eed from these. Then you would be able to 
 establish a thoroughly reliable pullet-breedinj;- strain, 
 and at the same time you are reducing the size and im- 
 proving tlie colour. 
 
 To breed li<,'hts it would scarcely he necessary to use 
 two pens, as both cockerels and pullets might be 
 produced from one if properly mated. Take a cook 
 that is as near perfect in colour as possible, not too 
 heavily striped in hackle or too pale, but use one of 
 the medium sliade, but see that his striping in hackle is 
 sound, rich black, not tinged with grey, and finely- 
 striped saddle hackle. He must have plenty of feather, 
 and be a good shape, with a, small, neat comb. With 
 him mate a couple of hens or pullets as idean white on 
 back and wings as possible, and if a little fine in striping 
 of hackle all the better ; these are for breeding cockerels. 
 Also two hens that nmst be perfectly sound on back, a 
 pure white, and the whiter the fluff or under colour the 
 better ; hackle well striped with black, the broader and 
 more distinct the striping the Letter ; these for pullet 
 breedini. Brahma Bantams require the same housing 
 and attention to the protection of the foot feather as 
 described in last article on Booted, and may be bred to 
 advantage until May, June, or July. 
 
 Scale of Foists. 
 
 Head and comb 
 
 Length of feather and fluff . . 
 
 Colour 
 
 Shape 
 Size . . 
 Condition 
 
 10 
 20 
 20 
 20 
 15 
 15 
 
 "White Rosecomb Bantams (photograph from life).i 
 
 aad leg. Hackle silvery-white, ground-colour distinctly 
 striped with black, tail also black. Body, breast, and 
 iving-colour to be a nice steel-grey colour, pencilled with 
 black, the pencilling to be as distinct and as even as pos- 
 sible, and continued right up to the throat and out towards 
 the fluff behind the legs ; the pencilling and ground-colour 
 being the chief and most important parts in dark Brahma, 
 together with length of feather, which should be as long 
 as possible and carried right to end of middle toe. 
 
 And now to the breeding of Brahma Bantams. 
 Although the proper ground-colour of the dark hens is 
 hardly properly established yet, it would be advisable to 
 mate up two pens to obtain the best results. To breed 
 the best coikerels it is always best to have the soundest 
 coloured bird you can possibly find ; one sound in his 
 black, and clear in his top colour. See that he is well 
 feathered and good in shape, but not large, the smaller 
 the better, as size is as yet a failing point in Brahmas. 
 With him mate three of the best-shaped pullets you have, 
 good in head points and comb, and the lighter and more 
 silvery in hackle to top of head the better for cockerel 
 breeding ; although their body and breast colour may be 
 very pale and defective in lacing, this is no detriment in 
 cock breeding, so long as the neck hackle is a very pale 
 silvery white. 
 
 An American White Pekin Cock. 
 
32 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 MALAYS. 
 
 The Malay Bantam is undoubtedly descended from 
 the large breed of Malay, and during the past few years 
 has greatly improved, both in size and type, but there 
 is yet much room for further improvement. In my own 
 mind I am firmly convinced that some Malay breeders 
 have made a great mistake by introducing the modern 
 black-red Bantam in order to reduce the size, but by 
 doing so they have lost the type and carriage peculiar 
 to the Malay. My contention is that in judging Malay 
 Bantams the iirst thing to look for is type, shape, and 
 carriage, tlien head points, size, and colour, for the 
 latter is only what one might call a secondary considera- 
 tion, whilst type and carriage are absolutely necessary. 
 No matter how good the bird may be in colour and size, 
 if it lacks the general character, type, and carriage of a 
 Malay fowl, it should not be countenanced in the show- 
 pen. 
 
 Malay Bantams are generally much too large, although 
 there are here and there small and typical specimens to be 
 found, at our big shows in particular. If fanciers would 
 only follow a system of breeding by first getting the proper 
 type and general characteristics, irrespective of size, and 
 afterwards inbreeding from these typical specimens, tlie 
 desired size as well as type will be obtained in the long 
 run, and much quicker than by introducing Modern 
 Game Bantams, which can never have the desired effect, 
 and bound sooner or later to end in complete failure. 
 
 There are four varieties of Malays — reds, whites, piles, 
 and blacks, although it is very seldom we find either of 
 the two last named at any of the shows. The reds and 
 whites have found many friends, and the winners are 
 widely spread, which is one great advantage to the 
 welfare and future prosperity of the breed. The Malay 
 Bantam should be an exact miniature of the Malay fowl. 
 
 The head should be broad, with overlianging eye- 
 brows, giving the bird a fierce expression. The beak 
 should be strong and curved, horn or bright yellow, the 
 latter preferred. Eyes yellow or daw, and well sunk in 
 tiie head. Comb small, walnut shape, and set well for- 
 ward on head. Face red, smooth, and free from 
 feathers. Neck as long as possible, and carried very 
 erect. Hackle short and fine. Back fairly long, and 
 sloping towards the tail. Shoulders broad, and carried 
 high and well forward, having the appearance of being 
 apart from the body, the shoulder points to be very 
 prominent, which gives the bird a bold appearance. 
 Wings short and strong, and lilting closely to the body. 
 The tail of the male bird should be drooping, medium 
 lenjrth, narrow in feather and sickles, wliicli should be 
 sliglitly curved. The hen's tail should be short and 
 square, and carried sliglitly above the horizontal line. 
 Breast deep and broad, and almost bare of feathers. 
 Thighs long and powerful, scantily feathered, and set 
 wide apart. Shanl<s long and fine, round in front, and a 
 rich orange yellow in colour. Toes (four) long and 
 straight, the hack toe set on low, and resting firmly on 
 the ground in a direct line with the middle toe. 
 Plumage short, and as hard as possible. 
 
 We now come to the colour of Malay Bantams. 
 
 There are two distinct shades of the red, either or 
 both of which are acknowledged in the standard and in 
 the show pen. The one is much lighter and brighter 
 altogether in top-colour of cooks than the other, and 
 should be as near as possible the colour of the Modern 
 Game Bantam which I have described for pullet breed- 
 ing, and the hens to mate with this should be partridge, 
 and if sound in body colour they should procluce both 
 good cockerels and pullets, for as a rule they breed very 
 
 true to colour. The other shade of red is the dark 
 maroon top-coloured cock. The breast, wing bar, flights, 
 and shoulder points should be a lustrous black, 
 hackle a dark red, wing-ends or secondaries rich bay. 
 The hens to mate with this shade of bird, which, as a 
 rule, are harder and shorter in feather than the bright 
 reds, should be the wheaten or cinnamon of one uniform 
 shade of colour throughout. By mating in this way 
 exhibition specimens of both sizes can be bred from one 
 pen, which is a great advantage to those where space is 
 at a premium. 
 
 AVhites are a very taking variety, their beautiful 
 snow-white plumage and rich orange legs and beaks 
 showing up well together. They are easily bred, pro- 
 viding care is taken not to breed from male birds that 
 are strawy or yellow on top, for using such birds is 
 simply a waste of time, as the produce will invariably 
 turn out fifty per cent, worse, and as such are useless in 
 the show pcD. In mating up your whites, then, let your 
 first object be to select a cock pure white on saddle 
 and back, and one free f roni willow in leg, for this is one 
 of the failings of whites, but with proper selection in 
 mating up the fault can easily be remedied. 
 
 Piles are very few and far between, no doubt owing 
 to the difficulty in obtaining the desired colour in the 
 male birds, hut this can be remedied if my instructions 
 n breeding pile Game Bantams be followed out, viz. : 
 Take a couple of white hens, and mate them to a rich 
 deep-coloured red cock, care being taken that he is a 
 rich dark bay on wing ends, and particularly sound in 
 his black both on breast and wing bar, and by doing so 
 you will be rewarded by a fair percentage of better piles 
 than have hitherto graced the snow pen. 
 
 The following year I would breed brothers and sisters 
 together, and should the percentage of good bii'ds from 
 the first cross be satisfactory, then by jfll means go on 
 again on the same lines, as well as by using the best of 
 the pile cockerels from these, and mating him to his 
 sisters. Never use a pile cock that is weak in his bays as a 
 stock bird, for it is labour in vain, as they are useless either 
 for stock or exhibition purposes ; I would much prefer 
 to use a dark wing-ended bird, even should he be faulty 
 in breast or top, rather than use an otherwise perfect- 
 coloured bird with faulty wing ends. This reminds me of 
 what a noted Bantam breeder and exhibitor said to me the 
 other day, " Proud, you are telling young Bantam fanciers 
 too much " ; but from the numerous encouraging letters I 
 have received from all parts of the country, I am happy 
 to learn that the practical information I have penned, 
 with a view of giving all young fanciers a helping hand, 
 has been so thoroughly appreciated, that no matter 
 whether I am telling too many of the secrets of breed- 
 ing, etc., or not, I shall continue on the lines I have set 
 down, and shall carry out my promise set forth in the 
 opening chapters of this work — viz., that everything that 
 can be of use to the young fancier will be written in 
 language as brief and as simple as possible, that he who 
 runs may read, and may benefit by his reading. It is 
 not that I am telling young fanciers and amateurs too 
 much, but I am telling them, perhaps, something hitherto 
 unknown to them, and which those already in the know 
 would prefer keeping secret. 
 
 If you can give a struggling fancier a little advice by 
 the way or put him on the right road to successful 
 breedmg after his years of toil, I say do so, and I feel 
 confident that he will be heartily thankful for your 
 assistance ; and remember that ' " good advioe costs 
 little, but is worth much." 
 
 While on the pile question, a little incident has just 
 flashed through my mind which occurred some 18 to 20 
 months ago, which will prove what I have said, viz., that 
 good advice, if acted upon, is valuable in the Fancy. 
 
34 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 A friend of mine, whilst acting on ray behalf as 
 reporter of a certain North-country show, purchased a 
 pile Leghorn pullet at a nominal figure, and as he 
 had never had any experience in pUe breeding he 
 asked my advice. After seeing the pullet and ascertain- 
 ing how she was bred, I told him which I thought 
 would be the best way to mate her. He acted upon my 
 advice ; the result was that no less than 75 per cent, of 
 the chicks turned out winners, including Dairy medal 
 and challenge cup winners. 
 
 Did I tell him too much, think you ? I do not think 
 so, but I evidently told him enough, and it pleased me 
 not a little to see him, as the Yankees say, " On the 
 top of the heap," when the cards went up. 
 
 riie advice cost me nothing and I gave it to him at 
 the same price, and I am sure it was gratifying to him 
 to breed so many winners the very first season, and with 
 a variety which he had never kept before. 
 
 Scale op Points. 
 
 Head .. .. .. ,. ,. ,. 15 
 
 Eyes 10 
 
 Shoulders .... . . 1.5 
 
 Legs and feet . . 10 
 
 Shape and reach . . .... 15 
 
 Size ..15 
 
 Shortness of feather 10 
 
 CoDditlon 10 
 
 Vaults to be deducted accordingly. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 INDIAN GAME. 
 
 Amongst the many new additions to the Bantam 
 P'ancy there is no more beautiful or more noble-looking 
 miniature Game fowl than the Indian Game, whicli, if 
 my memory serves me cori'ectly, were introduced to the 
 public about the year 1887. 
 
 Of course, at that time the variety was much la'ger 
 than we are accustomed to see now at the big events; 
 and although during the past four or live years they 
 have made fairly good headway, tliere is yet ampte 
 room for further improvements both in size and type. 
 There is very little doubt that the Indian Game Bantam 
 owes its origin to some extent to the Aseel and Indian 
 (iame cross, and afterwards by inbreeding from the 
 Indian Game late in the season to reduce the size. 
 
 (Jf course, to reduce Indian Game to Bantam size is a 
 considerable undertaking, and means many yeais of 
 labour, on account of the massive build of the Cornish 
 Indian Game. 
 
 jMthough Cornwall has always been considered the 
 stronghold of the larger breed, still, in Indian Game 
 Bantams, they would appear to be entirely out of the 
 running. At most of our large shows classes are pro- 
 vided for them, and which usually fill well ; whilst at 
 the smaller provincial shows it is quite a common occur- 
 I'ence to see an Indian Game Bantam figuring pro- 
 minently in the prize-list in the A.t).V. class. 
 
 Now that the Indian Game Club have recognised 
 their merits by admitting them into their ranks, it is 
 more than likely that their future progress towards 
 perfection will be more rapid. 
 
 The present type of Indian Game Bantam appears to 
 favour th3 Malay more than the Indian Game, being 
 much tor !iigh on leg, and long in back. This is alto- 
 gether wrong, and the sooner that Indian Game 
 Bantam breeders know it, tlie better it will be for their 
 fut ire welfare in the show pen. In every respect the 
 Bantam should be an exact miniature of the Indian 
 (;,inie fowl, and as small as possible consistent with 
 type and build. 
 
 In judging Indian Game Bantams shape should be 
 the first essenMal point, then colour and size ; but how- 
 ever good in the two latter points, if the bird does not 
 possess the necessary shape and build it should not be 
 countenanced in the exhibition pen. 
 
 Therefore let type be your first aim, then colour, 
 whilst the required size can alway.? be obtained by 
 inbreeding. I will now try and describe what I should 
 consider an ideal bird. — Cock. Head: — Rather long 
 and thick, skull broad and inclined to be a 
 little beetle browed. JVect .-—Medium length and 
 slightly arched. 1 cak — Well curved, strong, 
 giving the bird a powerful expression. lace:— 
 lied, fairly smooth and fine in texture, and 
 dotted over -n'lth black feathers, t omfi,-— Peacombed 
 or triple, small and neat, closely s'et on head, and 
 lu'ight red in colour. Eyes: — Full and prominent, pale 
 red preferred, eyebrows slightly arched. Gene alS/mpe: 
 — Thick and compact, back short and flat, b/oad as 
 possible at the shoulders and tapering towards the tail, 
 but not Hat sided. Breast : — Deep and wide but well 
 rounded, and breast bone straight. Wings: — Short, 
 clasping the body closely and firmly, carried well 
 forward high at points, and well tucked in behiLd. 
 Tail : — Medium length, slightly drooping, tail 
 feathers proper, hard and dose fitting, with a 
 few side hangeis or tail coverts narrow and glossy. 
 Thighs : — Much shorter than Malays, stout, and well- 
 rounded. Shanks: — Medium length, strong, and nicely 
 rounded, close fitting scales, and a deep, rich yellow in 
 colour, the richer the better. Feet: — Strong, toes 
 straight, long and well spread, back toe carried well on 
 the ground. Plumage: — Hard and glossy. General 
 Aiipeuiance : — Powerful, sprightly, very vigorous, Void, 
 upright carriage, with the back sloping towards the tail, 
 flesh firm and hard in handling. 
 
 Colour : -Head, neck, breast, and thighs black, wiili a 
 lustrous gi een sheen ; the lower part of the neck 1 aekle 
 a littl0 mixed wilh bay or chestnut, which, however, 
 shpuld be almost entirely covered by tlie body feathers ; 
 «lioulders and wing bows a rich glossy green black, tlio 
 shaft of the feather to show chestnut ; tail coverts, rich 
 beetle-green ; lack, green glossy-black broken villi 
 rich bay ; wing bar, glossy black ; wing end, bay or 
 chestnut. Dejects : Twisted claws, flat shins, crooked 
 breastbone, rusty hackles, white in hackle, twisted 
 hackle, high on leg, heavy in feather. 
 
 The hen should correspond with the cock in shape and 
 build, also head points, neck, and legs. Colour : The 
 ground colour should be a rich mahogany brown or 
 chestnut brown, the lacing to be double on each feather 
 if possible, viz., an outer edge of green glossy black, and 
 an inner one enclosing shaft of feather of green glossy 
 black, the chestnut ground colour between the lacings 
 being perfectly clear and free from black or smut. 
 Defects : Same as above. 
 
 In breeding Indian Game Bantams it is advisable to 
 mate up two pens, one for cockerel and the other for 
 pullet breeding, as it is next to impossible to produce 
 exhibition specimens of both sexes from one pen. 
 
 To breed the best cockerels I should require a typical 
 shaped bird, low in leg, with plenty of substance of 
 thigh, and broad in chest. Let his shoulders be as 
 prominent as possible, and see that he is free from rust 
 in neck hackle and a sound bay on his wing ends. Never 
 breed from a narrow, flat-sided cock, or 100 per cent, of 
 your chicks will be worthless. The hens or pullets to 
 match the cook (hens for preference) should be a sound, 
 rich dark in ground colour, short and dark in hackle, 
 and the more typical in shape the better, and select 
 those short in back and prominent in shouldei-s ; by 
 doingso you may expect the cockerels from this pen to le 
 
[Supplement to UbC ifcatbcre& Morl&, Jur.v .^rd, 1896 
 
 ■/3vsf.- ■■A-. ■ -^fi' Mj-.tiiflfr -if"^- ■'"-»-'" ■"'«fv;»j"7" 
 
 -d>^y^^^7 /^ 
 
 BLACK ROSECOMB. 
 
 JAPANESE. 
 
 SILVER AND GOLDEN SEBRIGHTS. 
 
 BANTAMS. 
 
 BRAHMAS. 
 
 WHITE ROSECOMB. 
 
 BOOTED. 
 
BOOTED. 
 
 all that you could ilusire in colour and shape. The 
 pullets fi'oui this pen I would reoommend being put back 
 tlie next season to the sire and the best shaped cockerel 
 to the hens ; by doing' this you are keeping down the 
 size and retaining the proper type and colour as well as 
 breeding up a strain of your own. 
 
 In tlie pullet pen colour and lacin"; are both requisite 
 and necessary, therefore select a cock that shows a fair 
 amount of lacing ; if he is a bit red in hackle so much 
 the better, but be careful at the same time that you do 
 not overlook the shape and type which is absolutely 
 necessary. In other wonls, you want a good-sha])e(i, 
 low-li'f^ged cock that is faulty in colour, i.e., reil in 
 hackle and showing lacing, both serious faults in an ex- 
 hibition cock. With this cock, put about four hens or 
 ]iiiUets ; it does not matter which in pullet breeding. 
 Select those possessing a rich chestnut ground colour, 
 discarding those pale or washed out in colour; see that 
 the lacing is both double and distinct. Indistinct 
 laced ones are useless as pullet breeder^. The lacing 
 nmst be a sound rich green glossy black, hackle must 
 also be sound and free from rust or red. Preference 
 should be given to those low on leg and short in back, 
 and the broader in chest the better. 
 
 It would be advisable to keep a couple of the best 
 shiped cockerels from this pen which show the most 
 lacing throusrhout for future pullet breeding, It is much 
 better to build of a strain of j'our own that can be relied 
 upon, for you can rest assured that if the pullets from this 
 pen are satisfactory as exhibition spechnens, espeiially 
 from a colour point of view, you can de|)end upon the 
 cockerels being all that you would lecjuire as 
 pullet . breedei's, although they are of no use 
 as exhibition birds. Further, it is not wise to introduce 
 a fresh strain, for this would have a tendency to in- 
 crease the size, and in all probability spoil the colour 
 and type you had already built up. Never use Uat- 
 shinnetl birds. My advice is, build up a strain of your 
 own, and retain three or four of the very best each year 
 for future stock, and if you do so and peg away per- 
 severingly you are bound to come out at the top of the 
 eeap in the long run, although you cannot reasonably 
 hxpect to do so the first season. 
 
 Sliape 
 
 Size . . 
 
 Colour 
 
 Hardness (if feather 
 
 Legs and feet 
 
 Eyes . . 
 
 Head 
 
 Tail . . 
 
 Condition .. 
 
 Scale ot Poims. 
 
 20 
 16 
 10 
 15 
 10 
 
 5 
 10 
 
 6 
 10 
 
 Faults to be deilucted accordingly. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 BOOTED. 
 
 .Although not yet a very popular variety. Booted Ban- 
 tams are slowly but surely coming to the front, thanks 
 to the Variety Bantam Club and a few enthusiastic 
 lovers of the breed, who have endeavoured to obtain 
 classes for them at our principal Bantam shows, and 
 where classes have been provided they have invariablv 
 filled well. 
 
 There are several varieties of booted, but the two 
 most popular are the blacks and whites, and for pre- 
 ference we should prefer the former, owing to the diffi- 
 culty in keeping whites pure in colour, especially the 
 foot-feather, which, if not kept under very favourable 
 
 circumstances, is apt to become stained, whereas in the 
 blacks it does not show ; and, again, the whites sufter 
 also from exposure to the sun and weather. 
 
 Booted Bantams are a very taking variety, and 
 greatly resemble the Pekin. They are fairly hardy and 
 not dillicult to rear, the only trouble being to keep 
 down the size. Although of late years this has to .some 
 extent been done, still, upon the whole, there is room 
 for fuither improvcirient in this respect, as we find them 
 too big and leggy as a rule, especially so the blacks. By 
 inbreeding and hatching late in the season this fault 
 could be easily remedied, and, at the same time, the 
 length of foot and hock feather could still be retained, 
 a point which is the most important feature of Booted 
 Bantams. 
 
 Another iinproNenienL in Booted which I should like 
 to see is the "carriage,'' which is becoming far too near 
 that of the I'ekin. We do not want Booted to re- 
 seuible the I'ekin at all ; in,stead of the short, close- 
 Htting wings of the Pekin we want to see the long 
 droo|)ing wings carried low, tail elevated, though not too 
 near the head, long, with good length of sickles and side 
 hangers. 
 
 Booted are single combed, ear lobes free from white, 
 although white will often be found, but it is a defect and 
 should be guarded against, wattles red, not too large, 
 neck short ami curved, back short, wings low and droop- 
 ing, tail long and carried high, with plenty of side 
 hangers, legs not too long, abundantly feathered, the 
 feathers being much stift'er than those of the Pekin hock 
 feathers, as well as footings to be as long as possible, 
 and carried out to end of midtlle toe. Carriage more 
 erect than the Pekin. The leg colour of blacks should 
 be black, and white in whites. 
 
 The mating of Booted Bantams presents no difficulty 
 whatever, and exhibition cockerels and pullets can be 
 bred from the same pen ; still in mating up always give 
 preference to birds short in back and leg, and well 
 furnished both in foot feather and hocks — the more 
 feather the better; see that ear lobes are free from 
 white, and comb evenly serrated. 
 
 Keep the blacks pure and give preference to those 
 having some black under-colour down to skin, as it is 
 a great mistake in breeding from blacks which are white 
 in fluft'or under-colour. On the other hand, should your 
 whites show a tendency to come yellow or creamy in 
 colour, this can be remedied by introducing the black 
 for a single season, and although it may produce a bluish 
 tinge in the leg colour, the body colour will be found to 
 be greatly improved ; and the following season, if bred 
 back to whites, the leg colour will again be secured. 
 The blacks from a cross of blacks and whites should 
 never be kept as stock birds, but should be care- 
 fullj' marked when young to prevent mistakes. 
 By breeding from these blacks you would find the 
 majority of the chicks another season would be grey in 
 Huff and throwing white in foot feather and taO, afl of 
 which are defects which would count heavily against the 
 bird in the show pen. 
 
 In addition to the blacks and whites we have the white 
 Whiskered or Muft'ed, which are identically the same as 
 the white aforesaid, with the exception that they are 
 furnished with feathers round the cheeks and under 
 the throat like whiskers ; hence the name Whiskered 
 Booted. 
 
 There are also a few splashed or spangled, but they 
 are few and far between, and do not appear to become 
 favourites, as they are seldom met in the show pen. 
 
 In breeding Booted I should prefer to hatch the 
 chickens from" the end of April until the middle of June, 
 and should inbreed as long as the foot feather and health 
 of the produce were maintained. 
 
 C 2 
 
36 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 One great drawback the yDung fancier who takes up 
 Booted will experience is the nnnibar of unfertile eggs 
 each season, owing to the length of foot feather of the 
 male bird preventing him from treading properly. This 
 difficulty is experienced by all heavily -feathered birds, 
 both in the poultry world as well as pigeons. 
 
 The only remedy is to keep birds used for stock pur- 
 poses apart from the exhibition birds, and before putting 
 the cock with the hens in the breeding pen to cut off the 
 cock's foot-feathers short. This will be found to 
 remedy the faihire. There is no necessity to interfere 
 with the foot-feather of the hens. Three hens with the 
 male bird will be found quite sufficient. 
 
 In keeping Booted let me impress upon my readers 
 the advisabi iby of having proper houses and runs, for 
 without these success cannot be obtained. In the first 
 place, the runs must be covered at the top, side, and 
 ends, leaving only the front open, and this must be 
 board d about 2 ft. from the ground. At the bottom of 
 the run I should prefer to have a thick layer of tine sea- 
 sand, from four to six inches deep. Failing this, get a 
 few sacks of oat husks, or what is known by the name 
 of "seeds," from your miller; these can generally be 
 obtained from 3d. to 4d. pet sack at the most. Cover 
 the floor of the run and inside the poultry house with 
 these to a good depth, not less than three or four inches. 
 Remove the droppings two or three times a week, and 
 turn the seeds or sand with a rake at the same time. 
 By carrying out these instructions and keeping the floor 
 of the run thoroughly dry you will be repaid by always 
 having the foot feather of your birds in perfect condition 
 and your birds clean, which is half the battle in the 
 exhibition pen. 
 
 If your birds are put into a damp earthen run, or an 
 unevenly boarded run, you can only expect broken foot 
 feather, and broken foot feather spells failure in the 
 show-pen. Booted do not require perches ; they are all 
 the better for roosting on the ground. 
 
 Scale op Points. 
 
 Length of feather 20 
 
 Colour 20 
 
 Shape and carriage 15 
 
 Size.. 15 
 
 Uead and comb 10 
 
 Leg colour 10 
 
 Condition 10 
 
 100 
 
 Faults to be deducted accordingly. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SEBRIGHTS. 
 
 This variety is one of the oldest and prettiest members 
 of all the Bantam tribe, and has been before the Fancy 
 for a great number of years, having been brought out 
 and pei-fected by the late Sir Johi isebright. There are 
 two colours, golds and silvers ; the latter are by far the 
 most popular, being easier to breed true to colour. The 
 greatest difficulty in breeding golds is to obtain the rich 
 bay or golden bay in the ground colour, together with a 
 fine, even, lustrous green-black edging to each feather, at 
 the same time keeping the centre of each feather per- 
 fectly clear. 
 
 Tlie failing in golds is to run pale in grotmd colour and 
 coarse in lacing," whilst the latter is very often found to 
 be a dull brownish black instead of a rich green shade of 
 black. , . , 
 
 Sebrights are capital layers.but the chickens during the 
 first few weeks are somevvhatdifficultto rear,exceptto the 
 professional breeder. Damp and cold are the worst 
 enemies of the Sebright breeder, the chickens requu-ing 
 
 a dry shaded run, free from damp, and well protected 
 from the east winds. 
 
 I have known some Sebright breeders experience 
 great difficulty in rearing many chicks and having a 
 large percentage of clear eggs, although at the same 
 time I have known others to be just as successful in the 
 same district. What was the reason ? Why, the first- 
 named had been doing the round of shows with his 
 stock birds, whilst the latter had seldom or never ex- 
 hibited the birds he intended to breed from. How often 
 this is the case, and if the young fancier would only 
 bear this in mind, it would save him endless trouble and 
 annoyance during the breeding season. 
 
 You cannot burn the candie at both ends. If you 
 want to have a successful breeding season and healthy, 
 vigorous chicks, the less you exhibit your stock birds 
 the greater will be your success in breeding, not only in 
 Sebright Bantams, but in every variety of poultry. I 
 will now try and describe what I consider should con- 
 stitute an ideal Sebright, and will take the silvers first. 
 
 In cocks, I like to see the short square back, per- 
 fectly fiat, breast full and prominent, wings carried 
 low, liead small, comb rose shape, fairly broad in front, 
 and tapering off with long fine leader, the latter not to 
 be carried upwards but should follow the b'fend of the 
 neck, or helmet shape, as is found in Wyandottes ; 
 face in cocks should be inclined to mulberry. 
 Although it is impossible to get the deep mulberry 
 or daric purple in the face of the cocks ,the same 
 as in pullets, especially the first year, still they should 
 have a certain amount of damson eye-cere, the darker 
 the better. Ear-lobes free from white, but a little blue 
 or purple is an advantage rather than an -objection. 
 Eyes dark as possible; beak horn colour, short and 
 stout ; wattles fair size and nicely rounded, not folded 
 or creased ; legs and feet free from feathers, slaty blue 
 in colour ; tail fairly large and well spread, afld, unlike 
 the other breeds of rosecombs, must have no sickles, 
 although it will sometimes be found that some are pro- 
 duced with sickles, and these are invariably the best 
 breeders, and especially useful as pullet breeders, but it 
 is not advisable to use them in the cockerel pen. The tail 
 should be carried high and the head well thrown 
 back ; plumage, pure silvery white ground colour, 
 each feather finely and distinctly laced with rich green 
 black. When I say distinctly laced I mean that the 
 lacing should be even and distinct all round the feather 
 — not narrow round the sides and broad at the bottom, but 
 one uniform width of lacing right round the feather. 
 The tail feathers should be clear silvery white centre, 
 laced as above, but the ground colour of each feather 
 should be clear — i.e., free from black, or what is termed 
 "peppery," and this fault will be found in quite fifty per 
 cent, of silvers. Still, with care and perseverance this 
 can be bred out completely ; only it requu'es a little 
 time and patience. When mating up your breeding 
 pens clear-tailed birds should always bo preferred to 
 those which are " peppered " or "splashed " in tail. 
 The silver hen is identically the same in colour 
 and shape, the only difference being the face 
 and comb of the hen should be a very dark 
 mulberry, much darker than the cock ; like the cock, 
 she should be short in back, small and compact— the 
 prevalent fault in hens is " long backed," which is a very 
 serious defect, and should be guarded against in the 
 show pen. 
 
 The only difference between golds and silvers is the 
 ground colour, which should be a rich deep golden bay or 
 chestnut, not the pale golden we very otten find in the 
 present-day exhibits, which are getting much too pale in 
 colour, whilst the lacing, which should be a sound deep 
 
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38 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 greenish black, is more of a brown than a black, ami 
 such birds we generally find devoid of lacing on the 
 flight feathers, whicli failure should count heavily 
 against the bird in the show pen. 
 
 In breeding Sebrights it is much the best to use two 
 pens, one for cockerel breeding and the other for pullets. 
 In the cockerel pen select a sound laced cock, inclineil 
 to the heavy lacing rather than fine. He must be particu- 
 larly good and distinct in breast lacing an.l tail. This is 
 highly important. The flights or wing ends of the cock 
 should be well laced, ground colour of tail clear, ami 
 take care that lie shows the desired damson colour rouml 
 the eyes, the more the better. The hens to match him 
 should be lightly or finely laced, but the lacing shoubi 
 be a sound black, not edged with brown. Each fliglil 
 feather of the wing should be ilistinctly laced right \i> 
 the end, tail perfectly clear in the centre, but every 
 feather laced, face dark mulbeiry. 
 
 In breeding for pullets I should prefer the cockerel to 
 be very fine in lacing, but would at the same time 
 require the pullets to be rather heavily laced, as dense ;i 
 black as is possible to get, and at the same time the 
 lacing must be distinct and even. The cock for pullet 
 breeding should also have a fairly good breast, a good 
 comb essential, clear in centre of tail feathers, eacli 
 
 An American Japanese Cock. 
 
 American Poland and Silvek Sebright Bantam.^. 
 
 feather laced, and well-laced wing ends. As I said 
 before, a cockerel with a tendency to have sickles is 
 very useful as a pullet breeder, and the eggs by a, 
 " si'ckled " cock have been found much more fertile than 
 by others. On the other hand, cocks possessing short 
 tails have invariably been found to be poor breeders. 
 
 The hens in the pullet pen, in addition to being rather 
 heavily laced, should possess a good amount of lacing 
 down the thigh", tail coverts, and tail . this is very 
 important in pullet breeding. 
 
 In breeding Sebrights always select a small cock in 
 preference to small hens, as larger hens are always the 
 most productive and the chickens easier to rear than 
 those hatched from eggs from small hens, and on account 
 of the delicate nature of the Sebright chicks it is at all 
 times best to use hens in preference to pullets in the 
 breeding pen, alohough if the pullets are a good size and 
 early hatched I see no reason why they should not prove 
 equally as good. 
 
 In conclusion, let me remind my readers of the great 
 value of inbreeding in Sebrights, a breed in which 
 colour and markings play such an important part, 
 and which are almost impossible to obtain 
 without inbreeding. If you think by purchasmg 
 half a dozen of the very best exhibition specimens 
 from Tom, Dick, and Harrv, that you are bound to 
 breed the same the following season, you will 
 quickly find out your mistake, for it is very probable 
 that the majority of the produce would be little better 
 than wasters, whereas had you purchased only a couple 
 of good breeding birds both of the same strain I have no 
 hesitation in saying that the produce of these two birds 
 would be of more value than all those bred from the half 
 dozen exhibition birds, which would no doubt have cost 
 you four times as much. Therefore start with some reliable 
 strain and keep it pure. As long as your chickens are 
 healthy you can go on with the same strain ; always 
 breed from healthy stock birds only, and when your 
 chickens come weakly and are difficult to rear you will 
 know that you have reached the limit of inbreeding 
 beyond which you should never try to go, but introduce 
 another male bird ^vith a certain amount of your own 
 
SFLKIliS AND NANKINS. 
 
 39 
 
 strain in him, when you wil 
 successfully as hefore. 
 
 be able to go on again as 
 
 Culour and lacing 
 Sound tail ,. 
 Hiiipe and oarriagj 
 
 Size 
 
 Comb and face 
 
 Lube* 
 
 Condition 
 
 Scale oi' Points. 
 
 25 
 !.'•> 
 2U 
 
 15 
 10 
 
 c 
 
 10 
 
 Faults to be deducted accordingly. 
 Dl5(JDALiFic.\TiONS.— Single comb, wry tail, feathered legs. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 SILKIES, NANKINS, JAPANESK, AND POLANDS. 
 (Silkies. 
 
 Although not yet a popular variety in the show pen 
 tliey tre steadily making headway m the Fancy. At 
 the Tiinhridge "\Vells Sliow of July 20th, 1899, a class 
 for Silkies was provided and was accoriled a bumpinfj; 
 entry ; also at the Dairy Sliow of 1900 we find forty 
 entries in the two classes, and the tjuality throughout a 
 very marked improvement. 
 
 Apart from its useful qualities as a sitter and mother 
 when crossed with the buff I'ekin, the .-ilkie hen is 
 a decidedly pretty variety, witli its siUen plumage more 
 resembling hair or down than feather, pure white in 
 colour, although its skin, face and le^s are black or mul- 
 berry ; still there are the red-faced variety as well, but for 
 my own part I prefer the mulberry faced breed as the con- 
 trast is so marked. The Silkie hen is also an excellent 
 winter layer of tinted eggs, very docile, and one of the 
 hardiest and easie t of all the Bantam tribe to rear. 
 If you want a variety where accommodation in your 
 backyard is at> a premium, and one that will p ovide 
 your children with a nice cream-coloured egg when 
 t he snow is on the ground, tliere is no other variety 
 o? Bantam that will ans^\er your purpose so well. 
 Tlie ordy drawback is her love to becnme 1 roody. 
 
 On tlie other hand, if you desire to breed the very 
 liest of sitters and mothers to rear your Bantams, by 
 crossing with the Pekin you will have the best natural 
 incniiator and rearer, one tliat can be relied upon at 
 all times, They never rnn from their nest, but will sit till 
 further orders, and very seldom do tliey ci'usli a chick. 
 
 Silkies are a])t to become scaly-legged, but in 
 the majority of cases it is the result of uncleanliness, 
 and it is the same in nearly all the feathered-legged 
 \arieties. 
 
 The Silkie .should be pure white in colour, mulberry 
 face, small crest, walnut-shai)ed comb, black skin arid 
 legs, with feathers down the shanks, but not nearly so 
 heavily feathered as the Pekin or booted, more resembling 
 the Langshan fowl ; toes five. In breeding only one pen 
 is required, as the Silkie breeds very true to both type 
 and colour, and eggs as a rule are remarkably fertile. 
 From a pen of three hens and a cock fifty to sixty 
 chicles could easily lie reared in a .single seasoii. 
 
 Scale of Points. 
 
 Head and crest 
 
 Colour 
 
 Texture of feather 
 
 Size .. 
 
 Eir lobes . . 
 
 Foot feather 
 
 Cjlour of skin 
 
 Condition .. 
 
 If, 
 15 
 15 
 15 
 5 
 10 
 15 
 10 
 
 Nankin.s 
 are a variety that appear to be have almost dwindled 
 out of existence. I remember having some about twenty 
 years ago, and if I liad them now I should be able to 
 palm them off in the show ])en as butt' Orpingtons. I 
 remember at Carlisle Show of November 29, 1899, a class 
 was provided for buff Orpingtons. I shall never forget 
 the specimens I saw. The only buff pai't about them was 
 their name ; an ordinary Nankin would have been streets 
 ahead of them from a colour point of view. 
 
 It is very seldom now that we find a Nankin exhibited. 
 I have visited upwards of sixty shows during the past 
 
 Whitk Polish Bantams, belonoino to H.R.H. the Princess of Wales (photograph from life). 
 
40 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 season, and I don't remember seeing more than a couple 
 of Nankins altogetiier. 
 
 Even at tlie Palace Show classes are not provided. 
 From this it would seem that the day of the Nankin has 
 gone, never to return. 
 
 The Nankin cock is a very deep cinnamon or reddish 
 buff all over, except tail, which shows more or fess black, 
 the less the better of course ; legs and feet blue, comb, 
 face and lobes red, comb single, eyes red. The hen is 
 similar to the cock in all points except body colour, 
 which instead of being cinnamon should be a rich buff. 
 
 In breeding Nankins care should be used in selecting 
 only those birds which are the soundest colour through- 
 out, especially in flights and tail ; any showing white 
 should be rejected from the breeding pen. 
 
 Scale of Points. 
 
 Colour .. ..25 
 
 Leg colour 15 
 
 shape 15 
 
 Size 16 
 
 Head 10 
 
 Style and carriage 10 
 
 Condition 10 
 
 Japanese 
 
 are fairly popular, thanks to the late Mrs. Ricketts, of 
 Knighton Vicarage, who ahvays patronised liberally 
 sliows where classes have been provided for this charming 
 variety. They are amongst thii oldest varieties of 
 Bantams, and although perhaps not so hardy or so easy 
 to rear as some of the other breeds they have steadily 
 held their ground. 
 
 In shape they differ from all the other varieties, being 
 very short in tliigh and leg, so that their bodies are iust 
 clear of the ground ; the lower they are the better. Their 
 wings are long and carried below the line of the body so 
 that they touch the ground, whilst the tail is carried per- 
 fectly erect, almost touching the head. There are several 
 colours, whites, blacks, greys and buffs, the first named 
 being the most popular. 
 
 The body is white and the tail black; the sickles of the 
 cock, also side hangers, should be edged with white ; 
 face, comb single, and lobes red ; legs and beak yellow, 
 four toes, the wing primaries and secondaries black in 
 inner web. Blacks are a sound black throughout and 
 in all other respects are the same as the whites. The 
 grey cock should be silvery white on back, wing bow, and 
 liackles on a black ground ; the hen finely laced with 
 silver, the lacing to be clear and distinct ; comb, face, 
 lobes and wattle.^ same as above ; eyes red, legs and beak 
 yellow. Buffs should be what their name implies, a 
 sound buff throughout, including tail and flights. 
 Japanese as a rule are not at all difficult to breed and 
 rear providing the ground is dry, and they breed true to 
 colour and type. 
 
 Scale of Points. 
 
 S ape and carriage 20 
 
 Colour 20 
 
 Carriage ol tail 16 
 
 Sizi .r 1" 
 
 Shortness ot le:; 15 
 
 Head and comb IC 
 
 Condition 1" 
 
 silver ; whereas in the large breed of Polands the favour- 
 ite colours are the silvers and golds. Polands are doubt- 
 less a cross between the large Poland and the several 
 breeds of variety Bantams such as the Sebright and the 
 roseeombboth blacks and white?. 
 
 If I Were going in for breeding Polish I should use a 
 big crested Poland cock of the large variety, the larger 
 the crest the better. 
 
 To produce silvers I should of course use a silver 
 Poland cock and silver Sebright hens. The following 
 season I should pick out the best pullets from this 
 produce and mate them back to the sire, choosing the 
 pullets that were the best in crest formation. The follow- 
 ing, season 1 should be able to reduce the size consider- 
 ably by breeding from brothers and sisters ; selecting 
 those which excelled in crest, I should then expect a 
 reasonable percentage of Polish Bantams the following 
 season, and would continue to iubreed again for another 
 year or two until perfected. Golds could be produced 
 likewise by using a gold Poland cock and gold Sebright 
 hens, and blacks from a white crested black Poland cock 
 and black rosecomb hens. For producing buffs I 
 should use a gold Poland cock and Nankin hens. 
 
 Of course, the first season you would have quite a 
 number of unfertile eggs, especially so at th3 beginning 
 of the season. This could to a certain extent be reme- 
 died by using the smallest male bird you could find, but 
 possessing the needful large crest, which is. absolutely 
 necessary. Having done this, you must not expect.; 
 to be all lavender, but with perseverance and a reason- 
 able amount of patience your labours will ultimately be 
 crowned with success. 
 
 Scale op Points. 
 
 Colour . . . . r 25 
 
 Size and shape o£ crest 25 
 
 Muffing .. .' 10 
 
 Climb .. .. ' ..10 
 
 Shape and carriage . . 10 
 
 Size 15 
 
 Condition . . . . , . , . 5 
 
 100 
 
 100 
 
 Polands 
 
 are a variety that do not make many friends as yet. 
 Why this is so I am at a loss to tell, unless it is the diffi- 
 culty of breeding^ them true. They are a very pretty and 
 taking variety. Unlike the larger breed of Polands the 
 most "popular colours are the whites and the white- 
 crested blacks, with here £^nd there a butt' or a gold and 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 CUCKOOS OR SCOTCH GREYS, AND BARRED 
 
 ROCK BANTAMS. 
 
 Cuckoos. 
 
 The Cuckoos, or Scotch Greys as they are called across 
 the Border, are one of the most interesting of all varie- 
 ties of Bantams. They are also entitled to rank among 
 the oldest of the fixed breeds. It is nearly forty years 
 ago since they were first brought prominently bef ■ ire the 
 public by Dr. Boulton, of Beverley, who, with his famous 
 Field Spaniels and Bantams, was much interested in 
 colour-breeding, and published a pamphlet on the sub- 
 ject. Although he undoubtedly originated the variety 
 in England, there seems every reason to think that 
 similar birds had been produced in Scotland some years 
 before that, and were known, as they are to-day, as 
 Scotch Greys. The late Mr. Henry Beldon was very 
 successful in variety classes with a pair of Dr. Boulton's 
 birds, and also, it is asserted, with Scotch bred ones. 
 The Cuckoo hen is an excellent layer, and they are very 
 hardy and easy to manage. I have often wondered how 
 it is they have not become more popular. Reproducing, as 
 they do, fairly well to type, it requires no great experi- 
 ence to keep a bird up to average form. 
 
 If, however, the amateur wishes to try conclusions at 
 
 ' the Palace or Birmingham with the few enthusiastic 
 
 veterans, such as Dr. Richmond, of Paisley, and Mr. 
 
 F, E. SQhofleld, of Morpeth, who annually fight their 
 
?,AURED KOCK BANTAMS. 
 
 41 
 
 battles there, he must be prepared to devote much 
 thought and attention to them. One sees frequently a 
 bird at the shows hit off by the reporters in a single 
 sentence with a certain fault or other. In spite of all 
 precautions, white feathers will come in wings ; white 
 tips to otherwise perfect feathers, and the most promising 
 cockerels have a provoking way, when leist expccitod, 
 and at the last stage, of developing white or black sickles 
 or brown saddles. 
 
 It is a rare thing to see a cock's tail remain perfectly 
 sound for the second year when one does stick to him 
 for the breeding pen. Opinions differ greatly as to the 
 exact shade of ground colour. Many of the Scotch 
 birds I have met in ray travels are too dark and in- 
 distinct in barring ; on the other hand, many of the 
 English birds are quite the reverse, being too light and 
 washed out. 
 
 What I like to see is a clear steel grey ground colour, 
 with close narrow distinct black barring. The greatest 
 fault I have found with many birds successfully 
 exhibited is that the barring is only black in the centre 
 and not right across the feather. It is, in short, a modi- 
 fication of "mooning" rather than barring, and though 
 the general effect to the eye produced by such a bird 
 standing in the pen is much the same, when carefully 
 examined in the hands it will be found to be absolutely 
 wrong in principle. 
 
 The legs should be very fine in bone, quite free from 
 feathers, and as white as possible. Spotted legs I don't 
 greatly object to, but yellow or dark I cannot tolerate. 
 The one great failing in Cuckoos is to keep the deaf 
 ears red. Nature seems to object to it and continually 
 endeavours to reassert herself. Truth to tell, when I 
 look around at the different shows, I cannot help think- 
 ing she succeeds fairly well in some strains. My advice 
 to remedy this grave defect, pay more attention to ears. 
 It is interesting to note in passing that almost every 
 black pullet produced from Cuckoos — and black pullets 
 are produced in nearly every brood of good-coloured 
 chicks — show white in deaf ears. You will invariably 
 find that where you have one or two black chicks in a 
 brood, the remainder will be good-coloured ones, whilst 
 if there are no blacks it is very probable the majority of 
 the brood will be washed out in colour. So do not be 
 disappointed when black chicks put in appearance pro- 
 viding they are not more numerous than the barred 
 ones. 
 
 By far the worst faults of the Cuckoo Bantam of the 
 present day are that they are yet too large and coarse 
 in bone and lack the style and carriage we should like 
 to see. In the endeavour to get them improved, we see 
 birds exhibited decidedly Gamey, short and narrow in 
 feather, and too long in leg. On the other hand we see 
 birds much too long and narrow in back, and, worse 
 still, with squirrel tails. The Cuckoo should be a short 
 bird, broad across the back, full feathered, with the 
 chest well expanded, the same as the black rosecomb, 
 the head erect, and flowing tail well thrown back. 
 
 In mating up your breeding pens of Cuckoos it is 
 scarcely necessary to use two pens, as it has been found 
 by our best breeders that the best cockerels are bred 
 from the same birds as the best pullets of the same 
 year. 
 
 The one thing needful in mating is never to fix a fault. 
 Never, under any consideration, use stock birds that 
 are white in ears or feathers tipped with white. If your 
 birds show a tendency to light ears, do your best to 
 stamp out this grave fault by using a male bird that is 
 absolutely sound in his ears, and which has been bred 
 from sound eared birds ; and the following season use 
 
 only the best of his produce, mating the sound pullets 
 back to the sire ; by doing this you will be remedjring 
 the defect, and buildinj^' up yohr strain. Use those birds 
 wliose barring goes right across the feather (not jnst 
 tipped), and as fine in barring as possible, and have the 
 ground colour a sound pteel grey, and the flights and 
 tail as free from white as possible you will not then get far 
 wrong. Keep to one slrain, and especially one which 
 you know to be reliable, for in breeding for colour, as 
 in Cuckoos, it is absolutely necessary to do so. 
 
 Keep a strict account of the pedigree of your stock, 
 so that you can see at a glance how each bird is bred, 
 and thereby recall to your mind's eye the chief 
 characteristics of the bird, and whether such and such 
 a fault is inherited or a mere accident, and mate him or 
 lier accordingly. There are plenty of thoroughly re- 
 liable stock birds which are not fit to grace a show pen 
 through having some glaring fault, but which are 
 invaluable as breeders to those who are fully acquainted 
 with their pedigree and how produced ; yet to anyone 
 else these same birds would be useless, simply because 
 they would not know how to mate them to remedy their 
 existing faults. There Ls one thing about Cuckoos I feel 
 certain of, and that is, upon no consideration in the effort 
 to improve them should crossed blood' be introduced. 
 There isno breed which could possibly be used which would 
 not damage them. On the other hand, as I have said in 
 a previous chapter, they have been used freely in the 
 production of new breeds of Vaiiety Bantams, Strive 
 to improve them by inbreeding ; fix for your standard the 
 shape of the rosecomb or Sebright, endeavour to keep 
 them small and low on the leg, the leg to be as white as 
 possible, carriage sprightly and erect, and steer clear of 
 white in wing, tips of feathers, and tail. In point of 
 colour, aim for the medium shade with a clear stee^ 
 ground colour and rich, glossy black barring, then we 
 judges will be able to place them in that honourable 
 position in the prize list which they, as one of the most 
 handsome of all Variety Bantams, deserve to hold. 
 SCALE OF Points to be Deducted. 
 
 Bad head and comb .. JO 
 
 WTiite ill ear lobes ■ • • • J" 
 
 White, blaolc, or browu feathers in wings and tail . lo 
 
 Bad colour and barring 25 
 
 Bad feet and legs .. •• ■■ • • ,? 
 Bad shape and carriage . . . ■ "in 
 
 Incorrect size and weight . . ^^ 
 
 Want of condition . . . . ^" 
 
 100 
 
 Baered Rook Bantams. 
 
 Although seldom found in the show pen as yet, I do 
 not think there is another variety of Bantam that offers a 
 better opening for a beginner than barred Rock Bantams, 
 and once they are firmly established they will un- 
 doubtedly find many friends, the same ^ as the large 
 breed of barred Bocks, which to-day takes the lead in the 
 soft-feathered varieties. It is only during the past two 
 or three vears that the barred Rock Bantam has been 
 introduced to the Fancy. The best of those which have 
 come under my notice have been exhibited by Mr. 
 Johnson, and for a new venture they were decidedly 
 good, although not so clear in ground colour and 
 markings as we should have liked to to have seen 
 them, although the size and shape left nothing to be 
 desired. There is no doubt whatever that by the in- 
 troduction of clearly marked Scotch Greys the colour 
 of the barred Rock Bantam could be greatly improved, 
 using those that are clear from dark spots on the legs, 
 which we invariably find in Scotch Greys. 
 
 Now I will proceed to give my idea of how to com- 
 
42 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 mence to breed barred Rock Bantams from breeds other 
 tnan Rooks. 
 
 Having obtained a couple of distinctly barred Scotch 
 Greys, of the lighter shade, and which at the present 
 time do not find favour with Scotch breeders, conse- 
 quently would be cheaper and easier to obtain, and 
 at the same time more suitable for the purpose— I 
 should look round to find a cock the same colour, but 
 with ye'.low legs, this being absolutely necessary, as the 
 hens I am about to breed from are white legged. 
 
 To meet these requirements I can find nothing better 
 than the Cuckoo Pekin, which possesses the requisite 
 barring and also yellow legs. Years ago it was quite 
 possible to pick up yellow-legged Scotch Greys, but 
 these being an eyesore to Scotch breeders were alwajs 
 killed off when very young, consequently the yellow 
 leg was entirely stamped out. I fancy I hear some 
 of my readers remark, " Yes, but the Cuckoo 
 Pekin has feathered legs." Quite so ; and to renieily 
 this grave defect as far as possible under the circum- 
 stances, I should try and get a Cuckoo Pekin as scantily 
 feathered on leg as possible, at the same time I should 
 require the leg-colour to be a good rich yellow. 
 
 In making new breeds we cannot have everything cut 
 and dried ready to our hand, but must use those which 
 come nearest to our views of what is required. Natu- 
 rally, the first season we should expect a fairly good 
 percentage of feathered-legged ones, still not so heavily 
 feathered as the sire, and in all probability there would 
 be several perfectly free from feather on shanks, and 
 these I should certainly retain as breeders for the 
 following season. I should select the best cockerel, 
 richest in leg colour, and mate him back to the Scotch 
 Grey hens, and if I could also mate up a small pen of, 
 say, a cockerel and two pullets out of the firsl season's 
 result, all the better, especially so if they were abso- 
 lutely smooth in leg ; but still I should not object to a 
 few feathers on leg if the markings and type were there. 
 You could then dispose of your Cuckoo Pekin, as you 
 would have no farther use for him. Having established 
 the yellow leg, I should then proceed to improve the 
 ground colour and markings. With this object in view 
 I should select a cockerel free from brassiness on his back, 
 and one as free from white in tail as I could And. The 
 clearer you have him in top colour the better he 
 will be, either as a cockerel or pullet breeder. These 
 two faults are very important ones when mating up 
 your pens, and should always be borne in mind. By 
 using this precaution you would save a lot of time and 
 trouble, as it is an utter impossibility to breed clear 
 marked birds from a bronzy -backed male bird. 
 
 Thejhens to match the cock for pullet breeding shoul'^ 
 be those clear and distinct in barring, with a nice steel 
 grey ground colour ; the barring must be pure black, not 
 a browny-black. 
 
 For cockerel breeding you would require the hens 
 fine in barring and darker than those for pullet breeding; 
 still it is very impoitant that the barring be a rich 
 sound black and the ground colour not cloudy, other- 
 wis! your cockerels will come bronzy, which to-day is 
 u. very prevalent failing in barred Rock cocks. 
 
 Always strive to produce the clear steel ground 
 colour, with rich black barring combined with a bright 
 orange-yellow leg and beak, then you will not get far 
 wrong. 
 
 Do not expect fifty per cent, of flyers the first season, or 
 yet the second ; be content with three or four really 
 good ones, stick to these, and inbreed, and with a little 
 patience there is no reason but that in three years you 
 will be able to produc3 Bantams equal in colour and 
 type to the best Plymouth Rock of to-day. 
 
 Scale op Points. 
 
 Colour ?-iid barring 
 Shape and carriage 
 Size . . 
 
 iiead nd comb 
 Ear lobes (red) . 
 Lega and feet 
 Sound tail .. 
 Condition .. 
 
 25 
 16 
 16 
 10 
 
 6 
 10 
 16 
 
 6 
 
 Faults to be deducted accordnRly. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 FRIZZLES. 
 
 We have now come to the most quaint and charming 
 of all variety Bantams, viz., Frizzles, which, notwith- 
 standing the fact that they have been exhibited in Eng- 
 land nearly thirty years, have failed to "take on" in 
 the Fancy'. This is probably on account of the difficul- 
 ties experienced in rearing the chicks ; as the variety has 
 been greatly in-bred in order to obtain the type and 
 character so essential in Frizzles, the stamina of the 
 breed has been greatly weakened. 
 
 There is great diversity of opinion as to what country 
 this breed originated in. Some say Japan, other Fries 
 land, whilst some ideas of their origin are both too 
 numerous and too funny to enumerate in this article. 
 However, their nationality matters little ; they are here, 
 and having been here so many years are likely to remain, 
 especially seeing that both judges and ftinciers are 
 gradually beginning to appreciate their charms. 
 
 With such an enthusiastic pioneer of the variety as 
 Mr. G. Reyner, there is every prospect of their becom- 
 ing more popular. Although they have invariably to 
 compete against many varieties, even at such shows as 
 Dairy, Palace, and Birmingham, they generally give a 
 good account of themselves, as reference to reports 
 will sho w. 
 
 The most trying time with Frizzle chickens is the 
 period of getting their first feathers. At this time they 
 are difficult to rear, but when the ground is dry and 
 sandy successful results can be obtained. Having got 
 their first feathers they will be found quite as hardy as 
 most varieties. 
 
 Many persons imagine that curling-irons play an im- 
 portant part in preparing Frizzles for exhibition, and in 
 some cases such is the case. I remember once seeing a lady 
 manipulate with the curling irons on a white Frizzle hen 
 for two hours one Sunday night, and although I have 
 often heard it said that "better the day, better the 
 deed," it was not so in this case, for this exhibit just 
 managed to struggle into fourth place. Then, again, I 
 remember some years ago, either daring the Palace or 
 Dairy, the latter I believe, a certain exhibitor had 
 occasion to attend the hairdresser's shop near the show, 
 and on entering was surprised to see a brother fancier, 
 one of the lilywhite innocent ones, too, holding a wee 
 Frizzle pullet on the back of a chair whilst Mr. Hair- 
 dresser was assisting nature to curl the feathers. On 
 this occasion their united labours were rewarded with 
 success. 
 
 There are few, very few, if any of the varieties of 
 poultry that cannot be materially improved by artificial 
 means, and Frizzles may probably be no exception to 
 the rule. Still in many breeds of to-day science inbreed- 
 ing has played such an important part as to leave no 
 necessity to improve. So it is with this quaint variety ; 
 when carefully bred on scientific lines with a view to 
 
rUIZZLE BANTAMS. 
 
44 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 perfect the type and character, and given a thorough 
 good wash and a nice bright fire to bring out the desired 
 curl, there is no necessity for curling irons to "fake" — 
 I beg pardon, I mean to assist nature. 
 
 You have no idea how careful I have to be now what 
 I say, ever since I made that little slip of the pen and 
 said that fifty per cent, of Kosecombs were faked. You 
 would scarcely credit it, but one solitary breeder and 
 exhibitor way down in Suffolk began asking me questions 
 through The Feathered World — awkward questions, too, 
 which I was too bashful at that time to answer. But 
 I am sliding. Frizzles appear at their best on either a 
 warm summer day or a sharp, clear, frosty day, but the 
 slightest fog or rain deprives them of their beautiful 
 curls at once, the same as it does the ladies' curls when 
 not in papers. This is one great drawback (to the 
 Frizzles, I mean) when they have to be sent long 
 journeys in the damp winter months. 
 
 Frizzle Bantams throw a large percentage of plain 
 feathered chickens which are utterly useless for exhibi- 
 tion, but are of invaluable service in the breeding pen ; in 
 fact, really good specimens are rarely produced without 
 them. 
 
 The curled hens are excellent mothers and sitters, but 
 the plain feathered ones are not to be depended on in 
 either capacity. This seems strange, but nevertheless it 
 is quite true. 
 
 There are several colours of Frizzle Bantams, but the 
 whites, blacks, and buffs appear to be most popular ; 
 and, in my opinion, the first-named are decidedly the 
 prettiest, and breed very true, whereas the other varieties 
 throw a lot of mis-coloured ones, especially in wing and 
 tail. 
 
 Judges have no easy task at present in making the 
 awards, as there does not appear to be a recognised 
 standard, and prizes have in many instances been 
 awarded to the best curled specimen irrespective of type 
 or colour. For this reason I herewith give a standard 
 applicable to both cjcks and hens. 
 
 Comb. — Single, bright red, medium in cooks, and very small 
 in hens. 
 
 Head. — Small, and neat. 
 
 Face. — Ear lobes and wattles bright red, and of smooth 
 texture. 
 
 Eyes. — Bright red and full. 
 
 Bexk. — Short, strong, yellow, or horn in whites and buffs ; 
 dark willow or black for dark varieties. 
 
 Neck. — Rather short, well arched, and in cock abundantly 
 frilled. 
 
 Back. — Short and broad. 
 
 Wings. — Long and drooping. 
 
 Breast.—Yery full and round. 
 
 Lcffs. — Very short, and quite free from feathers; yellow in 
 buffs and whites ; dark willow in dark varieties. 
 
 Feet. — Four toe3, well spread. 
 
 Tail. —'Rskther l.wge, very full, but loose, the cock having 
 good sickles and plenty of side hangers. 
 
 Pfemaj/e. —Moderately long, hard, and well curled back- 
 ward towards the head, and very close. 
 
 O'eneral Shape and Carriage. — Compact, erect, active, and 
 strutting. 
 
 Weight.— Cook, 20 to 24 oz.; hens, 14 to 17 oz. 
 
 Scale of toints. 
 
 A perfect bird ino points. Points to be deducted for defects, viz. :— 
 
 Had head find comb 5 
 
 Bad feet and legs 5 
 
 lefect ve colour of plumage 20 
 
 Insufflciency of curl 26 
 
 Soft leather 15 
 
 Want of symmetry . . 10 
 
 Want of c: ndiilon .. .. 10 
 
 Incorrect size and weiglit 10 
 
 mo 
 
 To breed Frizzle Bantams it is advisable to have two 
 breeding pens ; this is only necessaiy on account of get- 
 ting curl, as one breeding pen if properly mated will 
 produce both good cockerels and pullets. 
 
 Mo. 1 pen should consist of a hard-feathered, well- 
 curled cock, short in back, full in frill and breast, with 
 short legs of the l^tandard colour ; mate to him two 
 small, well-curled hens and two plain feathered hens or 
 pullets, whose appearance should be as round and as 
 squat as possible. 
 
 No. 2 should consist of a cock similar to above, but 
 plain in feather and very full feathered; tohimma'e 
 three or four well-curled hens, the closer in carl the 
 better. The plain pullets from No. 1 pen I should use 
 with the best curled cock the following season. 
 
 It is no use trying to rear Frizzle chic'; ens in February 
 or March, it will only be labour in vain. The months 
 of May and June are most suitable for this variety in 
 England, especially in the northern counties, and not 
 earlier than April in the south. 
 
 CHAPTER Xm. 
 
 BUFF ORPINGTONS, ROCKS, AND LEGHORNS. 
 
 Having described fully the barred Rock Bantam, I will 
 now go on to show how it i^ possible to breed the 
 fashionable buffs. 
 
 The nearest approach to buff Orpington Bantams 
 came under my notice on a visit to the yards of Mr. 
 John Wharton during May, 1898 ; the parents of these 
 I learned had been imported across the pond, alono; with 
 some buff Wyandotte Fowls from the United States. 
 These were very small, short on leg, and a very level 
 buff for a new breed, and although free from leather 
 legs they possessed qiiite a bluish tinge in leg colour. 
 This, I informed Mr. Wharton, was a very serious fault, 
 and that if he could only obtain the necessary white leg 
 he would undoubtedly "strike oil," as the Yankees 
 say. 
 
 The next time I saw bull Orpington Bantams (if you will 
 excuse the name) was at Carlisle Show, November, 1899, 
 where a class had been provided for them, but instead 
 of buif Orpington Bantams they reminded me of "the 
 Boer army," a mixture of all nationalities, but never a 
 trace of buff Orpington could I find, and it must have 
 puzzled the judge not a little to come to a decision in his 
 awards. 
 
 The only rational way that appeals to me for 
 the production of buff Orpington Bantams, is to get a 
 very late hatched buff cocKerel of the large breed, as 
 small as possible, and sound in colour, and mate 
 him to a pale-legged buflf Pekin, as scantily feathered 
 as possible. The following year I should inbreed 
 from the produce of this pair, and should there 
 be one or two pullets extra good in leg colour and free 
 from feathering that I could spare (after mating up a 
 small pen of a cockerel and two or three of his sisters), I 
 would put the former pullets back to the father ; after- 
 wards I should inbreed and breed late in the season 
 for some three years, by which time I could reasonably 
 expect a fair percentage of exhibition specimens. 
 
 The necessary requirements would be the same as in 
 the larger breed of buff Orpingtons, viz., pure rich orange 
 or golden buff ; clear buff in flights and tail, no white 
 or black feathers. The former I should consider a fatal 
 defect in the show pen. Legs, perfectly white and free 
 from feather ; shape, same as m Orpingtons, viz., low 
 on leg, deep square body, and short in back ; comb 
 single or rose ; lobes perfectly red, any white in lobe tp 
 
MINORCA, ETC., BANTAMS. 
 
 45 
 
 count heavily against tli3 bird in the sliow pen ; size as 
 small as possible consistent with shape. 
 
 SOALB OF POINTS. 
 
 Colour, sound level buff, Including tliglits and tail . . 25 
 
 Shape an 1 oarriage 20 
 
 Pure white smootli legs i^ 
 
 Sound red eav iobea ^° 
 
 Size ]l 
 
 Condition _^ 
 
 100 
 
 Paulta to be deducted accordingly. 
 DiSQUiLIFIOAIiONS.— KdaChered legs, wJiite in tail and flights, 
 Dulled tail or shanks, white in lobe, leg oolouv other than white. 
 Weight.— Cocks not to exceed 24 oz., pullets 18 oz. 
 
 ^Ye will now pass on to 
 
 Buff Bocks ami Leghorn^.— To the best of my know- 
 ledge Biutann of these two varieties have not yet 
 appeared in public, although they have been experi- 
 mented upon tor several years, and now almost perfected 
 by Mr. F. W. Jones, of MUdlewich, who has kindly .tent 
 me on specimens for my inspection, and I must say for 
 a new production they are wonderfully good, especially in 
 colour and point of size, being sound in tail and flights. , 
 Mr. Jones has kindly given me his experience in the 
 breeding of these two varieties, which I will give to ray 
 readers in his own words :— 
 
 "In the year 1894 it occurred to me that, seeing it 
 was possible to produce the large breeds of butf Rocks 
 and butt" Leghorns, it would be equally as easy to breed 
 Bantams of these varieties. To this end I purchased a 
 pair of buff Pekins with as little leg feather as possible. 
 From the produce of this pair I selected those chickens 
 that were tlie nearest approach to clean-legged. The 
 following year I inbred from these, and obtained 
 two clean-legged pullets and two or three fair 
 cockerels. The best cockerel I mated to the two 
 pullets in 1896, and was rewarded by thirty 
 promising chickens, which ultimately tumed out 
 very satisfactory, in every way minature bufl" Rocks. 
 The following year, 1897, I purchased a very small bufi 
 Leghorn pullet which had been hatched very late the 
 previous year, but good in colour and head points, and 
 mated her to the best of the Rock cockerels bred in 
 1896. The result of this cross was very fair coloured 
 Rocks and Leghorn<i, but unfortunately the Leghorn 
 cross spoiled the red earlobe, so essential in buff Rooks, 
 and also produced a decided 'willow' tinge in leg colour. 
 " To remedy these faults in the Rooks, I purchased a 
 pile Game pullet with sound ear lobes and rich orange 
 legs, but very, very creamy in colour, and mated her 
 back to the best Peldn bred cockerel. 
 
 " From this pair I was rewarded with a cockerel and 
 imllet good in every point. The cockerel I drafted oft' to 
 the buff Leghora hen, and the pullet I mated to my best 
 Pekln-bred cockerel. The following j'ear I bred some 
 typical specimens. 
 
 " I then inbred, and although quite satisfactory both in 
 size and colour they are apt to throw up a few with 
 feathers on leg, and these I invariably find are the best 
 coloured ; still, the percentage is very small, and I 
 have been able to mate up separate pens of each for 
 1900 which are perfectly clear on leg, whilst the colour 
 of plumage and also leg colour is all that could be 
 wished for." 
 
 Such is Mr. Jones's method of producing buff Leghorn 
 and butf Rock Bantams, but to me it seems a very 
 roundabout way of getting to the destination. 
 Had Mr. Jones, in the first instance, selected 
 a small, late hatched buff Rook cockerel of the large 
 breed, and mate 1 him to a buff Pekin hen, sparsely 
 feathered, or, better still, to a Nankin hen, and then 
 inbred from their progeny late in tbe season, the result 
 
 would have been more sitisfactory in half the time. The 
 same way in breeding Leghorn.s, using the smallest Leg- 
 horn cockerel that could be obtained, and especially one 
 which excelled in lobe and comb (this is highly 
 important), together with orange yellow legs. By 
 miting such a bird to a buff Pekin, witli as little 
 leg feathering as iii)S4ible, and breeding as late as July 
 01- August, and afterwards in-breeding from the produce 
 each year late in the season, you ought in three years to 
 olitain the desired results. 
 
 The most difficult points appear to me to be lobe and 
 omb in Leghorns, especially the former; but still, by 
 careful selection each year with this point in view, viz., 
 to use those excelling in head points and lobe rather 
 than in colour, they should be obtained. For the Pekin 
 ben used in the first cross, I should select one showing 
 white in earlobe, but should like her with as few 
 feathers on shanks as I could get, but would place 
 most importance on earlobe and sound colour in my 
 selection for Leghorn breeding. 
 
 Now, as regards the buff Rock Bantam, I really don't 
 think for one moment tliat they will ever become 
 
 Eopular ; but, on the other hand, the miniature buff 
 leghorn would, I feel confident, " take on " immensely 
 in the Fancy. 
 
 Although by careful mating and judicious selections 
 as described it would take three or four years to bring 
 about the desired results, still the time and labour 
 spent would eventually be fully repaid, to say nothing 
 of the pleasure to be obtained in the production of this 
 hitherto almost unknown, though handsome, variety. 
 Buff Rooks .\nd Leghoens. 
 
 Scale of Points. 
 
 Colour, sounl throughout, including tail and flights .. 25 
 
 Stiape and carriage 20 
 
 Size 15 
 
 Sound ear lobe , . . 15 
 
 Rich smooth legs . . . . 15 
 
 Condition 10 
 
 100 
 
 Faults to be deducted accordingly. 
 DISQDALIFIOATIONS. — White in tail and flights, pulled tails, leg 
 coloui- other than yellow, and in buff Rocks white in lobe. 
 Weight.— Cocka not to exceed 24 oz., pullets 18 oz. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 MINORCAS, ANDALUSIANS, AND SPANISH. 
 
 Experiments have been tried with all the three 
 varieties above named, but, with the exception of one or 
 two isolated cases, they have not been persevered with 
 to any extsnt, simply for the reason that it is a difficult, 
 uphill game to achieve anything like satisfactory results ; 
 and, again, I do not for one moment think that the years 
 required to produce exhibition specimens of these 
 varieties would be repaid financially. Still there are 
 fanciers — thorough out-and-out fanciers — who delight in 
 experimenting in new breeds simply for the love of the 
 breed and the pleasure to be derived therefrom. 
 
 To produce the Minorca Bantam I should select a 
 Minorca cock, as small as I could find, but one possess- 
 ing a good comb, well serrated, and plenty of lobe. To 
 this bird I should mate two or three black rosecomb 
 Bantam hens, if faulty in comb all the better, but good 
 in ear lobe, and not too small. 
 
 Of course, thu first season you must expect a fair per- 
 centage of clear eggs, and of what chicks do hatch 
 some will possess rosecombs instead of single ; 
 still, if gbod in lobe and shape, these pullets 
 will come in useful the following season, to mate 
 back to the sire, and from which cross the majority 
 
46 
 
 JiANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 of the chicks would then come single-combed. I 
 would then inbreed and breed late for the next three 
 or four years, by which time I should quite expect that 
 a few would be fit to grace the show pen as miniature 
 ilinorca". 
 
 To produce Andalusian Ban Lams I should follow 
 the same course, using a small, distinctly - lacei 
 AnJalusiin cock, not too dark, a shade liglit 
 wouldi be all the better, but the lacing must be 
 perfect, this is very important. I should then 
 inbreed from the single-combed produce of this hen until 
 I obtained the desired type and colour, which should be a 
 miniature of the blue Andalusian. Of course, it is quite 
 possible to get good Minorca Bantams from this cross 
 as well. Still, I should prefer to breed Andalusians 
 only, as they arft much prettier and command a better 
 sale, for the Minorca Bantam looks too much like a 
 single-combed black rosecomb. 
 
 Mead and comb 
 
 Lobes 
 
 Size and weight 
 
 Colour 
 
 Sliape 
 
 Condition 
 
 fuALE 01' Points. 
 
 25 
 15 
 20 
 16 
 10 
 15 
 
 Disqualifications.— Wry tail or deformity of any kind, any 
 colour except bl ick in blacks, and white in whites. 
 
 For some y- ars now exhibition specimens of 
 Andalusian Bantams have been exhibited, and 
 so pretty have they looked that I have often 
 wondered that they have not made more headway. 
 Still their production to anything like perfection must 
 necessarily occupy many years of time, and careful 
 breeding, on account of the difiiculties that arise in pro- 
 ducing the necessary marking and head points, whereas 
 whole-coloured birds like the buffs and blacka might 
 easily be reduced in about three years. 
 
 The Andalusian Bantam ahou'ld represent the large 
 Andalusian in colour, sliape, and carriage. It should 
 be compact and erect, rather squai'e in build, fair length 
 of back, tail full and flowing, and carried well back ; 
 comb, single and well serrated, erect in cocks, and 
 folded in hens ; face, smooth and red, any white in face 
 being a serious fault ; lobe, large, smooth, and white, 
 almond shaped, the larger the better consistent -with a 
 sound red face, which are difficult points to obtain 
 together, for invariably when a bird excels in size of 
 lobe he is liable to run white in face ; leg.s, not too 
 shiirt, and dark slate in colour. 
 
 The colour of the cock should be : Hackles, back, and 
 wing bow a soft shade of bluish black, the remainder of 
 the plumage being medium slate colour or inclined to 
 grey, each feather distinctly laced with black. The hen 
 to be medium blue-grey in ground colour, one even shade 
 all through, and each feather distinctly and evenly laced 
 with black. The neck hackle should be a bluish black. 
 
 Colour and lacing 
 Comb and lobe . . 
 Size and weight . . 
 Shape 
 Condition , . 
 
 Scale op Point'. 
 
 36 
 
 15 
 2(1 
 10 
 
 20 
 
 \ iUU 
 
 Disqualifications.— Wry back or tail, folded comb in cocks ear 
 lobes other than wnite. ' 
 
 The Minorca Bantam should be identically the same 
 in head points and shape, but a lustrous green black in 
 colour. Instead of Minorca Bantams I should like to 
 see the Spanish Bantam more popular. 
 
 I remember judging at Kendal Show two years ago, 
 where I awarded 1st and 2nJ, I believe, to Spanrsh 
 
 Bantams, little beauties too, real niiniatures of the 
 present-day Spanish, with smooth white open face and 
 glossy- black plumage. They were really very taking, 
 and I remember they found many admirers that day. If 
 my memory serves me right, they were local productions, 
 being bi'ed by a Mr. Thompson ; since then I have never 
 come across them in the show pen. How they were pro- 
 duced I know not, but I should think by using a smaJl 
 Spanish cook, excelling in face, and mating him to a big-, 
 lobed black rosecomb hen, which, as a rule, you will lind 
 are more or less white in face, the more the better in 
 this case for your requirements. If she is a bit large 
 never mind, as you would then get moic fertile eggs than 
 from a small one, therefore more chicks to choose from for 
 your next year's mating. The pullets that were best in . 
 face and possessing the nece-sary single comb I should 
 put back to the sire and breed as late as September the 
 following season, and afterwards in-breed for the next 
 two or three years, brothers and S'sters, etc., always 
 having the head points and large white open face as your 
 guide in matiig up, rather than size, as this can always 
 be reduced by in-breeding' and breeding late m the 
 season. The Spanish Bantam cock should have single 
 comb carried erect, large open face, the wattle to be as 
 white and smooth as possible, and without any break in 
 the face, eyes dark, plumage raven black, not too low on 
 leg, me lium length of back, tail full, flowing, and 
 carried fairly well back, legs as near black as possible ; 
 the hen to be the same with the exception of comb, 
 which in all the three varieties should be folded. 
 
 SuALF. OF Points. 
 
 Face and lobes . . 30 
 
 Size and weiglit . . . . 20 
 
 Comb .. 16 
 
 Colour .. .. .10 
 
 Condition .. ' 16 
 
 Shape 10' 
 
 100 
 Disqualifications.— \\ ry tail, or wry-backed, any coloured feathers 
 except black. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 HAMBURGH BANTAMS. 
 
 In concluding the Variety Bantam articles with Ham- 
 burgh Bantams, I bethought myself that I could not do 
 better (seeing I had never bred these beautiful varieties) 
 than write to Mr. John William Farnsworth, whom I 
 knew had made a speciality of silver spangled Hamburgh 
 Bantams for many years, not only breeding them, but 
 also exhibiting them successfully at a few shows where 
 the classification was at all suitable. 
 
 To vay req uest for information for the readers of The 
 Feathered World as to how he started and eventually 
 perfected the silver spangled Hamburgh Bantam, Mr. 
 Farnsworth wrote me a thorough Fancier-like reply, 
 which I cannot do better than give in his own words. 
 
 " The following I do not say is the right way to go about 
 the work, but it is the line pursued in producing iny 
 birds. 
 
 " My accommodation has always been limited, hence 
 anything but Bantams in the fowl line were out of the 
 question. Born with the hen-fever of a permanent 
 character, a general liking for anything small, and a 
 great admirer of the ' black and white ' com- 
 bination, the silver spangled Hamburgh Bantam, 
 although only existing in my mind's eye, stamped 
 itself at once to be the very thing. A really 
 good but undersized silver spangled Hamburgh cock- 
 erel of notable descent, having been mated to a couple 
 of rather large silver Sebri.;ht hens, resulted in my being, 
 

 MK. J. W. HILL'S PILE ,GAME BANTAM PULLET 
 
 Winner of Second, Palace; First, Birmingham and Kendcd; ami First, Special, and Meaal, Bury. 
 
48 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 the following year, in possession of a fairly good Mooney 
 cross cockerel, which was mated to a somewhat large 
 blue-legged white rosecomb hen, a black rosecomb hen, 
 and his sister, a Mooney cross pullet. Another similar 
 pullet was bred to a pure white rosecomb cock. 
 
 "The remaining Mooney cross pullet, the smallest of 
 the three, was put back to her sire, the Hamburgh cock, 
 the services X)f the Sebright hens being at once and for 
 ever dispensed with. 
 
 " These three pens produced a number of odd-looking 
 chickens, of various markings, but a very good selection 
 was obtainable therefrom, some of which were bred 
 together, others were mated with white rosecombs and 
 black rosecombs to improve size and spangling. By 
 continued perseverance I produced some grand little 
 birds in every respect but tail, which I could not get 
 satisfactory. Eventually I bought a silver spangled 
 Hamburgh cock with a perfect tail and but Sj lbs. in 
 weight (of the same strain as the original Hamburgh 
 cock), which, mated to a couple of my largest spangled 
 hens, gave me some chickens with the desired tail, but, 
 of course, oversized. 
 
 " Thesr, bred together, with care in selection, for a 
 few seasons, enabled me to pen three birds at Basing- 
 stoke Show under Mr. W. M. Leach, a club judge of the 
 Variety Bantam Club, which supported the sho «v ; and 
 I was awarded first prize in the A.O.V. cock class, and 
 second and third prizes in the corresponding hen class 
 — a, to me, very gratifying result. Since then I have but 
 once missed the money when exhibiting them, and that 
 at the Midland Counties Bantam Show, at West Brom- 
 wich, where in seventeen entries I got h.c. 
 
 ■' I have, of course, had the usual amount of trouble, 
 expense, and disappointments in bringing them into form, 
 but I consider them without doubt one of the hand- 
 somest Variety Bantams out at present, and The 
 Feathered World and other Fanciers' papers have all 
 spoken most favourably of them." 
 
 Such is Mr. Farnsworth's method of producing silver 
 spangled Hamburgh Bantams, which are without doubt 
 one of the prettiest of all Variety Bantams, and the 
 production <jf which presents no difficulties whatever. 
 With ordinary luck and careful selection each year, by 
 in-breeding after having obtained the desired colour, and 
 by breeding as late as June to reduce the size, there is 
 no reason why exhibition specimens should not be pro- 
 duced in about four years. The only difficulty I can see 
 would be in keeping the length and flow of tail feather, 
 which, to a certain extent, would be lost in breeding very 
 late. 
 
 Colour and length of feather should be your guide in 
 mating up your breeding pens, rather than size, as size 
 can always be remedied, and very materially so, by 
 feeding and in-breeding. 
 
 Gold spangles could easily be bred in the same way 
 by using a gold Sebright hen, but they are not nearly 
 so beautiful as the silvers, and I don't think for one 
 moment that these would ever become popular, or pay 
 for the time and labour. 
 
 I should think it would be quite possible to breed 
 silver and gold Pencilled Bantams by using small silver 
 and gold Pencilled Hamburgh cocks, preference being 
 given to those birds which excel in length of tail feather, 
 and mating these to rather large Sebrights of their 
 respective colour. To get the proper fine and even pen- 
 cillmg would take four or five years, as it would be 
 difficult to get rid of the lacing on flights, but the time 
 would be fully repaid in the long run. Unless the young 
 fancier is prepared to devote both time and patience, 
 and to persevere for a few years at an uphill game, he 
 cannot possibly expect to perfect any new breed, and 
 more especially Hamburgh Bantams. 
 
 Scale op Points. 
 
 Head and comb • 25 
 
 Lobea 10 
 
 Colour and mavkiags (except blaoka) 15 
 
 Shape and cirri vge 10 
 
 Size and weight 20 
 
 Condition .. 20 
 
 100 
 DISQDALIFIOATIONS.— Wry tail, single comb ,and deformity of any 
 kind. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 HATCHING AND FEEDING CHICKS. 
 
 In the first place, the selection of a suitable broody hen 
 is one of the most important features in hatching and 
 rearing Bantams. It is useless putting a big hen of 5 or 
 7 lbs. weight on Bantam eggs, for even should she be for- 
 tunate enough not to smash the lot during the period of 
 incubation, she would in all probability crush the life out 
 of the whole brood within a week of hatching. 
 
 It was only the other day I received a letter from a 
 young fancier, written in jubilant spirits, on having 
 idatched twelve lovely chicks ; but, alas ! within three 
 days, another letter reached me informing me of the 
 demise of nine out of the twelve, arm doubtless 
 the other three will have ■ ended their brief career 
 by being trampled to death by a, big hen. 
 You might as well put Bantam eggs under a 
 Turkey and hope for a good result. Years ago I was 
 greatly troubled over sitting hens breaking eggs and 
 trampling chicks to death, so I determined to remedy 
 the grievance by rearing suitable hens for hatching 
 Bantam eggs. 
 
 What I did was to purchase three or four buff Pekin 
 hens, which cost me 5s. each, and these I mated to a 
 black faced white Silky cock, and from this pen I 
 hatched some twenty or thirty pullets, which for sitters 
 and mothers are worth their weight in gold. Sit ! why, 
 they'd sit in the middle of the road on a few small 
 stones ; or, if you are hard up for room, you can put 
 them on the top shelf in the scullery, or on the mantel- 
 piece, and they will sit from three weeks to three months 
 if required. They will sit anywhere, and, as a rule, will 
 rear two to three broods of chicks each year, for I have 
 never known them lay more than a dozen eggs before 
 becoming broody, and are so quiet and reliable that no 
 Bantam fancier should be without them. 
 
 Having secured a suitable hen, which should not weigh 
 more than 31bs. at most, before putting heron the nest give 
 her a good sprinkling with insect powder, and see that she 
 is perfectly healthy, and, if possible, not scaly-legged. 
 The latter point is of great importance, especially where 
 smooth, clean-legged chicks are a necessity, as in Game 
 Bantams. I fancy I hear many of my readers say, " But 
 what effect can a scaly -legged broody hen have on the 
 chicks she rears ? " My answer is : A very marked effect, 
 and if you have never had scaly-legged chicks before 
 you can depend upon having them the first brood you 
 rear under a scaly-legged hen. This is a wrinkle, and 
 you would do well to bear it in mind. 
 
 Now as regards nests. I very rarely use any- 
 thing except the usual orange boxes, which can 
 be purchased from any of the greengrocers for 
 2d. or 3d. I lay these do^vn on their side, and 
 nail a strip of wood about four inches deep along 
 the front. You ^vill then have three good roomy nests. 
 The next thing to do is to get plenty of nice soft hay, 
 and make a nest in the shape of^ a large basin, i.e., hol- 
 low in the middle and nicely rounded at the sides, to 
 prevent the eggs from rolling out when the hen leaves 
 the nest to partake of food. There is an old 
 saying, which many breeders follow, I've no 
 
FEEDTm; CHICKS. 
 
 49 
 
 doubt— that is, before putting in the hay, they 
 will tell you it is necessary to have soil at the bottom. 
 This is all " bunkum." And, again, they will tell you 
 that they must be set on the grounil. tefc iiie tell you 
 that it is quite unnecessary in both cases. Why, only 
 last summer I had a Bantam hen which my children had 
 made a great pet of, and this hen came into the 
 scullery, wiere the servant was generally at work, and 
 used to be fed there. The result was that she laid her 
 first egg among the pans on the top shelf, about nine 
 feet from the ground. So the servant toolc the egg and 
 got a small chocolate box and put a little liay in and 
 replaced the e^g, and in thin bov, nine feet from tlie 
 ground, she laid eight eggs and hatched eveiy one of thein, 
 
 night time ; the clear eggs can then be taken away, and 
 are easily distinguished f ro n the fertile ones, the latter 
 looking cloudy, and the veins of the germ *ill be quite 
 distinct. By taking out the unfertile ones, in addition 
 to making more room for the fertile ones it gives them a 
 much better chance of keeping the proper temperature. 
 
 The front of the nest should be covered either by a 
 piece of b!);ird or sack, and each night carefully remove 
 each hen to feed, and keep her off for ten to fifteen 
 minutes. Tlie best food for sitting hens is maize, 
 and let theni have plenty of water and a good supply of 
 cinder ashe^ for them to dust in. Should the nest 
 become fouled, or any of tlie egg^ broken, take out the 
 ne<t, i-eplaoB with freih hay, and 
 
 '^■vfM-V- 
 
 Lean-to Baxtam House and Run. 
 
 and, moreover, they were one of the healthiest broods I 
 reared last season. So what price the soil in this case ? 
 Having put the hen on the nest, give her a dummy 
 «Sg ?r *"^° '^"'^'^ slie properly settles down, which 
 should not take more than a few hours. If at the end 
 of that time she does not attempt to Hy off when you 
 place your hand under her, it will be quite safe to put 
 the proper eggs under, and this is best done at night- 
 time. Early in the season, when cold winds and frosty 
 nights are prevalent, it is unwise to give a hen her full 
 complement of eggs ; better two less than one too many, 
 for if she has too many it will make her uneasy, and in 
 all probability she will spoil several eggs in her 
 endeavours to get them all properly under. At the end 
 of four days after setting hens, examine the eggs by 
 holding them before a candle. This must be done at 
 
 lukewarm water. If the nest is properly made, nice and 
 soft, and the hen allowed off sufficient time each night 
 until the wants of nature have been attended to, and 
 providing she is a suitable, hen, as I have already 
 described, this trouble will very rarely occur. 
 
 At the end of nineteen days the eggs will be hatched, 
 if they were fresh when put under, and not later than 
 twenty days at the most. If you would have strong, 
 healthy chicks use fresh eggs, and the larger tlie better. 
 
 Feeding Chicks. 
 Don't attempt to hatch and rear Bantam chicks by 
 artificial means, for you cannot do it with any degree of 
 success. I icubators and foster mothers are all right for 
 the larger breeds of fowls. I don't say that you cannot 
 hatch Bantam eggs by incubators, as with a good reliable 
 machine and careful attention daily, and by allowing the 
 
50 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 egg-drawer to Le open from fifteen to thirty minutes 
 dally, according to the period of incubation, you can 
 obtain very fair results, but the Bantam cliick, hatched 
 by artificial incubation i^-ill invariably be found a very 
 fragile, puny little mite, that will be quite an impossi- 
 bility to rear, and during his brief sojourn in this world 
 will be a misery to himself and an eyesore to those 
 around him. 
 
 Returning to the sitting lien, on the eighteenth day of 
 incubation, when she comes off the nest for her usual 
 feed, dust her again with insect powder, and do not dis- 
 turb her again until the next night, when the chicks 
 ought to have put in an appearance. Let hen and chicks 
 
 the third morning give them for the first meal 
 Spratt's chicken or game meal scalded, and allowed to 
 stand until nearly cold. The next feed should be 
 given about two hours later, and this should consist of 
 pure oatmeal mixed with sweet milk until crumbly, or 
 stale bread crusts soaked in water and mixed with oat- 
 meal till crumbly. This should be given at least thrlfc 
 times a day, with the addition at noon-day of a little 
 lean meat chopped fine for the first two months. When 
 the chicks are a fortnight old, gi-oats can be given for 
 the last feed at night, and when two n;onths old wheat 
 should be substituted. 
 
 The question has often been asked how frequently 
 
 
 Bantam House and Kux. 
 
 remain quiet until the next morning, when you can give 
 them their first feed. Before doing so, give the hen a 
 good feed of maize and water to drink or she will be liable 
 to eat all the food away from the chicks. Nature has 
 so provided that the chick does not require food for 
 at least sixteen to twenty liours after hatching, whilst in 
 the large breeds twenty-four hours can elapse before 
 giving food. 
 
 The first feed then may be egg boiled for about five 
 orsix minutes, just long enough to cause it to he set ; 
 this should he chopped up line and mixed with equal 
 parts of coarse oatmeal and stale bread crumbs. Con- 
 tinue this feed for tlie first two days, by which 
 time the brood should be well on their legs. On 
 
 should chicks be fed ? To a great extent tliis depends 
 upon the breed, but for Bantams every two hours for the 
 first week, and from that time till they are three months 
 old, four times daily will be sufficient. From three to 
 five months, three times a day. A fair allowance of 
 animal matter, such as lean meat chopped fine, gi'anu- 
 lated meat, or maggots should be given to chicks once 
 daily, especially during February, March, and April ;this 
 will enable them to withstand the cold winds and damp. 
 Where chicks have not the liberty of a grass run, 
 boiled vegetables mixed with the soft food should be 
 given at the noon feed. Above all, feed regularly. 
 
 AVe now come to the water question, and which has 
 been freely discussed in Ihe Feathered World from time 
 
HOUSES AND RUNS. 
 
 51 
 
 to time. My advice to you i.s the same as Pitnch's on the 
 marriage question, " Don't. " I Ifnow of many successful 
 breeders and exhibitors who rear from 200 to 500 chicles 
 every season, and the only water they get is what they 
 can obtain from the grass after a shower or Iieavy dew. 
 For my own part, l don't believe in water for chicks. 
 Since J discontinued the use of water for my cliicks I have 
 not bad one solitary case of diarrhn'a, but let them 
 have access to water, esiiccially in hot weather, then 
 your trouble begins. If you never gi\e chicks water 
 they never require it, and are much healthier without ; 
 but once you start giving them water, you must continue 
 till the end of the chapter. If your chicks have a grass 
 run and are fed as statedahove, they willnotrequire water. 
 Of course, ^\■hen the bird reaches the age of, say, four 
 
 of the chicks. The tin is easily kept in its place by a, 
 couple of wire staples. 
 
 During the months of February, March, and April I 
 prefer false bottoms to the chicken coops, on account of 
 the damp, cold weather generally experienced at that 
 time of the year, and by having them loose they can 
 be very readily removed for cleaning. When the warm 
 weathci- sets in it is advisable to take out the bottoms 
 and allow the chicks to sleep on the ground ; but where 
 rats and other vermin abound, the bottoms should be 
 kept in all tlirough the year. It is advisable also to 
 have a hinged shutter to the coop for protection at night, 
 and wliich also affords a shade fi'om the sun in the day- 
 time ; tlie shutter can be lowered to any desired height 
 by having a chain attached. The coops should l)e 
 
 A Geoup of Silkies (photograph from life). 
 
 months, when grain will necessarily be his principal 
 food, then and then only need water be given. 
 
 When chicks are old enough to be taken away from 
 the hen— viz., about three months — the cockerels should 
 he separated from the pullets and put on different runs 
 where they cannot get together. By doing this you will 
 find that both sexes will thrive better and settle down 
 more contentedly ; and a good plan is to put an old cock 
 along with the cockerels to prevent their fighting and 
 to maintain order. 
 
 Although chickens do not require water, the hen must 
 not he forgotten, and to meet the necessity I fasten one 
 of the ordinary drinking tins inside the coop, about eight 
 inches from the fioor. This enables the hen to drmk 
 what she requires, and at the same time it is out of reach 
 
 limewaslied every five or six weeks ; this is verj' 
 important, if you wou.ld have strong healthy chicks. 
 
 Houses and Kuns. 
 
 AVith regard to size of Bantam houses, all will depend 
 upon the number of birds kept together. P'or a pen of 
 half a dozen hens and a cock, the house should measure 
 about 4 ft. by 3 ft. From the floor to the eaves should 
 be at least 2 ft. It would be better 2 ft. 6 in., allowing 
 6 in. more to the ridge of roof. Under the floor should 
 be a shelter reaching 18 in. from the ground, and boarded 
 all round with the exception of the front. This shelter 
 will prove extremely useful to the birds in bad weather. 
 Into this shelter put a good supply at frequent 
 intervals of peat moss, chaff, or cut straw. This 
 
 d2 
 
52 
 
 BANTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 will keep them dry and comfortable in the 
 time of cold winds and wet weatlier. Another 
 capital plan, if the top of the run will bear it, is to cover 
 it with a layer of bracken and fir branches during the 
 winter months. It is wonderful how such an arrange- 
 ment keeps the snow off. Melting snow has a very bad 
 effect upon Bantams' feet. It is pretty generally known 
 that any solid substance like ice or snow when melting 
 absorbs surrounding heat, and with the absorption of 
 heat from the foot chilblains, etc., arise, the feet will 
 become blistered, and in some cases the toes even will 
 be frozen completely off. 
 
 On the floor of the run it is best to have fine 
 dry sand, such as sea-sand or very fine gravel, and 
 kept fresh and sweet by removing the droppings 
 anu raking the sand over once or twice a week. 
 A dust bath nmst also be put into the slielter, other- 
 wise your pets will soon be swarming with vermin. The 
 best dust batli is fine ashes to which a small quantity of 
 sulphur has been added. This should be put into a 
 small box about 18 inches long and six inches deep, a 
 fresh supply of a«hes and sulphur to be given at least 
 once a month. Wliere possible, the run should be on 
 sloping ground, so that the water is naturally drained 
 off it. During the winter the runs should be boarded 
 quite 18 inches or 2 feet from the ground. Shelter like 
 this is absolutely necessary if the fancier's object be 
 early eggs, and early eggs mean early chicks in readi- 
 ness for the early chicken shows. Not only is it a case 
 of early eggs, but of a better egg production all through. 
 
 Keep plenty of moss litter or sawdust in the 
 house itself, and never adopt the merely occasional 
 method of clearing out. It may answer all right 
 for crossbred laying fowls, but Bantams are not 
 built on the same lines. See that your houses are well 
 (lone once a fortnight at least. Give them a good 
 lime wasli from time to time. Into the lime-wash add a 
 little carbolic acid. This will effectually kill fleas, 
 ticks, etc. Clean the floor well. Put fresh litter or 
 sawdust down, to which has been added some disin- 
 fectant. Then if ventilation be properly attended to you 
 may expect your birds will keep in good health. Kemem- 
 ber'to put up proper perches. Lschew all square perches 
 or flat boards unless you wish to ruin the birds' feet. 
 The perches for all Bantams, with the exception of 
 he feathered-legged varieties, should be round and about 
 the thickness of a broom handle, made so that they can 
 be easily taken down and cleaned. 
 
 Houses such as I have described, and which 
 I have found to act admirably, only cost a 
 trifle under £1. They are well made, of tln-ee- 
 quarter inch boards, tongued and grooved, with 
 door and window complete, and it is, therefore, the 
 height of folly, when valuable first-class stock has 
 to be kept, to put up with any kind of a make-shift 
 house, and run the risk of disease and probably ultimate 
 loss. It will be found that the initial expense 
 is after all the least expense, for once get birds 
 thoroughly out of health, it is quite a question whether 
 they will ever again be really fit for either exhibition or 
 brepding. 
 
 Whilst on the question of houses, let me warn the 
 young fancier against the unscrupulous advertisers of 
 cheap poultry houses. Thanks to the Editress of 
 The Feathered PFor/d when tliese fraudulent transactions 
 are made known to her, the columns of The Feathered 
 World are closed against them once and for ever, and 
 this is as it should be. 
 
 Before leaving the subject of housing, see that they 
 are free from all access of vermin. A solitary weasel 
 in half an hour may do £100 worth of harm, and rats 
 are by no means particular if they cannot find grain 
 
 handily, they will go for small birds like Bantams. 
 The boarding of the run is a great protection against 
 vermin, and if the mesh of the wire-netting immediately 
 above the boarding be small, this will act as a further 
 safeguard. It is well to have a wire covering over 
 the run too, especially if it be in the neighbourhood 
 of a wood. Some of the larger kinds of HawKs, Cairion 
 Crows, and Havens have been known to swoop down 
 upon small Bantams and carry them oft. A covered-in 
 run is a safeguard, too, against dogs and cats. Stray 
 dogs and cats are at times a source of uneasiness to 
 every keeper of dwarf poultry ; but wire netting is 
 effectual against them, and prevention is better than 
 cure. Attention to such details as I liave here set forth 
 on the part of Bantam fanciers will well repay them. 
 It will be found on trial that the old adage so often 
 quoted will come true in the case of Bantams as in 
 that of most other things — " A thing that is worth 
 doing at all is worth doing well." 
 
 Tkaining and Pkeparing for Exhibition. 
 
 It is necessary in a book of this kind to ,=ay some- 
 thing upon the way Bantams should be trained and pre- 
 pared for exhibition. Apart from the necessary wash- 
 ing of the white-featheredb inls, there is a certain 
 amount of schooling through which all fowls, hut especi- 
 ally Bantams, should go, if tliey are to make their suc- 
 cessful d6but in the show pen. Fancy a lad tumbled 
 into life without any previous preparation for that which 
 he was to encounter, raw, crude, and unsophisticated. 
 Should we expect him to win all along the line ? 
 Even so is it with our feathered pets. They are 
 unsophisticated in exhibition ways, and have to take 
 their lessons like other things. Many a good bird has 
 been quite spoilt through lack of training. Certain 
 tilings are required of them in the show pen ; they do 
 not do them, and the judge has neither time nor patience 
 to stand waiting for them whilst they pick up by natural 
 intuition, if they can, what should have been taught 
 tliem before they came to tlie .show. For instance, the 
 bird won't settle, runs about its pen in a wild, frightened 
 maimer, sticks its head in a corner, and, if disturbed, 
 dhKhes against the sides and top of the pen to the disgust 
 of the jndge and no small injury to itself at times. In 
 the end it is passed over, naturally so, and marked 
 in the judging book " wild in pen." Now, a very 
 little care would obviate tliis, if it were exercised at the 
 right time. If, when the bird was some four or five 
 months old, a few minutes' training in a pen had been 
 gone through daily for a short time it would have 
 removed all chance of a fiasco when exhibition time 
 came round. What I do myself is something after this 
 manner : I generally take the bird off its run iu Ihe 
 evening when it has gone to ruost and put it into a suit- 
 able traiidng-pen for the night. Such a pen is about 
 18 in. by 18 in., and can be procured from 
 any penning firm for about Is. 9d. each. They 
 are clean, light, and airy, better by far than home- 
 made wooden ones, and are, in fact, such as the bird 
 will have to be exhibited in. Here, in the pen, I leave 
 him for a quiet hour or two to settle down a bit ; then, 
 when it is quite dark, I take a candle, and go and sti oke 
 hira very quietly from the back to the tail, then from the 
 throat to the thighs, talking kindly to him all the while, 
 and touching him vtry lightly and gently at first. 
 
 It is astonishing how much a bird will stand by arti- 
 ficial light that it would not endure by open daylight. 
 When I have handled my bird 1 11 I have succeeded in 
 getting him to stand still in one position, I take a small 
 stick and repeat the operation with that. If the bird 
 is inclined to carry his tail h'gh, I repeatedly pass the 
 stick over his back and tail, gently pressing the tail 
 
-^.iiiy/iigaaj^ 
 
 
 SILKIF, PULLET. 
 
M 
 
 BAT^TAMS As A liOBBY. 
 
 down as I go, to- induce him to carry it lower. This 
 habituates the bird to the feel of the wand on liis 
 back, and he gradually associates with that feeling the 
 passing of the wand over the tail. I have known birds 
 well trained instantly to lower their tail the moment 
 the stick rested upon their bad. They acquire, 
 too, a habit of slightly walking away from the 
 stick, and naturally lower the tail to be free 
 of obstacles. If he droops his wings, which they 
 often will, then I touch him under the wings, 
 lift them up, and in every way try to induce him to 
 shrink himself into proper shape and form before I leave 
 him. Even very good birds have sometimes naturally 
 more or less bad habits of wings, tail, etc., etc., but they 
 can — if there is really nothing radically wrong with 
 them, and it is merely careless habit acquired in their 
 free state of chickenhood — be easily schooled out of 
 them. A few gentle taps on the back of the legs or toes 
 will greatly improve the style and carriage of a bird. 
 The training having progressed thus far, I next secure 
 pome tit-bits, bread sop, or a little meat, and 
 hold it high up in front of the pen, to induce 
 the bird to reach up, a great desideratum in 
 the Game Bantams, but in the soft-feathered varie- 
 ties it is a thing of lesser, and, in some cases, of no 
 moment. This kind of training is carried on for a 
 few nights. The bird may then be approached in the 
 daylight, and more and more familiarities indulged in 
 till finally such a stage is reached that, when he sees 
 you coming, he gets himself pretty well prepared before- 
 hand, knowing well what is coming. Bir(ls that have 
 been handled very much in their chickenhood require 
 very little training indeed. Sometimes after the chicks 
 have left the old hen, for safety we have had to remove 
 them by hand every night to their proper roosting 
 places, which they could not reach of themselves from 
 the runs. Such birds have most easily become trained 
 and ready for exhibition ; in fact, we have known such 
 successful at the show when they have hardly been in 
 the training pen half a dozen hours altogether. A little 
 bread and milk sop, with a little lean fresh meat cut up 
 fine and given to the birds for a week before the show, 
 will invariably get them into good show condition. A 
 little canaryseed and millet, too, is very beneficial if 
 given once a day through the training period. Like a 
 horse that has been well broken, so a bird that has been 
 well trained never forgets the discipline he has been 
 through, and is well mannered on all subsequent occa- 
 sions, the pride of his breeder, and a delight to the judge, 
 if, added to a thorough training, he is also a first-class 
 exhibition specimen. 
 
 But there is a little more yet to be done, even with a 
 well trained bird, before he reaches the show pen. He 
 must be suitably despatolied to the show. Most of our 
 best shows are in wmter, and it does not do to send 
 birds to exhibitions in flimsy structures, ill-lined, and at 
 the mercy of any great box or parcel to crush them. See 
 that you have good, strong, sound baskets, lined with 
 comfovtable material, and if the weather be very 
 severe a double lining will be better still. I have 
 knov'n exhibitors go one step further, and sew 
 sacking round the outside and over the lid of a double- 
 lined hamper. If many birds are going to the show, 
 it is better to have partition-baskets. In this wiy the 
 birds are kept warmer. Each tends to heat the 
 basket, and they mutually keep each other warmer 
 than if they went in separate baskets, then it is cheaper. 
 Four or (ive birds can travel in one basket at about the 
 rate of two in separate baskets. There is not so much 
 risk eithtsr of the baskets going astray. In every way, 
 both on' he score of convenience and economy, this is 
 the best way to send birds to the exhibition. See that 
 
 each compartment is duly padded well with dry hay at 
 the bottom to preventthe birds sutt'ering a severe shaking 
 when the baskets are roughly thrown down at the 
 stations. Some porters have anything but a gentle way 
 with them ; they seem to take a delight in smacking 
 down the hampers as if they were cast-iron. 
 
 Before starting the bird off to the show, give 
 it a feed of milk sop. Soak the bread in cold 
 water first, squeeze out all the water with the 
 hands, and add good fresh milk. Remember that 
 anything of a sour nature tends to give the birds 
 diarrhoea, and unfits tliem for show. On the return of 
 the bird it is necessary to give the same food, no matter 
 whether it is 1st and special or only vhc. It must be 
 well cared for or it will feel the effects more and more 
 of both journey and exposure in the show. Keep the 
 bird isolated for a day or two on its return as a precau- 
 tion. One can never tell what disease a bird may have 
 contracted at a show, and it is possible that you may 
 thus contract in your yard something highly undesir- 
 able, such as roup or diphtheria, unless due caution is 
 taken. If the bird be kept by itself for a few days, then 
 A ou will be enabled to see whether it is all right before 
 turning it down with the rest. Nothing is more 
 common than for birds to return from show with some 
 contagious disease, generally contracted from the 
 drinking vessels, which have been provided in the show 
 pens, but which nevertheless have, in many cases, never 
 been properly washed out or disinfected after a previous 
 show. This is a point that show officials and pen- 
 owners should be extremely careful about. The wonder 
 is that public attention has not long since been drawn 
 to the matter. If the cups after a show were turned 
 down into a solution of Jeyes', or Condy's Fluid, the risk 
 of contagion is very much minimised. The diseases 
 contracted from foul cups are unfortunately of the worat 
 and most virulent type, and the harm done in yaids 
 from such sources is incalculable. Only very recently 
 some birds, under four months old, were sent to a show ; 
 they won. They were on their return put with the 
 rest. In about a week, though previously there had 
 not been a vestige of roup about the place, almost every 
 bird in the yard was going about with swollen faces and 
 closed eyes. Fortunately it was promptly dealt with, 
 and eradicated about as quickly as it had arrived. But 
 in the case of real roup and diphtheritic roup, it is un- 
 fortunately a thing that cannot be so summarily dealt 
 with, so that every care should be taken by those who 
 supply cups at exhibitions to see that they are clean and 
 disinfected. There should be a special cleansing after 
 each show. By this means we should soon hear less and 
 less of these hateful diseases, and our birds would be a 
 less cause of anxiety to us. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 DISEASES. 
 
 AVe now come to the final chapter of our work, and 
 close these hints and instructions on what is to many 
 people a most fa«cinating holiby by some reference to 
 the diseases to which our fevourites are liable, and from 
 which we may in measure relieve them. Bantams, being 
 so much in-bred, are consequently weaker in constitu- 
 tion and more liable to certain diseases than their bigger 
 brethren, though, of course, there are others from which 
 they hardly ever suffer, more particularly leg and foot 
 weakness, so prevalent in the heavier breeds. Bumble- 
 foot and hock trouble seldom or never attack Bantams 
 owing to their slender build, but, on the other hand, 
 we find Bantams more liable to egg trouble, owing 
 
"i)lSKASEi4. 
 
 to their diminutive size and, in Gamo Bantams, tliei 
 peculiar sliape, wliich requires tliem to be bred too iine 
 to always allow of the fiee passaae of tlio egg, so that 
 this quite makes up for their immunity from such 
 diseases as before mentioned. Everyone feels it hard to 
 lose a good bird from disease, and especially if it has 
 been a heavy drain on the exchequer ; still, it seldom 
 pays to doctor fowls, our experien(^o hoing that in 
 almost every case a bird that has passed through a \ory 
 severe illness becomes useless either for showing or 
 breeding from. We like to do our best for the 
 suffering one, but often it would be >\iser to put 
 the patient at once out of its misery, both for its 
 own sake and that of its owner. Slight ailings are, 
 however, quite a different matter, and may be dealt 
 ivith successfully. 
 
 iJoif/' is, perhaps, the most prevalent of all diseases, 
 and is nothing more nor less than a neglected cold, 
 which, if treated promptly, can be nipped in the bud. A 
 free dose of salts, as much as would he on a shilling, 
 keeping the birds in a warm room free from draughts, 
 and feeding on warm brea I and milk, will do more to 
 cure than all the patent pills in the pharmacopoeia. I 
 am not a believer in pills. The more you gi\e a bird 
 the more it seems to want. However, for those who 
 do pin their faith to all and everything advertised, they 
 will find their wants supplied freely by application to 
 "specialists," but so far I have been unable to give my 
 preference to any. A friend of mine, howe\'er, who is 
 somewhat susceptible tochillsonslightocoasions,isa great 
 believer in half a dozen drop^ of terebene on a lump of 
 sugar when he feels the cold coming on, and this has 
 led him to try the same remedy (on tlie first discovery of 
 cold) upon Ins Bantams with good effect. Occasionally 
 he varies it with eucalyptus oil, or mixes the two, and, 
 if the bird shows signs of emaciation, administers about 
 four drops of the compound in cod-liver oil. The results 
 are, he says, invariably successful. Still, keep your 
 birds in good, well-ventilated houses, give them plenty 
 of fresh water as often as possible, with a bit of sul- 
 phate of iron as large as a pea dropped into it ; feed on 
 good sound dry corn, and let it be given them as 
 advised in previous chapters, and you will be 
 little troubled with roup. If, however, your bird 
 contracts roup at a. show, treat as described as 
 soon as you notice any watery discharge from the 
 nostiils or eyes. If taken in time, before the thick 
 yellow, disagreeable smelling deposit comes on the beak, 
 four or five days will, in the generality of cases, effect a 
 cure. 
 
 Diphtheria is the most contagious and difficult of all 
 diseases to cure, and though I have cured dozens, still I 
 think the safest plan is at once to kill the bird and 
 burn the body, as by trying to cure one you may spread 
 the disease through the whole yard, by carrying it in 
 your clothes, feeding vessels, water pans, etc. In this 
 way you may very easily lose your whole stock, and 
 bitter as may be the first pill, especially it the 
 bird affected is a valuable one, it is perhaps, 
 after all, the least difficult one to swallow. Having 
 taken the drastic method in hand, next proceed 
 to limewash all the places which the bird has used for 
 roosting in, etc. Add a few drops of carbolic acid to 
 the mixture, or, if this is not available, try an ounce of 
 permanganate of potash. You will get a purple colour 
 instead of the pure lime-white ; but, never mind, you 
 have secured a powerful disinfectant, and that is really 
 what you want. With the disease checked, take care 
 not to let your birds contract it again, and a safeguard 
 will be found against this in the sulphate of iron in 
 water, as before recommended. 
 
 Cholera is another disease difficult of cure. It is also 
 
 highly contagious. The symptoms are diarrhoea with 
 excessive thirst. Simple diarrhcea can generally be 
 (■heeked with a good peppering of prepared chalk over 
 t';e food, which for a day or two should be rice boiled in 
 milk, but when the more aggravated symptoms of 
 cholera put in iin appearance, it is better to put the bird 
 down at once. Thoroughly cleanse all feeding troughs 
 and drinking vessels, and limewash as before. A little 
 (■iimphor and a drop or two of laudanum in the water 
 will prevent the disease sjireading. 
 
 Cropbound is generally caused by foreign matter of 
 a stringy nature being taken into the stomach, such as 
 horse hair, dried grass or straw, and which obstructs 
 the outlet of the crop, causing tlie crop to become quite 
 hard. The best plan is to fill the bird's crop with 
 water, syjinged into it as hot as it can bear it. 
 Then carefully knead the hard matter with the 
 hand till it shows signs of dissolution. When it seems 
 to have assumed a tluiti state, eject the same by 
 turning the bird's head downwards, squeezing all matter 
 out of the crop with the hand. If this process be 
 repeated about three times it is not difficult generally 
 to wholly remove the ofi'ensive matter. 
 
 The bird will then require feeding on soft food, milk 
 sop for preference, for a couple of days. No hard corn 
 sliould be given for at least two days. 
 
 Gajies is a trouble wliich affects little chickens in 
 some localities more so than others. This is caused by 
 a thread-like worm lodged in the lining of the throat. 
 How it comes there is nmre or less a matter of conjec- 
 ture ; still, when once it is there, if it be not removed or 
 killed, the chick will speedily lose its life. The best 
 plan is to place all the affectecl birds in a small box and 
 treat them to a thorough dustings with camlin. This 
 should be blown into the box through a small bole by 
 means of a small bellows supplied for the purpose. This 
 powder incites coughing on the part of the chick, and in 
 the act the worm is ejected. One dose Ls generally 
 sufficient. Or you can try the remedy so frequently 
 advised by Mr. Cobb in the query columns of T/ie 
 Feathered World. 
 
 Lice, are a nuisance to poultry, and from which our 
 Bantams unfortunately have no immunity. A good 
 dust bath is a grand preventative, and especially if a 
 little sulphur or insect powder can be dusted over it. 
 However, a good practice is to periodically go over the 
 birds with Keating's insect powder, a safe and sure 
 remedy against these parasites. Early summer is the 
 worst time for them, and at such times oae can hardly 
 go wrong with the dusting-box. 
 
 Feather Disease, or what is sometimes called feather- 
 curl, very frequently troubles Bantams. It generally 
 shows itself worst on the breast, where the feathers 
 appear dry and shrivelled. Their abnormal appearance 
 is caused by a parasite, which practically sucks the 
 virtue out of them, and thus causes them to curl. A 
 good way of dealing with this trouble is to prepare a 
 solution of paraffin with boiling water in the proportion 
 of half and half. Rub this well into the feathers with 
 a piece of rag ; one dressing will usually be found to be 
 sufficient. 
 
 Egg-bound. — This is the most serious trouble to which 
 Bantams are liable. The sooner it is noticed and taken 
 in hand the easier it is to cure. If the bird is noticed 
 on the nest an unusual length of time, it may at once 
 be assumed that she is finding difficulty in laying. Do 
 not wait until matters have got bevond remedy, on the 
 supposition that she will manage it by and by. It is 
 safest to take her at once, before her strength is ex- 
 hausted and rupture has occurred, and place her up to 
 the thighs in water, as hot as you can bear your hand 
 in, for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, and then 
 
56 
 
 BAKTAMS AS A HOBBY. 
 
 after dryiug lier with a towel, grease the vent well with 
 vaseline. If the egg is in view, a little gentle pressure 
 from the outside with the thumb and fingers will often 
 eject the egg ; but it must be done very carefully, or a 
 fracture of tlie egg will result, and then the case usually 
 becomes fatal. 
 
 I have heard of a recent case where the suffere ■ was 
 kept in the hot water for three-quarters of an hour 
 before a change for the better ensued, the egg being in 
 view the whole time, and the vent syringed with warm 
 olive oil. But perseverance was rewarded in due time, 
 and the egg produced a chick. The whole ojjeration is 
 in reality very simple, but requires great care and some 
 patience. 
 
 Scaly-leg is another complaint from which Bantams 
 sometimes suffer, and which is generally caused by very 
 scaly-legged hens being used as brooders. The scale 
 referred to is a parasite feeding on the leg, so the sooner 
 it is taken in hand the better. Thoroughly soak the 
 bird's legs in hot water, then brush them well with soap 
 and a hard nail brush ; afterwards anoint them with a 
 
 dressing of sulphur ointment, made of vaseline and 
 flowers of sulphur. 
 
 In slight cases a thoroughly good wash, and a good 
 rubbing with crude paraffin oil will suffice to get rid of 
 the parasite. 
 
 These seem to be the principal diseases attacking 
 Bantams, and if the young fancier faithfully carries out 
 the instructions I have given for their treatment, no 
 difficulty will be experienced in effecting a cure. 
 
 In conclusion I may say that throughout this work 
 my sole aim has been to assist the novice as far as I 
 possibjy can, and from the multitude of grateful letters 
 that I have received it has given me the greatest 
 pleasure to learn that my endeavours have been so 
 heartily appreciated. 
 
 There may be little matters of interest that I have 
 failed to include ia these pages ; if so, I shall be most 
 happy to write to any reaier of The Feathered World 
 who encloses a stamped envelope for reply, and answer 
 any question or give any advice that may have been 
 overlooked in this work. All letters to be addressed to 
 The Feathered World office. 
 
 'W'liiTK BouTioLi Hen. 
 
 luu Fjsathekkd Would, 9, Aruudel street. Strand, Loiidou. 
 
Appendix. 
 
 Owing to an oversight the following was omitted from 
 page 51, hefore paragraph commencing " Houses and 
 Runs":— 
 
 FEEDING AND HOUSING 
 
 In a former chapter I have gone fully into the feeding 
 of Bantam chicks, but it is necessary to carry the sub- 
 ject somewhat further and throw out suggestions for 
 treatment as the adult stage is reached. For unless all 
 kinds of Bantams are judiciously fed and cared for it 
 will result, to use a Shakespearean expression, in " love's 
 labour lost." 
 
 A Bantam so brought up that size and feather are 
 ignored is a Bantam ruined. Of course, it is possible 
 that failure in these respects may be the result of 
 breeding, but it very often happens that from the very 
 best breeding pens procurable, the stock, through being 
 kept on wrong lines, result in failure. 
 
 I have seen Game Bantam chicks that have been given 
 a liberal diet of cooked meat, scraps, etc., and other soft 
 food, in addition to a plentiful supply of grubs and 
 worms that the chicks may have picked up in the kitchen 
 garden, grown so large and feathery that by the time 
 they reached four months they were much too large and 
 coarse even for adult birds, larger even than the parents 
 they were bred from, consequently useless eiuier for 
 exhibition or breeding purposes, and simply because t hey 
 had been brought up on unsuitable food. 
 
 The^ above diet is all well and good for pushing 
 on big breeds where size and bone are i required, but 
 in Bantams the order is reversed. Feeding, therefore, 
 becomes a _ matter for the highest consideration. 
 In Bantams size must be kept down, and discretion used 
 in feeding for hard or soft feather. As a general 
 principle it may be set down that hard feed produces 
 hard and short feather, and vice versd. 
 
 Breeders of Game, Malays, etc., will therefore proceed 
 on the lines of hard corn as staple food, with only small 
 additions of soft food, the less the better ; whereas 
 breeders of rosecombs, Pekins, and kindred soft- 
 feathered stock will judiciously place soft food first, 
 and give hard corn merely as a nightcap before roosting 
 time. In neither case will the food be chosen of too 
 fattening and frame-making a nature, yet sufficiently 
 nourishing to build up and keep up a sound constitution. 
 For if the birds be brought up in too starved a condi- 
 tion, weakly, debilitated frames will result, and lead to 
 much after trouble. 
 
 , Where birds have full liberty on a good grass run, 
 less food is required than if they are kept rigidly con- 
 fined to a pen. In all cases a little soft food should be 
 given in the morning, composed of Spratt's Biscuit Meal, 
 scalded with hot water, and brought to a fine crumbly 
 state with fine sharps, or what is sometimes called 
 
 " thirds '' — a meal much resembling flour. A very little 
 maize meal may be added. One handful of this mixture 
 to two or even three full-grown Bantams will be 
 sufficient for morning feed, presuming the birds have full 
 liberty ; at night, before roosting time, good sound 
 wheat in a similar proportion. A change to dari 
 occasionally will be useful, and be greatly appreciated 
 by the Bantams, for, like their bigger brethren, they 
 like change of diet. In the early spring heuipseed 
 should take the place of dari, as it furnishes natural 
 heat, and will be found very beneficial in the produc- 
 tion of eggs, especially where the birds are kept in 
 exposed positions. Buckwheat is also an excellent food, 
 but, as a rule, birds do not take to it, and will rarely 
 eat it unless given separately from other grain. I do not 
 advocate mixing the grains ; this precludes the 
 possibility of change. Where birds are kept in con- 
 fined runs, the same menu may be given, but it will 
 be well to add any available household scraps, such as 
 boiled cabbage, bits of meat, etc., chopped fine, avoid- 
 ing a too free use of boiled potatoes, or their peelings, 
 which are most fat-forming, therefoie unsuitable for 
 Bantams. 
 
 Never stint the supply of green food ; young dandelion, 
 watercress, lettuce, young cabbage, in fact almost any- 
 thing that is green, should be given to closely confined 
 birds daily, whilst the cooked meat chopped fine given 
 three times a week will be sufficient. If the green food 
 be introduced largely in the pen, it should be removed at 
 once as soon as its freshness has passed away. Nothing 
 can be more harmful than decaying vegetable 
 matter. And with regard to both corn and 
 meal, see that it is not damp or mouldy, for nothing I 
 know of will set up disease sooner than this. Wheat 
 especially is injurious, if it gets into this state. All 
 food stuffs should be kept in large air-tight tin canisters 
 or bins, and in this way kept secure from damp and 
 mildew. The flesh meat, too, should be thoroughly 
 wholesome. Some people seem to have an idea that any 
 sour, putrid stuff will do. This is a grave mista,ke. I 
 find Brand's Meat Meal, a lean meat fibre,very beneficial, 
 both in rearing chicks and given in small quantities to 
 adults in morning meal, during February, March, and 
 April.when eggs are at a premium. Spratt's Crissel isalso 
 an excellent addition to the soft food, and I have heard it 
 liighly spoken of. I do not advocate poultry spices. 
 They will doubtless produce eggs, but at a great cost of 
 constitution, and a Bantam has not enough original 
 vigour to stand such drastic helps. Where birds are 
 confined the grit supply is very important; shell and 
 flint mixed, which can be had from 5s. per cwt., will 
 well pay for its cost. It should be given in a box, and 
 not scattered about anyhow in the run. The only thing 
 that will bear scattering is the corn. If this can 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 be flung amongst loose straw, bracken, chaff, and the 
 like, the search will always afford useful exercise for the 
 birds. 
 
 Watee. 
 
 Water, which we deprecate for chicks, should not be 
 withheld from adult birds. In fact it is absolutely 
 necessary for them. It should be given fresh twice each 
 day, if the weather is sultry three times or even more. 
 Under all circumstances keep it as much out of the sun 
 as possible. Use earthenware vessels well rinsed out 
 each time. Studiously avoid the use of zinc or lead 
 vessels. 
 
 As a tonic and for keeping the birds in good health, I 
 put a small piece of sulphate of iron about the size of a 
 small bean in the water twice a week. Two penny worth 
 will last months. This must not be put into zinc drink- 
 ing tins. 
 
 The soft food is best given in wooden troughs. These 
 can be thoroughly scalded out from time to time. Never 
 leave any food to be soured by the sun, nor yet to form 
 an inducement to vermin. In confined runs a few shady 
 boughs of trees should be laid over the runs, or some 
 kind of awning be put up in tropical weather, not only 
 to keep green and other food fresh the longer, but to 
 furnish a welcome shade for the birds. 
 
 It will be found that eggs from Bantams come much 
 more freely, as in fact they do from any breed of fowl, 
 in warm weather than they do in the cold spring months. 
 If eggs are wanted early, see that the soft morning food 
 is given hot, as reasonably hot as the bird can take it, 
 and that they are not fed in the evening so long before 
 roosting time that their crops have got rid of the corn 
 before retiring, and so are left to pass the cold frosty 
 nights without the natural essentid.1 for keeping them 
 warm. 
 
 I think I have gone fully into all the details of feed- 
 ing, and the proper food to be given, and will now pass 
 on to 
 
 Housing. 
 
 The Bantam fancier who flatters himself that any 
 sort of a dirty, damp, draughty place is good enough to 
 bring up and keep his pets in, cannot possibly make a 
 greater mistake, and so first-class men who know their 
 business never attempt it. Housing correctly is quite 
 as much a panacea to healthy condition, whether for 
 breeding or exhibition, as correct feeding. In fact, to 
 put the matter shortly, all the work of mating, rearing, 
 feeding, etc., may easily be rendered abortive by a 
 
 week's housing in unsuitable quarters, and such a fiasco 
 seems deplorable in the face of the fact that Bantam 
 quarters good and suitable in every way can be had 
 nowadays at a most reasonable figure ; in fact, no kind 
 of poultry house or pen costs so little as those for our 
 pigmy pets. First of all, the place must be weatherproof. 
 So many of us are amateur carpenters, not a few think 
 they can construct a Bantam house for themselves. 
 And, we ask, why not ? I have seen almost as good 
 houses turned out by the amateur as by the professional 
 carpenter. But in amateur carpentry the temptation 
 comes in to use any kind of odd timber that is lying 
 about, odd lengths, short and long, and it very often 
 happens that when all is put together there are cracks 
 and. chinks showing here and thf re when we view our 
 work from the inside. 
 
 Now this must be avoided. Draughts must not 
 be allowed ; better far let the birds roost out in the open 
 than exposed to a draught. The wind blowing in from 
 a hole the size of a Bantam's quill, on a cold.stormy 
 night, direct upon the face of a bird, will leave its mark 
 in the shape of a swollen face, bad cold, and sometimes 
 roup. 
 
 Stop all such crannies with putty or wooden plugs. 
 A home-made house is all the better for being covered 
 with felting. Get the best. It is pheapest in the long 
 run. But if our Bantam house has to be draught-proof 
 it must not in consequence go unventilated. This is 
 most important. More cases of roup are caused every 
 season by allowing birds to be cooped up in badly venti- 
 lated houses than from all other causes combined. Birds 
 that are allowed to roost in large numbers huddled 
 together in evil-smelling, badly-ventilated places all 
 night, come out into the cold morning air more dead 
 than alive, and the contrast of the sleeping quarters 
 and the outside atmosphere is so great that the birds 
 catch cold and are soon down with roup and kindred 
 ailments. . , 
 
 The house should have a current of pure air passing 
 through from end to end, well above the birds' heads, 
 the higher the better. These ventilation holes are best 
 if provided with shutters that will let down and take up, 
 and even off. Two kinds should be to hand, the one of 
 solid wood in case of very high cold winds in winter, 
 the other a frame covered with perforated zinc for cold 
 gusty weather in general. In face, it would not be a 
 bad plan to so have the frame in which they slide con- 
 structed that both could be used together. In this way 
 just the requisite amount of fresh air could be given that 
 circumstances called for. 
 
.IliVKIITISKMKNTH. 
 
 P. PROUD 
 
 Fern Bank, SOUTHPORT. 
 
 BREEDER OF HIGH-CLASS 
 
 Exhibition Came & Variety Bantams, 
 
 BIRDS ALWAYS on SALE at REASONABLE PRICES, 
 and EGGS during the Season 20s. doz. 
 
 Breeding Pens carefully mated up to produce Winners, from £3 
 to £10, according to number and quality. 
 
 ALL BIRDS SENT ON APPROVAL. 
 
 The New Improved Dubbing Scissors, 5s. per pair, post free. 
 
 N.B.— Fanciers' Yards visited, and breeding pens carefully mated up to breed winners. Terms on application. 
 
 WALTER FIRTH, 
 
 , near 
 
 Breeder and Exhibitor of 
 
 H IGH-CLASS GAME & GAME BANTAMS, 
 
 vrz. :— 
 
 Blackreds, Brownreds, and Piles in Modern Game, 
 
 Blackreds and Spangled Old English, 
 
 Blackreds, Duckwings, & Piles in Modern Game Bantams, 
 
 ALSO 
 
 Old English Spangled Bantams, 
 
 WINNERS OF CHALLENGE CUPS. MEDALS, AND SPECIALS AT ALL THE 
 
 LEADING SHOWS. 
 
 EXHIBITION AND STOCK BIRDS ALWAYS ON SALE. 
 
AbVERTlBEMKNTH. 
 
 Old English 
 
 Game Bantams 
 
 Messrs. R. & D. KERR, WHITEHAVEN, Breeders & Exhibitors 
 of Spangles, Blaoli-Reds, Blue Duns, etc. 
 
 Their Birds have been awarded the highe&t honours at all 
 
 the leading Shows, viz., Crystal PaladI, Liverpool, Manchester, 
 
 Carlisle, Longtown, Whitehaven, Cleator Moor, Hay ward's 
 
 Heath, Egremont, Distington, &c. 
 
 PRIZE AND PRIZE-BRED BIRDS ALWAYS ON SALE 
 
 jSk."^ x&z: A.so3!«r.A.s:T.ss x>xs,xCrEss. 
 
 J. W. HILL, 
 
 BREEDER OF HIGH-OLASS 
 
 Game Bantams, Black Reds, 
 Duckwingfs, and Piles. 
 
 Winner of numerous Prizes at all the Principal Shows, 
 including PALACE, BIRMINGHAM, KENDAL, &c, &c. 
 
 BIRDS TO SUIT ALL CUSTOMERS 
 
 at Reasonable Prices. 
 
 Ash Villas, Bury, LANCASHIRE. 
 
ADyEUTmiMENTS. 
 
 INDIAN GAME BANTAMS. 
 
 {SEE ILLUSTRATION, PAGE 33.) 
 
 MR. GEOFFREY JOYCE, 
 
 BLACKFORDBY, BURTON-ON-TRENT, 
 
 BREEDER & EXHIBITOR OF INDIAN GAME BANTAMS, 
 
 Can supply reliable stock and exhibition 
 birds at reasonable prices. Also Eg-g^s in 
 
 season. 
 
 Birds of thisMrain have won prizes at Indian Game Club Show^ 
 Crystal Palace, Birmingham, and all leading Shows. 
 
 H. COPEMAN, 
 
 BREEDER AND EXHIBITOR OF 
 
 jSfacA ff White Tio^eeomb 73antam6 
 
 (That have won over 500 prizes aod honours), 
 
 HAS GENERALLY A FEW 
 
 Good Birds for Sale at Reasonable Prices. 
 
 EG GS IN SEASO N. 
 
 Note— All birds soldby me are g-uaranteed to have NATURAL, not MANDFACTUBED Combs. 
 
 Address: TEMPERANCE PLACE, BECCLES. 
 
ADFEB.TISEMENTS. 
 
 Champion Malay Bantams 
 
 r-^^-w^- w ^'^-^^-^^'w^' ^ ^ ^m w w ^ 
 
 J. W. TATTERSALL, 
 
 The Hermitage, AINSDALE, SOUTHPORT, 
 
 Breeder and Exhibitor of High-class Red and Pile 
 
 Malay Bantams. 
 
 My birds have won upwards of 200 Money Prizes, Cups, and 
 Specials, and are noted for type, being of true Malay shape 
 
 and character. 
 
 GOOD BIRDS ALWAYS ON SALE. 
 
 Winner 1st Dairy, 1899. Winner 1st, Dairy, 1900. 
 Winner Cup, 1st and two 2nds, Barnstaple, 1898. 
 Winner Special and two Ists, Barnstaple, 1899. 
 Winner 1st and Special, Nottingham. 
 Winner 1st, Special and Medal, Euxton. 
 Winner 1st, Liverpool. Winner 1st, Penistone, &c., &c. 
 
 Egg's in season from my best pens, JL3s. doz. 
 
 ALL BIRDS ON GRASS RUNS. MANY NOTED WINNERS HAVE BEEN BRED FROM EGGS 
 
 PURCHASED FROM ME. 
 
.IDVEHriSEMEXTS. 
 
 BUFF P EKIN BA NTAMS. 
 
 MISS ETHEL ARMITAGE SOUTHAM, Stafford (Vice-President, 
 Variety Bantam Club), has generally a few Birds for disposal, bred 
 from her Winners of Firsts and Cups, Crystal Palace, Birmingham, 
 Dairy, Liverpool, and all the leading shows. 
 
 B I II. X) S EZ^IPO £1 T E X) . 
 Acknowledgfed by the Press to be the Best ever Exhibited. 
 
 POULTRY FOR THE PEOPLE. By ALEX. COMYNS, B.A, LL.B. A Complete Guide 
 to Practical Poultry Keeping. New Edition ; revised and brought up to date liy J. P. \V Marx • fully 
 Illustrated. Post free, Is. .3d. (Postal Order. ) • - j 
 
 SUBURBAN POULTRY KEEPING. By T. H. HARRISON. A compact and useful 
 Handbook for Keepers of Poultry in Confined Huns. Illustrated. Post free, paper Is 'M • cloth '^s 'Jd 
 (Postal Order.) ' " ' ' . - ■ • • 
 
 DISEASES OF POULTRY. By Professor WOODROFFE HILL. Second Edition Revised 
 
 and Enlarged, with a Dictionary of Diseases and tlieir Symptoms. Invaluable to every Poultry Fanoipr 
 
 Post free, Is. 2d. (Postal Order.) J " ^ >=•■ 
 
 "THE FEATHERED WORLD." Half-yearly Volumes; Handsomely Bound in Clah ■ 
 always valuable for reference. Post free, 7s. (Postal Order). Cloth Cases for Bindino- imst free <>-< fid' 
 Index to Volumes, Id. each. °' ' , - . u i. 
 
 PRACTICAL HANDBOOKS ON POULTRY. By E. COBB, F.Z.S. 
 
 THE FEEDING & REARING OF CHICKENS, "j rPOnLTaY FARMING UP TO DATE. 
 
 THE HOUSING & MANAGEMENT OF STOCK Pf^* P™M PREPARING POULTRY FOR EXHIBITION 
 INC ORATION, ARTIFICIAL «E NATURAL. J ' (.BREEDING FOR EXHIBITION. 
 
 FATTENING FOWLS, with several Illustrations. Post free, Is. lil. 
 
 MONOGRAPHS ON BREEDS. By Leading Specialists. Illustrated throughout. 
 
 The Blue Andalusian. By "SILVER DUN." Second Edition ; contains, in addition to vabial 1p 
 information upon the Andalusian, an excellent description of the art of scieniittc b: eediug. Post tree, 2s. 2d. (Postal Order? 
 
 HamburghS Up to Date. By CHARLES HOLT. Second Edition, revised and enlaro-ed avHI, 
 specially prepared Ideal Illustrations, Standards, etc. Post fiee, Is. 2d. (Postal Order.) , °-»ocu, nun 
 
 Leghorns of All Varieties By HARRY HESFORD. The most complete and un-to-dnfp wr. i- 
 on the breed published. Post free, li. 8d. (Postal Order.) ^ up to aate wo.k 
 
 The IHinorca Fowl. By FRED BIGGS. Fourth Edition, witli the Standards and Tdenls nf n, 
 London and American Minorca Clubs. P st free, Is. 2d. (Postal Order.) " "' '"e 
 
 The Wyandotte. By H. P. RAINES. Fourth Edition, revised, enlarged, and in great part re--n'rittpn l.„ 
 J. P. W. MAEX, with two Coloured Plates and New Illustrations Post free, Is 8d (t-o=til Order.) "uucu uy 
 
 Brahmas and Cochins, By L. C. R. NORRIS-ELYE. The only work on these varieties Conf-air,c, 
 
 standards, and is Fully Illustrated. Post free, 28. 2d. (Postal Order.) ^ "• '-'"'"iains 
 
 "THE FEATHERED WORLD," 9, Arundel St, Strand, London, W.C. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 FRED J. W. OAKLEY, 
 
 24, Roe Lane, SOUTHPORT, 
 
 Breeder and QUCKWINC GAME BANTAMS. 
 
 Exhibitor of 
 
 Birds from this yard are winning at Leading 
 
 ENGLISH AND SCOTCH SHOWS. 
 
 Exhibition Cockerels and Pullets, from 21s.; Proud's 
 Strain direct. Breeding- Pens^ from 50s. 
 
 Also Eggs during season, from Cockerel or Pullet Breeding 
 
 Pens, 21s. dozen. 
 
 Mr. R. FLETCHER HEARNSHAW, F.LS., 
 
 Burton ^ Joyce, NOTTINGHAM. 
 
 Breeder and Successful Exhibitor of Black Eosecomb, White Rosecomb, and 
 
 Scotch Grey Bantams. 
 
 BIRDS AND EGGS ALWAYS FOR SALE. 
 
 FARNSWORTH'S 
 HAMBURGH BANTAMS 
 
 (See Page 46). 
 
 My liitle SILVER SPANGLES are acknowledged one of the prettiest of all Variety 
 Bantams, and seldom miss the Prize List. Eeliable limited Stock, 
 
 (Breeder and Originator of the Silver Spangled Hambuigh Bantam),