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LIBRARY

MASSACHUSETTS
AGRICULTURAL

sourceLct 1902 -;\vjcLii..

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IAUG4 1b55
AUG 1 3 ia5y

THE BANTAM FOWL

A DESCRIPTION OF ALL STANDARD BREEDS AND
VARIETIES OF BANTAMS.

ZPXJLIjY ILLTJSTI^^TEID.

BY T. F. McGREW,

NEW YORK CITY.

PRICE KIKXY CENTS.

Published by the Rewable Poultry Journal Publishing Co.,
quincy, illinois, u. s. a,

COPYRIGHTED B
RELIABI,E Porl.TRY JOURNAT- PrBI.l

INTRODUCTION.

ANTAMS have gained a position in the fancy far beyond the
wildest hopes of their most ardent admirers. Only a few years
ago they were spoken of as "Banties," and those who fostered
,^^ them were considered a little off the regular line of the poultry
fraternity; to-day they have the attention of the poultry world,
and the most successful breeders in the land pay them tribute. In
England, Canada and the United States the most accomplished breed-
ers are using their utmost endeavor to produce some one or more
kinds of these miniature fowls of a surprising quality, so as to astonish
their fellow fanciers and gain prominence in the Bantam Kingdom.

In 1816 Moubray devoted to Bantams only thirteen lines of his
book on domestic poultry; to-day, if alive, Burnham could write a
book on the Bantam craze. Forty-five years ago Messrs. Wingfield
and Johnson spoke of seven varieties, all that were known at that time;
to-day we have over forty kinds and colors, all fine in form and plu-
mage.

So much has been said and written within the last few years about
Bantams that it would be quite impossible to say much of them that
has not been previously stated. In compiling this volume, the author
has gone through many books, written letters of inquiry to fanciers all
over the world, and talked with every one known to him who knew
aught of the subject, Facts thus obtained, together with those of his
own personal knowledge, are herein recorded for the benefit of the
reader.

It is the author's wish to present this subject not in a lengthy,
scientific manner, but in a short, concise way that may be both attrac-
tive to the amateur and interesting to the matured fancier. Should
this desire be fulfilled he will be fully compensated for the many
hours spent in search and preparation of the data contained herein.

T. F. McGREW.

1899

THE BANTAM FOWL.

CHAPTER I.

HE proper housing of Bantams is the first and most
important point for consideration. Almost any place
will do for them, provided it is reasonably warm in cold
weather, and free from dampness at all times. These
little fowls have the constitution to stand very cold
weather, but dampness is their almost certain destroyer.
'^ From the time Bantams are hatched till the end of their
natural life they should be protected from wet and damp. If
this is done and they are properly fed, they will enjoy perfect
health and repay you for all the attention they have received.
Young Bantams, when hatched, should be kept within
doors on a dry board floor with the mother hen for about
forty-eight hours, then removed into dry quarters outside and
housed in a properly constructed coop with board floor that
should be strewn with hay seed or chaff, or hay cut quite
small. For my own use I have constructed a coop after the
st3de of one made by Spratt's Patent. This is not all import-
ant, for any well constructed coop will do for their comfort, if
warm and dry. We advocate very strongly the use of coops
with board floors; at the same time, many advocate placing
them in /\ coops right on the ground. Having used both,
we cast our vote in favor of the coop with board floor well cov-
ered with drj' lit-
ter, believing a
greater number of
just as healthy
chicks will be
raised in this way
in all kinds of
weather, and in a
wet season, like
the summer of 1897,
the per cent is
largely in favor of
the dry floors.

For adult Ban-
tams we also ad-
vocate houses with
board floors, and we prefer these houses to be set at least ten
inches from the ground, and so constructed that no vermin of
any kind can make their home beneath the house. The illustra-
tion of our favorite style of coop for adult Bantams (See Fig.
1) will indicate our notion as to same. We also copy one from
Spratt's illustrations, having added some of our own ideas to
it. From our illustrations many forms of Bantam houses can
be constructed; no matter how rude or cheap in form, just so
they are dry and furnish protection from the very cold weather.
Do not think for a moment that we would intimate that Ban-
tams should be kept in warm or heated quarters during cold
weather. They are quite hardy and withstand cold weather
wonderfully well, but they should have comfortable houses to
thrive and do their best.

For perches nothing is better than oval strips of wood, two
and one-half to three inches wide on the Hat side. Some say
smaller perches are best. Try both and see which your fowls
will prefer. Nest boxes and other furnishings you can select,
as best suits your fancy. We use small pine boxes and find
them very handy for removing with a broody hen to some
quiet corner where she can bring out her brood in comfort.

Many of the finest exhibition Bantams of England are bred
in very contracted quarters. We have seen a pen of five Ban-
tams housed and yarded in a space less than seven feet square
for a period of four months, and they produced a fine lot of

FIG. 1. — POULTRY HOUSE WITH RUN
UNDERNE.4.TH.

healthy chicks, many of which found their way to the show
pens and won their share of prizes. Quite a number of the
New York prizewinners are bred in very small city lots, where
all green food and grit of all kinds must be furnished them.
The secret of success in these cases is the great care bestowed
upon the fowls. The
most perfect sanitary
conditions must be
observed, and cleanli-
ness must be the ab-
solute rule of the hour.
To occasionally clean
up will not do. If kept
in these confined,
small quarters, they
must be kept as thor-
oughly clean as your
own house, for in this _
way only can they be

successfully raised in ^ .'

^ , -^ Thisn

confined quarters.

We breed our finest specimens in a small back yard, and
use for housing a small wooden packing box, as shown in Fig.
2. Their run is about eight feet square, and they are turned
out on the grass plot each day for a run. The two hens in one
of these runs laid over one hundred and fifty eggs in four
months, producing a number of very fine chicks, all of which
were kept till eight weeks old, in a small door yard„ After
this age we sent them to a farm to shift for themselves.

Bantams should be sheltered from sun, wind, rain and
snow by day, and from drafts by night. Shade of some
kind should be provided for all Bantams intended for exhibi-
tion, for their plumage is soon injured by the hot rays of the
sun. White turns yellow and black turns brown when exposed
for days to the hot sunlight. We have seen the careful
breeder spread sheets of canvas for shade when deprived of
natural shade, for his fowls. These little pointers show what
care the expert bestows upon his prospective prize winners.

FOOD AND FEEDING.

MADE OUT OF A DRY GOODS BOX.

es an excellent home for a few fowls.

must be well fed, properly fed and not overfed
nor underfed. Do not starve your breeding stock, but keep
them in good condition and feed them on the proper amount
of egg-forming food. Always give them the best, for they eat
so little that what
they do eat should be
fine in quality. If fed
morning and evening
during the breeding
season it is quite
enough, providing
attention is paid to
quality and the prop-
er quantity.

If confined in runs,
plenty of green food and grit must be given them. When so
confined, a meal at noon adds much to their comfort and con-
dition. For green food, cut grass, clover, apples, beets, turnips,
and the tops of almost any vegetable are good for them. This
green food should be given at noon.

The best grain for Bantams is wheat, rice, oatmeal and
some broken corn. When young it is best to cook the food
for them. Boiled rice, mixed with corn bread, wheat bread.

THE BANTAM FOWL.

or a mixture of ground oats, corn and middlings made into a
cake and baked is verj' good. Feed the chicks quite often, on
small amounts each time. In this way they will not be forced
to overgrowth. After weaning time a small feed of wheat

Fig. 4.— For Bantams '4x36
apartment for hen drop

twice a day is quite enough for them if the} ha\ e their_libert\ ,
where they can find seeds and bugs for themselves.

All Bantams should have some kind of animal food. If
confined feed them a limited amount of ground green bone
with some meat in it, not too much, and cut very fine. Cooked
meat of all kinds is good for them'and there is nothing better
than cooked fish. There>re]'quite J a
number of prepared animal foods, many
of them very good. The best of them
is Crissel and Liverine. A mixture of
Liverine, oatmeal and middlings cooked
or scalded and fed warm and crumbling
is a good occasional food. Crissel is
excellent for laying hens. It can be
fed in the same manner and is a fine
egg-producing food. Grit of some kind,
ground shell, bone and charcoal should
always be provided in liberal quantities.
They are great promoters of good health.
After^the" breeding season, cut down the
food ration of your old birds, only feed
them as you do the young, growing stock ;
but when the cooler weather comes treat
them as you do yourself, to a little larger
allowance. One of the most important factors of
plenty of pure, fresh water. This should be kept in some good
style of fountain, protected from the sun in hot weather.
These fountains should be kept as clean as your own cups and
saucers, and fresh water should be provided at least once, and
when very warm, not less than twice a day. The hen must
quench lier thirst and also consume enough water to furnish a
large per cent of water in the eggs she lays. The better the

wheat. Always feed them the kind of food that has the
tendenc3' to advance the features most desired.
SIZE AND WEIGHT.

We advocate that all Bantams shall weigh about one-fifth
IS much as the standard fowls thej- miniature; if less, so much
the better. The smaller the better, providing they possess all
the variety characteristics. We have seen them too small for
Bantams. This is quite as bad as too large. The happy
medium of size combined with the perfect form is most to be
des red.

MATING.

From three to five hens are quite enough for one male.
Grade this according to his vigor and success in filling the
eggs. Sebrights and Japanese do best in trios, and most of the
other males do better with two or three females. Mate them
early so they may become acquainted before the breeding
season, otherwise their habit of quarreling when strange to
one another may give you many infertile eggs. Do not hesi-
tate to inbreed good, healthy stock, but do not make it a rule
to mate brother and sister together. This is the most unlikely
mating one can have. Father with daughter, or son with
mother will bring improvement; also, cousins in line or to
ancestors, but do not look for marked improvement from
brother and sister, it does not work well that wav.

U I —Grand for -i^

BEST TIME FOR HATCHING.
Bantams should be about six mouths old for males, and a
little less for females before they are fully ready to show under
the most favorable circumstances. We have won in strong
competition with Bantam males five months old, but consid-
ered the specimen rather immature. By taking this as a
guide you can hatch any time from .\priltill August, and later
if prepared to care for late chicks. Late hatched Bantams do
well if properly housed; if not, they drop by the wayside and

-Built of rouEh lu

uher

3x4 feet; mc

vable open

run;

drop

iret or cold

irht

; ventilator above drop.

Cooj

be

made with
possible

d floor. Mak

and space

r«e a

water supply and the food, the better she will lay. Here are
a few hints on feeding young chicks: If j-ou want bone, like
in the Game Bantam, feed bone-forming food; if a short leg
and plenty of feather, like the Cochin Bantams, feed rice and

CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF BANTAMS.

The following circular came to hand with no name signed
to it, but we consider it worthy of a place in our book:

"May and June are the best months to hatch Bantams.
\pnl, July and August are not bad, and September is all right
if -s ou have an extra nice place to keep the chicks in during
nter.

"Vou can set the eggs under Bantams or large hens. A
large hen that will sit on her own eggs without breaking them
can do the same with Bantam eggs, as they do not break any
easier than ordinary eggs. The only objection to using large
hens as mothers is that they are apt to kill a great many chicks
by stepping on them.

"In the care of the chicks the most important thing is to
keep them absolutely free from lice. Remember the lice on

THE BANTAM FOWL.

Bantams are the same size as those that infest ordinary chickens,
therefore the Bantams will succumb sooner than the ordinary
chicks. I use the utmost precaution against lice, but if I find
a brood is not doing well I examine them carefully for lice. If
I find any I dust them with insect powder; if I do not find any
I dust them just the same. It takes sharp eyes to discover
lice, but with experience you will be able to tell when your
chicks are lousy by their general appearance.

FOOD AND WATER.

"Keep clean water before }-our chicks all the time, also
plenty of grit, and for the first
week or two finely broken egg
shells, and after that oyster
shells. Give all food dry. Bread
crumbs make an excellent food
for the first two weeks. Oats,
wheat and corn are my principal
standbys.

"Oats I use in the form of
oatmeal. This is just the right
size for the first few days. Then
I give cracked wheat, and as
soon as they will eat it, finely
cracked corn. By the end of
the third week they can usually eat whole wheat. I depend
upon these three grains all through the growth of the chick,
simply using the different forms to accommodate the size of
the chick.

"A newly hatched Bantam will swallow only a very small
particle. Give finely chopped, cooked meat twice a week.
See that they have an abundance of green food all the time,
and the more bugs and worms the better. Vary your diet as
much as possible by using waste from the table, but be sure to

feed everything dry. Wet or even moist food comes next to
lice on the list of chicken destroyers. Feed five or six times a
day at regular intervals for the first week or two, after that
gradually lessen the number of feeds until b}' the time they are
fully feathered two or three times a day will be found quite
sufficient.

A WRONG IDEA.
"There is a common idea that Bantam chicks must be
starved to keep them small. If j'ou wish even a moderate
amount of success in raising them give up this idea at once.
I'ntil they are fully feathered feed them just as if you expected
to make roasters of them. After
they are feathered you may let
up a little, but keep them grow-
ing, and when you pick one up
it should feel plump and not as
if its breastbone would cut
through the skin.

"By this method you will
undoubtedly get some over-
grown birds, while by starving
them you will get a great manj-
worthless and mismarked ones,
and the best you will get will
not be equal to the best obtained
either plumage, shape or vigor. Keep

chicks, 6x8 feet, making two apart
house about 100 growing chicks.

in the other way,
your Bantams small by selecting the smallest to breed from,
and keep them healthy by good care and enough to eat.
Nothing has done more to hurt the popularity of the Bantam
than this idea that it must be starved to keep it down to
standard size.

"Keep your chickens free from lice, give them clean, dry
quarters, dry food in abundance, and 3'ou have the three main
props in raising Bantams."

CHAPTER ll.

THE GAME BANTAM.

HE most popular of all Bantam fowls is the Game Bantam.
No variety of fowls is more widely known than the Black
Red Game Bantam, and we must conclude, judging from
the quality we find at some of our exhibitions, none so
little understood. How often we see them of the same
fashion as a young duckling, short of leg, long and plump
of body, the female being shaped more like a pigeon
than a game fowl, proving the lack of knowledge as to the
requirements of a true Game Bantam.

First we will say a few words as to their early ancestors.
More ancient than poultry lore is the game fowl. Of my own
experience I can say that a personal friend who visited Pompeii
saw a large flagon that had been taken from the ruins, on one
side of which was engraved a game cock, on the other a
peafowl, showing that fowls of this kind were known at that
early day. Early writers tell us of Game Bantams, but we
have only seen one record that places the credit of their origin.
Mr. Entwisle, in his book on Bantams, states as follows: "We
think we shall be quite within the mark in saying that not one
of those we have placed in the intermediate class, such as
Games, Cuckoo or Scotch Greys, Frizzled, Rumpless, Japanese
and Buff Pekin, was known in England fifty years ago,
certainly not sixty years ago." To Mr. John Crosland, of
Wakefield, he gives the credit of having produced the earliest
Game Bantams. In the few lines given to Bantams by Mou-
bray (1816) he states: "There has been lately obtained a
variety of Bantams extremely small and as smooth legged as a
game fowl."

Mr. Hewitt, in writing of them in 1852, tells of a pair of
Duckwing Game Bantams, which he describes as a beautiful
pair. At the same time he mentions Black Breasted Red
Game Bantams, a fac-simile of the game fowl, but not exceed-
ing three-quarters of a pound in weight. He goes further and
states as his opinion that the Game Bantam, properly so called,
may be fairly considered as occupying a distinct place in the
family. He does not give the credit of their production to
any one, bnt claims for them the right of belonging to a distinct
family.

Mr. Tegetmeier, in his book (1867), in writing of Game
Bantams, tells of a Mr. Monsey, of Norwich, who produced
them by inbreeding and selecting, also by crossing them on
other Bantams. Neither of these gentlemen gives the credit of
their origin to any one person. We simply present these
records without comment to show the opinion of both early
and modern writers as to their origin.

The Game Bantam, of whatever variety, should conform
to the one standard for shape. Never be content with an
off-shaped bird, no matter how good the color, for without the
true Game Bantam form, color and markings go for naught.
Never hope for good results in breeding from ill-shaped birds
with poor carriage, for your reward will be disappointment.
The main features are good style, hard plumage (that is, short,
small and close-fitting to the body), small size and color.
These, in the order named, constitute the true Game Bantam.
By style we refer to all terms used by experts and others not
so well informed, such as carriage, symmetry, station, etc.
The general style includes the shape of the bird and its ability
to carry itself in the proper Game Bantam manner, and when
this requirement is lacking the true Game Bantam feature is
gone and the bird is of no value either as a show bird or pro-
ducer of same. Much improvement can be made in some birds

by training, but true st\'le cannot be trained into a bird that is
lacking in proper form.

The bird should be tall, upright and bold; the Lead long and
narrow; the beal;: finely formed, long and tapering and slightly
curved; eyes bright and clear, and face bright red, except
gipsy face in Brown Reds; and the skin of the face very thin
and close fitting. One feature of great importance and beauty
is a thin, clean throat. When bred so fine that the female
scarcely shows any wattles, the thin, clean throat adds much
to the beauty of head and neck in both males and females. To
show how long ago the absence of wattles was bred for, we
state for your benefit, that the Black Sumatra Game in perfec-
tion scarcely shows any wattles. Our standard does not class
them as Games, but they are of that same nature of fowls.

The neck should be long, thin and tapering from bod}- to
head, the neck hackle short and close fitting. The feathers
of the hackle should not come together in front and they
should end where the neck and back join. The shoulders
should be broad, square and carried forward, and the neck
should join the back and body between the shoulders, the
prominence of which gives the appearance of the neck being
set into the body. This feature is more prominent in the male.
The back is short, flat and tapering, giving the body almost
the shape of an egg; in fact, the body should be egg-shaped,
and the wings should set very close to the body and be carried
well up to the back. The end of the wings should not extend
beyond the body, nor should any part of the wing drop or ex-
tend over the back. The shorter they are the better, and the
higher the better, just so they do not cover the back.

The tail should be short, small and close, but slightly ele-
vated. The tails of both male and female should be formed
much alike, the male having a few short narrow sickle feath-
ers. What is called a "whip tail" is most desirable. The
breast should be neat, round and plump. We do not admire
the flat breast on either Games or Game Bantams, nor do we
advocate over-feeding till the crop becomes extended, which
spoils the bird's appearance. They should be fed enough to fill
out their breasts to their proper form, and not so underfed as
to cause the shoulders to look narrow and spoil the whole ap-
pearance. The sides and wings should be round, not flat. In
fact, the whole formation of the body should be round and
tapering towards the stern; the whole body coming to a point,
similar to the small end of an egg.

The legs and feet are of great importance. The thighs
should be long, muscular and set well apart; in fact, well to
the outside of the body. They should taper to the hock joint,
which should be strong at the juncture with the shank, which
should be long, clean and slender, almost round, and covered
with small, close-fitting scales perfecth- smooth and free from
imperfections of any kind. The feet and toes must be sound
and perfect in form, the toes perfectly straight, well spread
and of good length. The hind toe should be set low^ and flat
on the ground, and should be perfectly straight out behind,
and not curved, crooked nor carried high. When the hind
toes twist or turn forward, it is a grave fault, and a bird with
this weakness should neither be shown nor used as a breeder,
because this defect disqualifies for all uses.

Size is a most important feature and should be obtained by
proper mating, not by underfeeding, for underfed birds can
neither mature good bodies nor feathers. Always remember,
style and size come largely from the female and, color from

THE BANTAM FOWL.

he male. Never use au overgrown female Bantam to produce
small stock, nor a bad colored male for good color. Have both
as near the proper requirements as possible.

The female should in all the above features conform to the
male. Her shape and general form should be the same, with
the few exceptions of tail, comb and head, but always of a more
delicate or effeminate character. In the consideration of size,
we hold it is just as bad to have them too small or undersized
as to have them oversized unless their vigor and stamina can
be retained. When too small their ability to reproduce is
more likely to be dwarfed and their constitutional vigor
impaired. No fowl of any kind is valuable when these facts
combine to destroy its real use. The proper size of a Game
Bantam is to be just as small as possible and yet retain all the
characteristics of the game fowl. We have seen female Game
Bantams that weighed under ten ounces. They are simply a
novelty in the fowl line and should be classed
with cage birds, for they are of little useful
value. We think sixteen ounces is, under all
conditions, about as small as a mature male
bird has been bred and at the same time main-
tained all the features of a true Game Bantam,
having proper vigor and endurance.

We rec9gnize in our American Standard
the following varieties: Black Breasted Red,
Brown Red, Golden Duckwing, Silver Duck-
wing, Red Pyle, Birchen, White and Black.
In addition to these there are the Malay,
. Indian Game and Aseel Bantams. The Ban-
tams allowed by our standard must conform
in shape to the description given above. As to
color and markings, all must be treated sepa-
rately. In doing this we shall present the
views of the best breeders of both this country
and England.

BLACK BREASTED RED GAME
BANTAMS.
The face, top of head when trimmed, and
throat should be a rich healthy red on the
cock bird; beak, dark horn color preferred;
eyes red; head, neck, hackle and saddle should
all be of one shade whether orange or light
red. We prefer what is called an orange,
bright and pure in color and perfectly
clear from any sign of stripe or markings. Of whatever color,
it should be pure and true. A light red shading into orange
is a bad defect in color for the show pen (but for pullet breed-
ing, most desirable). The back should be a clear, pure red
of a slightly darker shade than the neck. No better descrip-
tion can be given for the wing coloring than is found in the
Standard of Perfection, which should be studied by all who
hope to breed these fowls to perfection. The shoulder should
be black up to the meeting of the back coloring which extends
down under the wings; wing fronts, black; wing bow, bright
red, or crimson as it is called in England. The wing coverts
should form a glossy black bar across the wing; primaries
black, the outer web of the lower feathers bay in color; part
of the outer web of secondaries ba}'; balance of feathers black.
Breast up to throat, body, stern, thighs, and tail black; sickles
and tail coverts, lustrous black; shanks and feet, willow
colored, of a greenish rather than a yellowish shade, and very
smooth and free from all defects.

The female to be a perfect show color according to the
fashion of the day, must show a shade of color not strictly as
described in our present standard. We say the ground color
should be golden brown penciled with grayish brown; the
English say, one even shade of light brownish drab finely
penciled with black. The English fashion of color is winning

favor with our best judges. Our description is not a perfect
description of the color as accepted by experts. ■ The comb of
the female should be small, neat and perfectly upright, in color
red; wattles and ear-lobes very small, if almost none is pre-
ceptiBle, so much the better, but they must not be trimmed;
red in color. The color of the head should conform to body
color. If the body color is dark the head may be of a darkish
shade; but one even color of head and neck is preferable and
that should be golden with a narrow black stripe through the
middle of the feather. The beak should be a dark horn color.
Back, wing-bows and coverts should be one even shade of
brown, finely penciled with lighter brown; breast, light sal-
mon, shading into lighter color toward the thighs; primaries,
black or darkish brown; tail, black or dark brown, the two up-
per feathers powdered with the same color as back; thighs,
light browm, and shanks willow. The above would describe a

.\NTAMS.

standard female as per our standard. We should prefer a fe-
male of a little different shading (for we think it more like the
bird that wins the admiration of both judge and expert), as
follows:

The general body color very even and regular in markings,
of a color rather on a golden brown shade, finely penciled
with dark brown or black; throat, light salmon; breast, a
reddish salmon, shading into an ashy color under the legs.
The whole color should be very even, pure and free from any
dark or blotchy shadings. This we consider a beautiful com-
bination for a show bird. Such e bird is most valuable as a
breeder.

To breed show birds of high quality is an art that can only
be learned by experience. A few general points can be told,
and when followed, success may be the result; but the pro-
duction of high-class specimens is the result of study and
patience. For the production of males, a perfect show male
mated to Wheatons, or females showing a reddish cast on the
wings, or females from a Wheaton mated to au exhibition
male, is the best for good results. The best of all is regularly
bred females from Wheaton hens by the best exhibition males.
If once you can establish such blood lines of your own, you
can hope for males of the highest order, but till then look
for only a small percent of high-class males.

12

THE BANTAM FOWL.

VoT feiiuiles, the best rc-sults come from males of one even
color of red all over. If the hackle and saddle shade into
orange, so much the better. Such males, with the truest
colored females, produce the best pullets.

BROWN RED GAME BANTAMS.
The face, comb, wattles and ear-lobes of both male and
female should be dark purple. The male should be colored aj
follows; The
portions of the
body that are
red in the Black
Red male
should be
lemon colored
in the Brown
Red male. All
other portions
should be black,

-BRO^\^ RFD C,\lMl!, B\NT\MS

lacing of lemon
on the breast
feathers. The
shaft of the
feathers that
are laced should
be of a pale
lemon color,
shanks and feet
quite dark in
color. Head
and neck feath-
ers should have
a narrow stripe
of black. All
lemon colored
feathers should
have a light
colored shaft, and saddle should be striped with black, same
as neck feathers.

The female should have a golden or lemon color for head,
running a little lighter for neck, which should be penciled
with a narrow stripe of black down the middle of each feather;
the balance of the plumage should be a lustrous black, the
breast feathers laced with lemon. All feathers showing the
lemon lacing should be laced with the same shade as the neck
feathers. Whatever shade the neck is, the breast lacing
should be the same, and each feather on breast of both male
and female should be evenly laced all round with a narrow
edge of the same shade as neck color. The legs and feet of
both male and female should be quite dark in color. If black
legs can be had they are by far the best.

Good colored Brown Reds bred together should produce
l)oth males and females of the proper color. To keep the
color true the highest grade males should be bred to the most
perfect females, and to regain any lost color in males breed
from females that show good lacing on back and wing bows.
Never discard a female that is well laced on back and wings,
for she is of great value to improve the color of males. Cock-
erels that show too light color on back often make the best
cock birds, having a tendency to grow darker each year. A
true colored young bird is often too dark as a two-year-old.
Some use Golden Duckwing blood to improve the color, but it
is far better to use females as above mentioned, and thus save
much trouble for v'ears to come.

BIRCHEN GAME BANTAMS.
Birchen Games are the same in markings as the Brown
Reds, only their markings are silvery white. For this reason
we advance the opinion that the coloring of the Brown Reds

should be more of a golden color; one after the Golden Duck-
wing, the other after the Silver; believing the lemon, or straw
color, in fact, too faded a color to breed true and sustain itself
as it should. "We present below a description of this variety
from the pen of Mr. S. Walker Anderson (Hon. Sec, pro tem
of the United Game Club), of Scrooby, Bawtry, England, one
of the most successful fanciers of the day:

"This new and pretty variety of Bantams has only re-
cently come to the front. 1896 was the first year that classes
for it were provided at the Crystal Palace, although they have
been shown successfully in the variety classes. As yet we
have no recognized standard. I have drawn up a standard
giving the most points for that which every breeder will
acknowledge to be the most difScult to obtain. The Birchen,
as most breeders know, is a made breed, obtained by crossing
a Duckwing with a Brown Red. Vou obtain a Birchen in the
first cross, and many times might breed a specimen equal to
many years' careful breeding with Birchen and Birchen.
HOW TO SELECT BIRDS FOR FIRST CROSS.

"You must select a Silver Duckwing cock with heavily
ticked breast and streaky hackle, good black thighs and fluff;
small in tail; very free from shaftiness or lacing. Of course it
is understood that the birds must be oi good shape, long head
with plenty of reach. The Brown Red hen must have a good
black face and eye, evenly laced breast, and light lemon
hackle. And be careful that she has a clear cap. Body should
be by no means shafty. From your first season's result select
those nearer to the Birchen standard for next year's breeding
stock, and in no case, however good, breed from a cock or hen
that has a red face and light eye.

HOW TO SELECT BIRDS FOR SHOW AND STUD.

"You must first have a good shaped cock with plenty of

DKRSON S BIRCHEN GAMES.

reach and stvle, long head and neck; face and eye as dark as
possible; the beak, legs and toe nails black or very dark slate
color; the cap, neck and saddle hackle silvery white (not
creamy), each feather having a narrow black center. The
breast, which is one of the most attractive parts of the bird,
should be black, each feather having a narrow margin of white

THE BANTAM FOWL.

completely round it and the shaft of the feather faint white. standard is golden, with them orange or yellow. They
I myself have a strong objection to a heavily laced bird. The prefer a creamy white hackle with orange back and wing-
thigh and fluff should be black. This point I consider most bow. We call for a straw colored hackle and golden back
difficult to obtain as most cocks are laced both on the thighs and wing-bow with saddle same color as hackle, both of

which must be free from any penciling
or dark stripes. Of whatever color, it
must be clear and pure, and free from
any discoloration. The general coloring
of the bird is the same as to markings as
the Black Red. The wing bay of a
Duckwing is of great importance. This
is a weak point in most of them and
should be watched with care in breed-
ing. The shanks of both male and
female, to look the best, should be a
light willow.

The female iu her make up follows
the Black Red, having the salmon breast.
Her back and wings are a slate gray;
hackle silvery gray with a narrow stripe;
body and stern light ashy gray, tail black
with top feathers powdered with gray.
Our standard omits the penciling in
plumage of Duckwing females, but they
should be penciled on back and wings,
very fine and evenly, with black or dark
brownT Thehead'coloring of the^Duck-

FIG. 11. — BIRCHEN G.A.ME BANT.\MS.

and fluff. The shoulder points should be black, saddle and
beak a silvery white with a black center; bows and wings black;
tail black, small and fine in sickle and free from shaftiness or
lacing. The hen should have a good black face and eye. Cap
and neck hackle are the same as male bird, also the breast;
the rest of the body a glossy black. Legs, feet and toe nails
same as the cock.

"General remarks: To keep Birchens in show form you
must not expose them to' the sun; if you do they will turn a
straw color. I should advise keeping them in covered runs
during the show season. Always destroy anj' brown-red
chickens that are Birchen bred, if not you will never obtain a
pure strain.

SUGGESTED STANDARD.

Vood liead and neck. . . .

Eye and face

Shape and style.

Legs and feet

Condition

Hardness of featli

Tail

Hreast lacing

Clear thighs... .
Soundness of colo

ud head and neck 6

Eve and face lU

.Shape and style 10

Legs and leet S

Condition Ill

Hardness of leather 8

DUCKWING BANTAMS.
Duckwings are of most beautiful color wlicu in perfec-
tion. The rich coloring of neck, back and wings forms a
beautiful contrast to the bright, glossy black body of the
males. Our standard for these fowls differs somewhat from
the English in the point of describing color. In Golden
Duckwings, head and hackle with us are straw color; the Kn-
glish standard calls for creamy white. The back in our

\.:MK B.\NT.\M COCK.

wing should be very clear and pure, and the hackle quite free
from any off shading.

The Silver Duckwing is a counterpart of the Golden, ex-
cept in color. The male is a silvery white in hackle, back,
saddle and wings, and the female is of a much lighter shade
of gray, with a light salmon breast. A perfect Duckwing

THE BANTAM FOWL.

female is the most beauti f ul of all Game Bantam females when
of perfect form -md color No Game Bantam is harder to pro-
luce in perfection
than the Duck-
wmg. They must
be crossed with
the Black Reds to
keep up the color of
the males, and this
must be done in an
understanding way
or bad results will
follow. Do not se-
lect them as a
breed easy to han-
dle, for they are a
work of art from
the hand of an
artist who has well
m hand the blood
lines of his differ-
ent matings. Do
not be surprised if
the progeny of a
well selected pen
of Duckwiugs dis-
appoint you. It is
quite essential to
know their breed-
ing to handle them
for best results.

FIG. IS.— PAIR OF DUCKWING BANTAMS.

females quite dark on breast and with red markings on wings.
These birds show the strength of color as ^derived from the
Black Red cross, and will improve color without so much
injury to the leg color. But to produce and maintain a
strain of high-class Pyles one must certainly feed into their
veins some Black Red blood. This should come from a male
with yellow legs and as pure and even a color as possible.
Many rules for breeding these birds are given, but the safest
and surest way is to use the most perfect males of the deepest
red shade, with females having too much color for your cock-
erels, and with almost white females for j'Our pullets. This
will secure a general average of qualit}- and many good birds
of both sexes. When the color fails, introduce new blood as
above mentioned and use the product of the cross to improve
color.

WHITE AND BLACK.
Some ver3' fine White Game Bantams with dark legs,
sports from Brown Reds and Birchens, make their appearance.
If these were bred to the White Game Bantams with yellow
beaks and legs, a fine line of well stationed birds could be pro-
duced. The White Game should be pure white in color, with
yellow legs and beak. They originalh' came from the Brown
Red Bantams, as did the Black Games; both have the same
common ancestry. The Blacks should be pure, lustrous
black, with black legs and dark purple face, beak dark horn
or black, eyes black or dark brown. These two varieties could
be made most attractive if attention were paid to them.

RED PYLE BANTAMS.
The Pyle Game Bantam cock, when bred to the true type
of form and color, is one of the most beautiful of all Game
Bantam males, and many assert he is the most beautiful. He
is red and white, as the Black Red is red and black. If the
red is of a bright crim-
son, and the white a
pure, clear white, the
combination is most
attractive. Yellow legs
and beak are most
essential to a perfect
make-up. Bad or off-
coloring of an)' kind
is quite objectionable,
and while dark mark-
ings are not a disqual-
ification they detract
from the beauty of the
bird.

The female should
be pure white, with a
golden hackle cen-
tered with white, and
a salmon throat and
breast, the color shad-
ing into white on
thighs and belly; the
purer and clearer these
colors, the better. The
breast color should
not be of a reddish
brown, but salmon
of a red shade of
color. The tendency of the female is to run light in color when
produced from Pyle matings. This can be improved in many
ways, but the better way for general purposes is to breed from

OTHER VARIETIES.

THE MALAY BANTAM
Is a perfect Malaj- in form and color, almost as small as Game
Bantams and of the following colors, White, Pyle, Black Red

FIG. 14. — RED PYLK GAMK BANT..\

and Pheasant. Having described the other colors for regular
Game Bantams, it is only necessary to tell of the Pheasant
color: Comb, face, throat, ear-lobes and wattles, red; eyes
pearl or yellow; beak yellow or horn color; head and hackle

THE BANTAM FOWL

15

black; beak and saddle mixed dark maroon and black; wing-
bows dark maroon; secondaries, outer web bay, inner web
black; tail glossy black; balance of plumage black; legs and

FIG. 16.

NT A MS.

feet yellow. The female is just like an Indian Game female
of high quality that has double lacing. Single lacing is admis-
sible, but the other is preferred.

ASEEL BANTAMS
Are of all colors, such as White, Black, Black Red, Gray and
Spangled. They are fashioned very much after the Malay
type. Their necks are strong and muscular; legs short; plum-
age hard and short; thighs very strong and rather scantily
feathered. Male weighs about two pounds. The female should
resemble the male. Ear-lobes and wattles on both should be
very small; back quite straight; carriage upright.

INDIAN GAME BANTAMS
Are just like the Indian Games, Laced and White.

THE PYLE WHEATON HEN
Has a very bright eye and a golden hackle; breast pale fawn
at times almost cream colored; thighs and upper part of body
light buff or lemon color; back and wings the color of wheat;
primaries white; secondaries, outer web wheaton, inner web
white; tail white, upper feathers edged with wheaton color;
legs and feet are often light willow, but yellow is preferred.

THE DUCKWING WHEATON HEN
Differs from the above as follows: Hackle and head color is
white, or white slightly striped with black; breast light fawn;
back and wings pale cinnamon; primaries black; tail and legs
same as a Red Wheaton.

RED WHEATON HENS
Have a red face, red ear-lobes and wattles, horn colored beak,
golden hackle, fawn or cream colored breast, light buff thighs
and upper part of body; back and wings pale cinnamon or
wheat color. From this they get their name. Primaries black;
secondaries, outer web wheaton, inner web black; tail black,
upper feathers produced with wheaton color; legs and feet
willow color.

BLACK BREASTED RED GAME BANTAMS.
The following notes from Mr. B. C. Thornton, of South
Vineland, New Jersey, will be of interest to all, coming as they
do from one who has ability in handling
Game Bantams. He writes: "In mating
Black Breasted Red Game Bantams for the
production of exhibition specimens it is
best to use double matings, one for cockerel
breedings the other for pullet breeding.

"For cockerel breeding one should have
a bright colored male bird, bright red or
light orange hackle to top of head; one
shade of color from top of head to end of
hackle. Same color for saddle hackle,
deeper color on back and wing, good solid
glossy black breast, and good color on wing
bay.

"The female should be a bright, light
partridge color on back. A trifle of soft,
ruddy color on wing is no objection, but not
bricky red. She should have a light
salmon breast, a bright lemon hackle, free
or nearly so, of striping.

"For pullet breeding use a male of same
color as for breeding males, provided you
have very sound colored females perfectly
clear of the slightest ruddy cast on side of
w lug. This mating will produce the bright
colored females so much admired in this
country, but somewhat lighter in color than
IS fancied in England. If possible, it would
be best to secure a strain of birds noted for
breeding each sex and mate them up ac-
cordingly.
RED PYLE GAME BANTAMS
"Are the most beautiful in color of all Game Bantams when

^*^it5^

FIG. 17. — BI.\(,K RPIi Ii\\'r\JI XIALF.
true to color. Not more than thirty to forty per cent of sound
colored birds are generally obtained from the best matings.

THE BANTAM FOWL.

The rich color must be kept up with a cross of Black Breasted
Red t>lood, and that is very apt to bring smoky white or yellow
where there should 1). clear white, and it takes a long time
to breed it out. My
plan would be to
breed two yards of
these also, as, in
fact -v ou will have
to do with all varie-
ties of Game Ban-
tams to get a large
per cent of really
high class exhibi-
tion cockerels and
pullets.

In mating for
cockerel breeding
I should use a good ,
^ound colored male
bird with good,
sound colored
wings, rich crim-
son on back and wing coverts or wing-bow, and good color in
wing bay or what is known as the diamond; white breast clear
of lacing, good white on wing butts aud wing bar, showing the
markings on wing very distinctly.

"Females for this mating should have a nice salmon
Ijreast, fine golden hackle (a trifle rosj- on wing will not hurt),
the balance of bird a good white, not smoky.

"In breeding for pullets the cock bird need not be so rich
in color, but the wing bay or flight coverts should be deep bay
color, and all the white should be as clear white as obtainable.
The females should have good salmon breasts, nice lemon or
straw colored hackles, and be perfectly clear white, free from
yellow, smoky or stone color on back, wings and tail.

\-viE BAM \M H^N

BROWN!RED GAME BANTAMS
"Are fast gaining ground with American fanciers, aud some
of the best from the other side are being transferred to the
yards of American Game Bantam breeders. The fashionable
color of to-day in the male bird is the bright lemon hackle
and saddle, and as near to that color as possible on back and
wing-bow ffine, narrow lacing i^n breast, coming well down to
the thigh; body color and tailhard, glossy black.

"The female, in body^r.nd tail should^be short,' hard-
feathered, gloss}' black in color, narrow, fine lacing of lemon
on breast; hackle feathers black, deeply laced with lemon.

' In breeding for males I would^ use a male^of the above
description with good, hard-feathered female; if slightly laced
on back it is no objection. They should be well laced on
breast.

"For pullet breeding I would use onh- sound colored
females, with lustrous black body color, no lacing except on
breast. A slightlv darker male than above described would be
better for pullet breeding.

GOLDEN DUCKWING GAME BANTAMS
"Originally were the result of breeding a Black Breasted Red
cock to Silver Duckwing females. They are now bred as a
distinct strain and reproduce very true to name and color. A
very bright "colored Black^Breasted Red male is sometimes
used to secure good color in cockerels! Females from this
cross are generally Black Breasted Red in color, and are only
valuable when mated to true colored Duckwing males to improve
the color.

SILVER IDUCKWINGIGAME BANTAMS
"Were the old-time'_ birds. \They are bredj extensively in
America, but little in England. They are really a handsome
bird when of a pure silvery white; much more beautiful than
the Golden. No Game Bantam is more beautiful than a fine
Silver Duckwing, and a female of this variety is the most
beautiful of all Game Bantams."

CHAPTER III.

THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES.

UR present Standard recognizes fourteen varieties of
Bantams other than frame. The English recognize some
tliirt)- odd varieties, including their many colors. We
shall tell you all we can of these many kinds of Ban-
tams, gleaning our information from English writers as
to those we do not recognize in this country.

Our standard groups the Bantams other than Game,
as follows: ,Sebrights, Rose Combed, Booted, Cochin,
Japanese and Polish. We shall follow this order and continue
the same by adding the many others not so well known.

Bantams wcrre made, or reduced from the larger standard
liirds of the same variety in many cases, but the original or
early bantams came to us, whence, no one can tell. Some allot
to India the credit of being the home of the first or original

Bantams. Some also give the jungle fowl the credit of being
the common ancestor of all of our fowls. Records show that
poultry in ICgypt was quite a feature ages before man began to
record history. So great was the interest in those early days
that Aristotle considered it of quite "enough importance to tell
of their mode of handling the artificial hatching of long years
prior to his time. One could not imagine that much progress
could have been made prior to this early day, and since his
day the work could not have been in progress without the
world kuowing of it. Others would give to Java the honor of
sending to us the little Bantam, while others claim them as a
product of crosses made from the Bankiva fowls of Java. This
latter, wheu used as an attempted cross some sixty years ago,
simply killed all other fowls placed with them.

CHAPTER lY.

SEBRIGHT BANTAMS.

Their Early Advent Produced

Quite an Interest in Their Kind-
With the Present.

-Their Past Qualities Compared

E hardl}' think Sir John contemplated the delight his
production of Sebright Bantams would bring to the
fanciers of the present time. No fowls are better known
or more admired than the Sebright Bantam, and but
few less understood. That most charming feature, clear,
well-defined lacing, is so poorly understood or little
appreciated by many, that it often makes one stop and
wonder at the decision of experts who place the awards on
them. The so-called Sebright of two pounds weight should
be placed on the spit to delight the palate of an epicure, but
never in the show pen or breeding yard as a repi esentative of
his kind. A good Sebright male should never
go over twenty-four ounces, and a female not
over twenty ounces, whether old or young.

In the fall of 1896, we wrote the following
for The Afnerican fancier, and consider it of
value at this time:

Before me are two articles written by two
of our most noted writers, judges and Bantam
experts, the tone of which call my attention to
the desired qualities of the Sebright and
their shortcomings of the present day.

In the Canadian Poultry Review one of
the above-mentioned articles, from the pen of
Mr. Babcock, calls our attention to the color
of legs on the Golden Sebright, and his state-
ment I shall consider, for it covers a point
so often advanced by myself, and which de-
serves careful attention. His statement is given
in full below:

"The Golden Sebright has blue legs, and
it looks very well with them, but did you ever
see a Golden Sebright with greenish yellow
legs? If you have you have seen a symphony
in color, for then the legs harmonized with the pli
way which blue can not. I know that such legs disqualify the
bird. I know that for the purposes of classification blue legs
— which are the correct thing on the Silver — are the best. But
I also know that art is above standards and the rules of classi-
fication, and that an adherence to art would compel the Golden
Sebright to have yellow legs. I do not expect to see this
change made in the standard until the time comes when many
other changes, based upon a compliance with correct taste, are
made. When that time comes there will be many sweeping
changes, especially in the color of legs, of the different breeds
of fowls. In this respect the standard, while in harmony with
market prejudices, is out of harmony with nature and the law
of coloration. The result is that the best successes now
obtained are obtained with great difficulty, and they are far
from being what the second best could be under a differently
designed standard."

These are very sweeping statements and worthy of con-
sideration, and while I should join the writer in the statement
that art is above standards, we must admit that the laws of
nature are far above both. This being the case, yellow legs
could not belong to the Golden Sebright for the following
reasons:

First, their origin, their advancement and their comple-
tion and make-up forbid it. Second, yellow legs do not from
natural causes belong to birds of their color.

As to the first we must consider origin, and on this point
the best evidence gives us two very positive points. One, the
female used in the start was a very small buff colored Bantam
with clear slate colored legs, no doubt a Nankin. Polish was
also used, no doubt the Golden; also a cock of a reddish color
and a small hen resembling a Golden Hamburg. Three of the
four we know had blue legs, and we can feel almost certain
that the reddish colored cock must have had the dark legs of

FIG. 19.— PAIR OF GOLDEN SEBRIGHT BANTAMS.

the early Games, the majority of which had blue or olive legs.
The only cross used that would indicate a yellow color of legs
was the white bird used to produce the silver colored birds.
The origin being so positive in the leg color, the product had
it well stamped in the blood, and being the natural color of
the original before the hand of man began to work changes of
form and color, it claimed supremacy and held it.

As to their advancement, the club formed for their ad-
vancement about 1820 and continued for over seventy years,
always mentioned in their requirements very specially the
color of the legs. They say legs and feet are required to be
blue. And this point being so positively established a change
of color would be so radical it must destroy the color of the
whole bird. When one so well informed on these points ad-
vocates so positive a change what must we think of a standard
that allows in White Booted Bantams white or yellow legs
when the special character of this variety is their white beak
and legs? All white varieties if desired to be pure white in
color will naturally in time have white legs and beaks. This
again proves the superiority of nature over art or standard de-
mands. Mr. Babcock also makes the following statements:

"It is not always easy to get the wings of the Golden Se-
bright just right, White will creep into the yellow and black

THE BANTAM FOWL.

will disappear from where it is wanted. Outside of the comb
there is hardly a point where the breeding is so unsatisfactory
as in the primaries of the Golden Sebright. Just why this
should be the weak spot I have never seen explained and I
have no explanation to offer. It may, perhaps, always remain
one of the mysteries of breeding, and there are many to all
except the beginner — he understands more on the start than

PIG. 20. — PAIR OF SILVER SEBRIGHT BANTAMS.

he will when experience has sobered his enthusiasm and
reduced the size of his head.

"Another difficulty in breeding the Sebright is to secure
narrow lacings which go clear around the web of the feather.
The tendency is, if the lacings are narrow, to stop before they
get clear around the web, and if they go clear around they are
usually too wide and obscure the ground color and thus injure
the beauty of the bird. My experience leads me to believe
that this difficulty is greater in GoUleus than in Silvers; why,
I do not know — it i.s another mystery."

Here is presented the experience and opinion of one of
our foremost experts about a breed of fowls now in its hun-
dredth generation. He is compelled to admit the many
shortcomings in the breed, one of our most artistic productions
in fowls. Could the liaud of man guide them still farther and
produce the yellow legs and hold even as good qualities of
color and penciling, or will nature refuse to lend her aid and
thus destroy the whole? We all know full well how the
attempts to govern the color of ear-lobes failed. How, then,
can we hope for the yellow legs?

Many trials must be made before one can fully understand
the troubles that confront us when breeding these beauties.
Here are pointed out the hard, rough places to be found when
trying to produce the high grade specimen required for the
keene.st competition. In a well written article in The Ameri-
can Fancier by "Zim," he makes the following statements:

"All of us know full well that a perfectly clear tail, a
perfectly clear wing or a faultless comb are very, very desirable,
yet neither of these coveted qualities makes a bird, regardless
of his style, shape, or lacing of other sections. Real judgment
is the kind that makes note of all the good and all the poor
qualities of a bird, and awards the ribbon to the best all-round
specimen, regardless of the fact that there remains in the
class a bird unnoticed that has one or two exceptionally good
qualities, and several just as objectionable . qualities. This
applies to mating and breeding as well. The would-be breeder
of Sebrights of to-day simply needs to start right by bviying
birds of the right sort and continuing to mate and breed on the

same line, and he can not go far astray, as they breed remarka
bly true to-day."

After considering all these points the reader must remember
that no variety of the whole number of standard varieties
requires more perfection in every section than the Sebright,
from the point of his beak to the ends of his toes. All must be
perfection. This being the case, he who desires to produce
the higher grade of perfection must study
well his matings, for no variety looks better
when fine in form, color and markings; none
less attractive when inferior in these points.

The standard for Goldens calls for color
of a rich golden yellow, each feather evenly
and distinctly laced all around with a narrow
edging of black. Please consider this for a
moment. What is a rich golden yellow? Is
it the color of a fresh chestnut shell or an old
almond shell? Is not the color of many of
our Goldens eutireh' too dark, as judged by
the wording of the standard? Is the black
stripe kept to the narrow line? The answer
must be "No." The color of the Silver
Sebright should be a silvery white, with the
narrow edge of black. Remember, a silvery
white, not a yellowish white, nor any kind
of white other than the silvery white.
These colors, when true and properly striped
with the narrow edge of black, form a beauti-
ful combination. The narrow edge gives a
bright, gay appearance. A broad edge of
black spoils the whole appearance of the bird.
Next to bad color are a long back and a drooping breast. These
faults should almost disqualify a bird. Why is it, when the
standard speaks so plainly on the points of form and color,
that so many win honors that scarcely fill a single require-
ment? Too much consideration can not be given to these

FIG. l\. — SILVER SEBRIGHT COCK.
A Model for Style, Size aud Marking-.

words iu reference to the Sebrights, taken from an English
journal, as follows:

"What has been lost aud what gained iu this particular
variety? Probably birds are now to be found as accurately
laced as ever, and the pure white ground color of some strains
of Silvers has been an introduction of later breeders. But
what has the sacrifice been? To begin with, wc can reuiembei-

THE BANTAM FOWL.

Sebrights little more than half the size of the present exhibi-
tion birds. Truly, in Bantams this is a great retrogression.
Then the characteristic hen-tail of the cocks is seldom now
seen in anything like perfection. But more than all, the beau-
tiful coxcombical Bantam carriage has been lost. Let any
fancier with an eve for form look at the lankj', ungainly
tucked-up creatures now often in a prize pen, and then read
descriptions of Sebright carriage a quarter of a century- ago,
and his only rational conclusion will be that much has here
been lost. What says Dixon, whose book was
published in 1850? 'Here is a little whipper-
snapper! His ample tail, from which sickle
feathers are absent, is carried well over his
back. His dependent wings nearh' touch the
ground. He is as upright as the stiffest drill
sergeant, or more so, for he appears now and
then as if he would fall backward like a horse
that overrears himself.' What again, writes
Mr. Hewitt in Tegetmeier's poultry book? 'In
the carriage of these birds we find the ver}-
extreme of pride, vanity and self-importance.
The feet are raised in walking much more than
in an}' of the other Bantams, and planted again
with the greatest deliberation and precision.
When alarmed their deportment is most
striking. The wings drop to the ground, not
listlessly, but as if determined to make the
most of their tiny proportions, while the head
is thrown back and the tail raised, so that the}-
nearly meet.' Other writers lay stress on the
nervous motion of the Sebright cock, being
almost like that of the Fantail pigeon. These
descriptions are hardly that of the Sebright of
1896. A large field, it seems to us, is open for
the improvement of the breed by intelligent
fanciers in smallness and carriage."

Even in England they are alarmed at the
backward step in this variety of Bantams. The
most important feature of the Sebright and the
one most neglected is form and carriage. The
standard calls for a very short back and a full
round breast carried prominently forward. The
body should be compact, deep and short. On
one very important point the standard is .silent,
namely, carriage. This is the one very important
feature of their make-up, as Mr. Hewitt wrote
man}' years ago: "They are the very extreme
of pride, vanity and self-importance." Their
carriage should be upright and striking, not
drooped nor indolent. We see too many long,
ill-formed, unattractive specimens to-day.
They should be bred up to the following form ''"'• ""

and color: The Sebright should be valued as
follows — First, size and carriage; second, color and marking,
always demanding perfection of all four, for when either is
wanting the combination is broken and the true beaut}' gone.
The color should be for the Golden, a rich golden yellow; for
Silvers, a true silvery white. Any other color should not be
tolerated. Both should be distinctly laced all around each
feather with a narrow stripe or edge of black. Remember
that any other color is absolutely wrong and a wide edge or
discoloration of any kind in ground color is despicable.

The first point, size or weight, as per our standard, is
wrong. The bird should b? smaller. As to carriage, it is
almost lost. When have we seen such style as exhibited in
the cut of the Silver cock? Let all take lessons from the illus-
tration furnished with these articles and try to improve this
most Ijeautiful variety of Bantams.

Another important feature is often lost sight of, /. c\, the

shape of the feathers of Sebrights. They should be almost
round, or quite so at the outer end; not oblong or tapering.
The round feather when properly laced gives the right form of
coloring. When long and tapering the center has the appear-
ance of an oval white or golden stripe on the feathers. This
is a ver}- grave fault, in fact so bad that we can not advise the
use of such a specimen under any condition.

Mating for best results is a matter of importance, and
but one method can he followed with hope of success. Always

-1'H(jToc;ra1'H[C RKl'RumCTUI.N'S OF SILVER SEBRIGHT
B.\NTAM FE.ATHERS.

use, if possible, hens over one year old for breeders. What-
ever your females may he, have them small and perfect in
color. If these females are light in the point of lacing, mate
them with a male that is too heavy in lacing for the show pen.
If the females are heavily laced, mate them to a light laced
male. The tendency in this variety is to lose in color and
lacing. Never hope for the best results from birds that are
bad in color. None but the very best of this variety is good
enough to produce fine specimens.

In regard to the male, .study well the following: He should
be sound of ground color; if golden, rather a little darker than
the standard calls for, not on the reddish order, but like a
fresh shelled almond; if silver, the ground color should be
very clear, rather on the whitish order. Both should be evenly
and plainly laced with a rich, greenish black. No mossy,
smutty color of any kind ought to be allowed, and we must

THE BANTAM FOWL.

never hope for good results if much is present. Select one
with this style of coloring and as little bad color as possible.
Get the very best wing, comb and tail you can find with
the above color, and even then remember your selection is
only half made, for you must have with this, perfect form and
carriage, and small size. Always remember that twenty-eight-
ounce birds are not likely to produce sixteen-ounce young
stock. Twofemales with one male is better than four. If you
use a cock bird over two years old, give him but one young
hen. Always select birds with short, round feathers, and not
long and narrow. Look well to the style and carriage of both
male and female.

FROM A PROMINENT BREEDER.

T.\uNTON, Massachusetts.
Mr. T. F. McGrew:

About breeding Bantams, I do not know if I can impart
the knowledge I may think I possess. I have my ideas, but
seldom speak of them.

In Sebrights, to keep the size down is one thing, and a
great thing for me. This I have done by selecting a small
male, with a small leg and as good color and shape as I can
get. In size I have never had any trouble when I confined
myself to my own strain. When I have introduced new blood
by importing or buying here I always have increased the size.
Comb, I never had any trouble about. I take care of that as I
do in my other breed. Shape, we all have lost in Sebrights.
Twenty-five or thirty years ago they were a proud, strutting
bird and very pretty. But now they are long-bodied, and the
ear-lobes may be white or red. To me it is a great mistake;
since they have lost shape and the white ear-lobes they have
lost their attraction for me, and if it were not for the pleas-
ure of trying to get them back, I would have given them up
years ago. I used to practice hatching them in August and
September to keep down the size, but in these days of com-
parison shows it does not seem to make much difference
whether they are large or small. The lacing I do not think I
ever worried much about. By mating the very best laced
birds that will almost take care of itself. Sometimes I have
been troubled with the main color being a little light, but care
in mating will fix that. Too much black or smut in tail we
often have, and then one must mate a cockerel too light in
color. Like all other breeds, when you think only of one
section of the bird, you are apt to lose in the others, as in the
case of the Light Brahmas of to-day. We look to its hackle.

wing and white surface color, and shape must take care of
itself. We all follow fads and fashions. Is it not so?

P. Williams

FROM A FANCIER.

Mr. Ira C. Keller furnished us the following notes on
Sebrights. His success with this breed makes his statements
most valuable.

Prospect, Ohio.
Mr. T. F. McGrew:

Possibly there is no breed of Bantams that has had so
much attention among the fanciers as the Sebrights. It is
right they should, for there certainly is no breed that ap-
proaches them in style and beauty. The narrow lacing shows
to a great advantage, and so strikingly that at first sight they
captivate the visitors at the shows. Breeding Sebrights in
years past was very wearisome, but to-day they are so well and
thoroughly bred that they breed a very large per cent of high-
class birds. The fancy to-day demands a narrow lacing all
over the bird. This is rather difiicult to produce, but has been
greatly improved during the past five years. In mating, to
produce this narrow lacing, we select the most narrow laced
birds we have that are full laced throughout, with other points
good, and by doing this year after year the lacing can be pro-
duced very narrow.

Shape and form need looking after. Early hatched Se-
brights usually grow too leggy, long-backed, etc. The best
time to hatch them is from the 15th of May until the 1st of
September. One can produce smaller size and better form by
hatching during these months. Most American breeders feed
Bantams too heavy and too rich food. The Sebright likes
free range best. It will find nearlj' all the food needed for its
growth. They like to rove over pasture lands, through woods
and along weedy fence-rows. If given their liberty they are
extremely prolific and will la}' nearly the year through.

In feeding young Sebrights, we feed during the first two
weeks bread crumbs and oat meal; then we change to a chopped
food of one part corn meal, one part ground oats and one part
bran scalded and mixed to a dry crumbling mass. For the rest
of the day we feed cracked wheat and corn, and as soon as they
will eat whole wheat we give it to them. They grow to ma-
turity very rapidly; usually are crowing at six to eight weeks
old. No more attractive bird can be kept around the house.

Sebrights are very profitable to breed for show purposes.
Good specimens are always in great demand at good prices.
We have bred them for over twenty-five years and have never
had any trouble in disposing of all we raise.

Ika C. Kei.i.ku,

CHAPTER V.

ROSE COMB BANTAMS.

They Might Be Called Hamburg Bantams. As Well As We Call Others Cochins and Games-
What Others Say About Them.

HE Black Bantam is spoken of at so early a day tha*
some contend that it was his imprudent crow that got
St. Peter into trouble. Be this as it may, he and his
companion, the White, began their career long before
any one took enough notice of them to keep a record of
their beginning. Black and White Bantams with rose
and single combs, with and without feathered legs, are
mentioned as existing centuries ago. Moubray mentions in
1815, the fact that some Bantams were lately obtained that were
extremely small, having legs as smooth as
Games. He also gives to India the credit of
their origin. (The earliest illustrations of
Black Bantams show the rose comb and smooth
legs). Other writers claim Java as the original
home of all Bantams, but be this as it may,
they came to England over two hundred years
ago, and the original were booted or feathered
legged. Of these we will write later, only
mentioning the above facts to show about the
date of mention of smooth legged Bantams.

The Black and White Rose Comb Ban-
tams began to gain favor and prominence as
show birds in 1850. About this time some were
shown that only weighed as follows: Cock
fourteen ounces, and hen twelve ounces at
twenty-two months old. At this early day the
Whites were very true to color. Then perfectly
white plumage throughout without a single

stain, could be seen. These birds had also

white beaks, legs, toes and ear-lobes. Now we - '~~'^—''Z^

demand the yellow beak and legs and with

them get the yellow plumage and ear-lobes,

and for weight we allow twenty-six ounces for

a cock bird, just twelve ounces more than the

birds of fifty years ago.

It may be of interest to our readers to know
what these Bantams were like fifty years ago,
so we quote from the words of Messrs. Andrew,
Gwynne and Bailey, noted fanciers of the
time. As to weight, they say: "The less in reason the better,
but never diminutiveness at the sacrifice of shape, feather and
condition. The Blacks: The males should have a full crimson
rose comb, with wattles and face of the same hue, but with ear-
lobes perfectly white; plumage glossy black, reflecting purple
tints; tail full and sickled; short legs, which with the feet
should be of a dark horn color. The hen is dusky black, with
her comb and wattles small, and of a dull leaden hue."

Of their appearance they say: "Bold of carriage, a very
caricature of Bantam arrogrance. For the Whites the same
form is demanded, and color as above stated." Rev. G. F.
Hudson bred wonders of the White variety in those early days,
and he wrote that yellow beaks and feet were quite an obj ection .
In breeding Black Rose Combs at this time the dull color
of former days is not allowable in the female. It must be as
in the male — ^lustrous black. To obtain this rich black with
beetle green sheen in our females requires special breeding.

A rich, true colored male must be mated to dull colored females
to produce the best colored males. These'same males mated
to rich colored females produce fine females, but the males
will show red in hackle and saddle and on wings. Male birds
so bred should be reserved for pullet breeding only. To get
the very best results, you must make special matings for both
males and females. In selecting breeding stock special atten-
tion must be given to the quality of comb on both male and
females. Look well for good shape, spikes and peaks, for no

PIG. 23. — BLACK ROSE COMB BANTAM MALE.

matter how good otherwise, a bad comb kills the appearance.
Do not encourage bad lobes by breeding from either a male
or female having them, for no fault will grow faster with as
little encouragement. Do not pen more than four females with
the male; three is better. If these points are well looked after
and your birds are right in form, carriage and color, quite a
large per cent of good chicks should be the result of such
matings. Separate mating is not required for the production
of males or females in the Whites. If comb, ear-lobe, color
and form qualities are right they should breed fine specimens,
but we favor the white bill and legs, knowing as we do, that
our standard prefers them yellow. Our experience tells us
that these colors add or detract from the pureness of both
plumage and ear-lobes. The yellow beak and legs have an
influence over the color of both, and the color is much purer
when the white leg is well established in the blood.
To Mr. E. Hutton the credit is largely due for the ;

22

THE BANTAM FOWL.

English type of Rose Comb Bantams. They are miniature
Hamburgs in all their points. No doubt they were crossed with
the Hamburgs to establish the form and color. Our standard
allows blue or leaden blue for the legs of White Hamburgs,
and yelljjw or white for the White Rose Comb Bantam. When
white, a pinkish tinge on the back and between the scales
is allowed. We consider this a mistake.

The proper weights for Rose Comb Bantams in good show-
form are about twenty ounces for a cock, eighteen for a hen,

and in proportion for young birds. Some ounces less-than this
adds to their beauty if good form and vigor are maintained.
When you consider that our standard onh- makes two ounces all
along the line between a Rose Comb or ,Sebright and a Buff
Pekin, you must be surprised to know that the English stand-
ard calls for a weight in Cochin Bantams, of thirty-two to thirty-
six ounces for males, twenty-eight to thirty-two ounces for
females; for Sebright Bantams, twenty-two ounces for males
and eighteen ounces for females; for Rose Combs, sixteen to

twenty ovmces for males, fourteen to seventeen ounces for
females, while we allow for the Rose Combs, twenty-two to
twenty-six ounces for males and twenty to twenty -two ounces
for females, six ounces more for each than the}% almost one-
half pound over their weight, and even then some of our
specimens crowd close to the overweight line.

Most certainly the weights for Sebrights and Rose Comb
Bantams should be reduced somewhat in our standard, and
the birds should be bred to them. Again, our standard calls
for a very short back for Rose Comb males, the
Uuglish for a moderatelj- long one. When did
you see a Rose Comb with a ver}' short back,
being fashioned after the Hamburg? Their
backs favor their forms.

Many little points like these should be well
considered by all Bantam fanciers. AVe formu-
late our standard oftentimes without due
con.sideration for nature and thus word a
description that if followed to the letter would
change the real breed characteristics.

To breed Black Rose Comb Bantams at
the present time, one must strive for a very
lustrous beetle green shade of plumage in
both male and female. Dull colors will not
answer. To secure this shade of color, the
ver}' best colored specimens of both male
; RO.SE and female should be mated together. If

this method of mating produces reddish shad-
ing in males, use dull colored females to reduce the brilliancy
in the males and keep the females of this cross for pro-
ducing males.

To secure pure white color in White Rose Comb Bantams
use only as breeders birds that have pure white plumage to the
skin, white quills to their feathers, white ear-lobes and whitish
colored beaks and legs. If pure white in plumage and ear-
lobes they cau stand a cut for beak and legs if these are not
the best of color.

CHAPTER VI.

BOOTED BANTAMS.

The Original or First Bantams Known or Recorded as One of Our Domestic Fowls Were Booted.

HERE the original Booted Bantam came from will
|iiiji((. never be known positively, but we do know that
nii they came to us from Bantam, a town and district
, !!|^' in Java, more than three hundred years ago, and
Mf^J\\ that they were booted and of many colors, some
having single, others rose, or double combs, as
then called. How they came to that province
never will be known. One of the early writers of 1850 tells us
that feather legged and feather footed Bantams were among
the earliest and most common of their race, and they were in
color, black, white and yellow, and spangled in these colors.
They were larger than now, and the feathers on their legs
and feet were frequently four or five inches long.

Booted Bantams of the present day, like other fowls, are
much improved. More varieties or colors of them are seen
than formerly. Judging from the illustrations taken from Mr.
Entwisle's book on Bantams, the shape would point to across
with the Japanese Bantam. The back, neck and tail of the
female, and the whole body and tail of the male, show the
Japanese form on heavily booted legs. Either our Booted
Bantams are behind the times, or the illustration is at fault:"'
The English recognize the following varieties in Booted
Black, White, Speckled Black and White, Speckled

than other Bantams, having been bred more for feather than
for size, or, as some affirm, they have been allowed to breed
anyway, with no definite set purpose in the mind of the
breeder as to a model for perfection. The result is, some

FIG. 25. — BOOTED BANTAM MALE.
After the Japanese form.
Red, and Dutch Bearded. The Sultan Bantams are almost of
the same class. The English writers place the Burmese and
Silkies with them, but this, I think, is a little too much. I
quote from Mr. Entwisle's book on Bantams, the following
statement on Booted Bantams: "Take the best known varie-
ties. White and Black Booted. Both are considerably larger

FIG. 26. — BOOTED BANTAM FEMALE.
After the Japanese form.

closely resemble the Japanese in form and carriage, holding
their wings and tail as they do, but having longer legs; others
are shorter in leg and have a higher carriage of wing and a
lower tail. This class finds more favor with our judges and
breeders, and we think will continue to do so."

At the present time the English cultivate the Japanese
form, only they wish the wings held up more and the tail
thrown back or down more than the Japs, but they favor a
shorter leg than formerly. On one point we should be very
particular — the color of legs and beak. The white beak and
legs are a distinguishing feature in them, as the pale bill is to
the Aylesbury.

Booted Bantams should have a small, round head; bright,
prominent eyes; handsomely shaped comb, and wattles of fine
texture and rich color; ear-lobes, bright red and close fitting;
neck, full or heavy at base, nicely tapered to the head and
rather long as compared with the size of the bird; hackle, very
long and flowing over back; back, short and rather slanting,
the tendency towards erect carriage gives the back a slight
incline towards the tail; body, plump and short. The wings,
tail, hocks and toe feathering are the distinguishing feature of
the Booted Bantams. These we shall try to describe as they
should be in a perfect specimen.

The wings of a Booted Bantam should be long in flights
and carried drooping, not tucked up as in a Cochin. The
hock feathers should be quite long; if five or six inches in
length and quite full it adds nmch to the bird's appearance.
Shanks should be long enough to properly support the feather-
ing of hock, which should not drag on the ground; shank
feathering not very full at hock, but should increase lower
down. Feathers of outer toes and lower shank should be very

24

THE BANTAM FOWL.

profuse and long, the heavier and longer they are the more
valuable. The heavy foot feathers, long wings and hock
feathering of a fine specimen make it necessary to provide
clean quarters for their home. When soiled and broken they
are a disgusting sight.

The tail of both male and female should be full and car-

il( n WHITE BOOTED BANTA.M COCK AND BLACK BOOTED

ried upright The sickles of the male should be long and
handsomely curved over the back. The tail should not be
carried so far forward as on the Japanese, but a little after the
Leghorn style of tail. The feniale is of the same form as the
male, with much less comb, wattle, ear-lobe and
hackle. Her hock and foot" feathering should be
very profuse.

The preceding describes the true form of a Booted
Bantam in its natural condition, free from all taint of
Cochin or Japanese blood. Of whatever color, they
should have their own natural form and carriage
When fashioned after the White Cochin Bantams
they should be discarded as of no value. The color
should be pure silvery white; or, when of any other ^^
color, rich and bright of its kind. The Blacks
should be rich and lustrous of color and their beaks
and legs black. The Whiskered or Muffled are just
like the others, only they have heavy muff or feath
ers on cheek and under their beaks, also shorter legs
and not so much feathering on hock and feet. They
are seldom seen. Only a few care for or keep them
The Splashed or Spangled are marked very much
like the Houdans. Few fancy them and they are
seldom seen, even in the show room. The Whisk-
ered or Muffled Booted Bantams came from Ger-
many to England about 1870. They had short legs,
broad saddle and smaller tails than the other type
These were bred by a few who admired them in their
purity. Some of very rich quality were shown by
Mrs. Ricketts, winning in open competition against
the others. These birds winning over the original
type, changed the line of breeding somewhat;
breeders adopted the shorter leg and higher carriage of wing.
Many also adopted the Japanese form, with a longer leg, thus
preventing the hock feathers from touching the ground. This
intermixing of the heavy form and short legs of the Whiskered
variety and the Japanese type has so changed the shape that
you now seldom see good specimens of the original type in

White Booted. Why these changes should be made in form
of these varieties we can not understand, while at the same
time the winning Blacks are fashioned after the original style,
having more size, the upright carriage, and legs long enough
for the heavy hock feathering.

To reproduce the best form and feather in this variety,
select as your breeding birds the most perfect
specimens. It is useless to hope to produce
valuable young from inferior breeding stock.
Poor specimens have no value. The only
real merit in a Booted Bantam is superior
quality. If this is lacking they are no better
than half-breeds. The most perfect specimens
obtainable yield but a limited number of really
meritorious chicks. This being the case, dis-
card all that fall below the line of real merit
and by using only the best, improve their
quality.

When the old birds begin to molt and the

young to lose their chick feathers, great care

should be taken to prevent their foot feathers

from being broken. About six weeks prior to

the time you wish to exhibit them they should

be cooped in dry, clean quarters. Coops not

much larger than an exhibition pen are best.

This prevents their scratching and destroying

foot feathers. The floor of the coop should be

covered with dry sand and should be cleaned

each day. Never allow any food to fall into

the sand, as this tempts them to scratch. If

any part of the plumage is soiled it should be

washed properly before sending to the exhibition. See full

directions in another chapter on "Washing for Exhibition."

SULTAN BANTAMS.

vSultan Bantams are so much like the Booted Bantams that

BANTAM HKN.

FIG. 28.— WHITE BOOTED BANTAMS..
Reproduced from "Poultry," England.

we will put them in this class for description. The Sultan
fowl is first mentioned in the Poultry Book of Tegetmeier as
coming from Turkey in 1854. They are described as being
the Sultan, or Feather Footed White Polish, resembling as
they do the White Polish in many ways, having, however.
Shorter legs and fuller tail equipment, with vulture hocks and

THE BANTAM FOWL.

25

leg and toe feathering. They are somewhat smaller than the
Polish fowls. The Sultan Bantams are a Sultan Booted Ban-
tam, crossed and reduced by selection; or, in other words, a
White Booted Bantam with a crest like a Polish and five toes
like the Sultan.

Our standard recognizes only White Booted Bantams.
The Sultan Bantam is not recognized by us. The White
Booted Bantam could be made a most attractive variety if care-
fully bred. We should add the Black variety to our list.

In breeding these birds, mate together the most perfect
specimens you can find, and reduce their size by selecting the
smallest each year for breeders. Always use white birds that
have white beaks and legs. Never tolerate in your breeding
yards any other color than white beaks and white legs for
White Booted Bantams, and you will soon establish this as a
fixture in your birds. Decide whether you prefer the old
style or original Booted Bantam or the new style fashioned
after the Japanese form. When this question
is decided, use only birds of the desired type.

BRAHMA BANTAMS. _ »

These Bantams should be the counterpart -" 1

of the standard Brahma fowls. The facts as to
their production differ somewhat as they come
to us from different sources. Some claim a
cross with Brahma fowls aud Japanese Ban
tams; others, an intermixture of Aseel and
Cochin Bantams, while still others claim a
direct Brahma cross with Cochin Bantams. If
we desired to produce them, we should prefer
to depend on the Brahma-Cochin Bantam
cross. The Brahma Bantams, as we now ha^e
them, need to be improved in size and mark
ings. Many of them have almost perfect
Brahma shape. The Lights lack in the pencil
ing of Tiackle, and the black in wings and tail
The Darks are good in color. The females
lack in penciling. The Light Brahma Ban
tams of the present have fairly good Brahma —

combs, shape and body color. The under-color
of most of them is white; the neck hackle of
males striped more or less toward the lower
edge, not much toward the upper part of neck;
head pure white, wings only partially black, tails very good in
color, and coverts of many of them are edged with white. The
females show more and better color in both neck and wings.
Some few of the females show- a tendency toward dark or
slate in under-color. All have good color of beak and legs
and plenty of leg and toe feathering. With these qualities to
start with it is quite unnecessary to consider how to produce
them. The question is, how shall we improve them?

In selecting your breeding birds, have the darkest male
you can secure in point of wing and under-color of back and
shoulders. This will help to improve the white necks. If in
addition to dark under-color you can have a fairly good neck ,
also tail coverts, much improvement can be hoped for if the
females are fairly good in these points. Use the best colored
females that it is possible to secure. Do not hesitate to use
one ver\' dark in under-color, for on this you must depend to
build up your color by following these colors from year to
year. Fine Brahma markings can be produced. The pre-
ceeding is our opinion as to the proper matings to improve
color of neck, wings and tails. We also give the matings as
recommended by Mr. W. F. Entwisle, to whom much credit
for the production, is due:

"To breed good Light Brahma pullets, select as light
colored a cockerel as possible, clear in body color and saddle,
and only slightly striped in hackle, with the darkest hackled
and blackest tailed hens possible to obtain, with white backs

and wings. To breed cockerels, select the most perfect cock or
cockerel you can obtain, good in hackle and saddle, very full-
feathered and fine in shape. Put the bird so selected with
hens as white in wing and body as possible, even if a little
wanting in color of hackle. These matings are not certain
in their results, but there is no more reliable rule that can be
followed by those of little experience."

This style of mating must produce nice, clear white birds,
but can not improve the black markings so much desired by us.

Dark Brahma Bantams should be a perfect counterpart of
larger fowls of the same kind. Those we have seen shall be
our guide in describing them. The male bird is a perfect
Dark Brahma in color, rather large for a Bantam and vrith too
much tail for a Brahma. The top color is clear and silvery,
and he is much better in neck than the Light Brahma. The
body, in color, is fairly good as to the shade of black, but badly
marked with spots of white. We have never seen one with a

Fir 29 — LIGHT ■i.ND D\RK BRA IMA BANTAMS
Reproduced from "Feathered World," Lojidoii.

pure black breast and fluff, but the comb, beak, legs and leg
and toe feathering in both male and female are very good.
The females are fair as to color; penciling very uneven and
indistinct; tails oversized, and the birds themselves larger
than the Light Brahma Bantams. To bring this variety within
bounds calls for careful study in mating them.

Select the smallest specimens of both males and females
which you can secure; use only females that show a tendency
to penciling in their plumage, and males that are very clear in
top color. If this mating shows improvement in the plumage
of the female select the best of them to breed back to the sire,
retaining some of the males to breed with the females of the
next cross. In this way you can build up your blood lines.
Never breed brother and sister together. By following this
rule for three or four seasons good results must be the outcome.
The Darks have better general markings to start with at the
present time than the Lights. For this reason better results
may be expected with them at an earlier day than with the
others. Both will demand patience and proper handling to
make them perfect Brahmas.

BUFF BRAHMA BANTAMS ARE AN AMERICAN
PRODUCTION.

Below are the facts as given by Mr. F. A. Roppleye, of
Farmers, N. Y.: He secured from Mr. Putnam, of West Sut-
ton, Mass., some cross-bred Bantams, the result of a cross with
Golden Sebrights and Buff Cochin Bantams, some of them

26

THE BANTAM FOWL.

almost perfect in Brahma markings. The best of these females
he bred with one of his standard sized Buff Brahma males and
produced fine specimens of about three pounds weight. These
were crossed with some birds produced by crossing Sebrights,
Japanese, Silkies and Buff Cochin Bantams. These crosses
produced better Pea Combs and Brahma markings than the
other. The offspring of these crosses have been improved by
selecting the most perfect specimens and breeding them
together until the proper size and marking for a Buff Brahma
Bantam is his reward.

The following notes on Brahma Bantams have been fur-
nished by Mr. Rowland Butterworth, Pownall Hall Estate,

PIG. 30. — DARK BRAHMA BANTAM COCK SULTAN.
Bred by Mr. Butterworth.

Wilmslow, Cheshire, England, who is now the leading authority-
on Brahma Bantams

"Brahma Bantams are increasing in popularity with
marked rapidity, and in consequence many of our leading
shows have suffered considerably with some of the classes, for
other varieties than games, as one of our leading papers has
already stated.

"We have to thank the late Mr. W. F. Entwisle, of Wake-
field, for their first introduction, which I believe was in the
year 188,S. Other strains have made their appearance, but I
believe that he was the first to exhibit this variety. In manu-
facturing them, other breeds were introduced and it will be
understood that this was a necessity. One could not expect
to get a cross direct from a large Brahma and, say, a Pekin
Bantam. Among these birds introduced were the Grey Aseel
and the Booted Bantam. The latter I consider was a mistake
and one that gives Brahma Bantam breeders considerable
trouble to this day. Any breeder of the Booted Bantams will
have noticed the great prepotency of this variety, with his legs
close together, vulture hocked, and worse still, a space with-
out feathers on the shanks just under the hock. I draw atten-
tion to this fact for the guidance of our new fanciers, as traces

of this Booted Bantam blood appears in almost every hatch
although the parents may not show any signs of these defects.
It is also a curious thing that those defects are much more
strongly marked in the cockerels than in the pullets.

"I did not commence to manufacture my strain of Dark
Brahmas until 1884. The cockerel that I commenced with
was one of a well known large strain. He was hatched late
in the season and reared on foods heavy in flesh formers, but
deficient in bone forming material. He was quite a great su.;-
cess and weighed six and one-half pounds when fully ma-
tured. The others from the same lot were much larger, coarse
in bone and some nearly double his weight. I am not going
to tell you what breed of hen I mated with him, but I man-
aged to get eighteen chickens from the pair. The first season,
I had not a single gray one amongst them, but there were two
pullets excellent in shape, good foot feathers and excellent
Brahma heads and combs. In color they were something like
very bad colored Light Brahmas with a fair amount of brown
in them. I mated these two with the six and one- half pound
cock, and the next season every chick hatched was a good
gray color, but only three showed much sign of penciling.
However, with careful selection, always choosing the pullets
with the finest bone, I managed to get one fit for exhibition in
- 1889. I was very proud of her. She weighed thirty-two ounces
when in full feather. I won a first prize with her in a mixed
class, the first time I exhibited her. I then had several suc-
cessful seasons with this variety, and in 1893 I bred what I
believe to be (and it was also the opinion of many of our best
judges) the most perfect Dark Brahma Bantam ever exhibited,
"Pownall Pride." An excellent portrait of this bird appears
in "Entwisle's Bantams," drawn by our popular poultry artist,
Mr. Ludlow. I still have this little bird and she is in the best
possible health and weighs under 20 ounces now. Although
a fat old hen she won 1st Crystal Palace and cup Fairfield in
1893, and a large number of prizes the following two seasons
at our leading shows.

"The great difficulty in breeding Dark Brahma Bantams is
to get hard feather, so many of the chickens coming soft and
satiny, and such quality of feathers seldom carries much
penciling. I say seldom, as I have had one or two specimens
with this satiny surface that carried remarkable penciling, but
it is the exception and not the rule, and such birds are not to
be relied upon in the breeding pens. In breeding Brahma
Bantams it is necessary to mate up separate pens for cockerels
and pullets, and you can not expect first-class pullets however
good in penciling your hens are, from a cock perfect in his
breast and fluff, nor will you get good cockerels from a perfect
colored cock and heavily laced hens. The mating is the same
required in the larger varieties, with the exception that the
neck and legs should be shorter in proportion than those
accepted in the larger variety. This is most important, as it
gives the Bantam "make-up" necessary- for the show pens.

The Dark Brahma Bantam cock should have head feathers
of good, clear white, distinctly striped with black, the stripes
getting wider down to the shoulders and back. The back and
wing-bow should be clear white, well striped with black, and
the stripes increasing in width on the tail coverts. The breast,
thigh, fluff, shank and foot feathers should be as black as
possible. The tail is black, but a narrow white edge to the
sickles is considered a point in their favor by many judges.
The wing-butts and shoulders are black; wing-bars, tail
coverts and side sickles, beetle green; shanks as yellow as
possible, generally a dusky yellow; beak, horn-colored; comb,
wattles and lobes, bright red; the comb small and triple; ej-es,
red. Hen, white on head and evenly striped with rich black
on her hackle. The tail should be black, slightly marked
with gray, the rest of the body one shade of slate gray, wit i
dark, almost black, pencilings. There are often other shades
of gray in the winners, but the slate gray birds I find retain

THE BANTAM FOWL.

27.:

their colors longer than those with light ground color. The
Brahma Bantam is quite distinct from the Cochin, and must
be active, lively and spirited.

LIGHT BRAHMA BANTAMS.

"AVe owe this introduction into our poultry yards to the
same source as the Darks, as they were manufactured at the
same time, and I know of no other strain than the ones in
England, although having been in the hands.of various breeders
for some years, who having different ideas as to what the^-
should be, have changed them so much that they now look
like distinct strains w-heu they meet at the exhibitions. Light
Brahma Bantams are much easier to breed than the Dark,
although not so taking to the e3'e of man}' fanciers. The}' are
certainly easier to meet with, as the Darks are now very scarce
indeed. Light Brahma Bantams should be exact copies of
their larger brothers and sisters in miniature, with the excep-
tion that they should be shorter in leg and neck. These points
are of great importance, as they give the Bantam 'make-up'
required.

"In mating for show cockerels a perfect colored show-
cockerel very sharp and dense in his hackle markings, mated
with a hen very pure in her white and in hackle rather defi-
cient in marking for the show pen, will breed what }'OU require.

"For the production of show pullets you require a perfect
colored hen very sharp and intensely black in her hackle
striping, mated with a cockerel lightlj' striped in hackle and
a good, clear white. If you follow this advice you will get
both cockerels and pullets that are good, typical specimens in
color.

"The Light Brahma Bantam cock should have a pure
white head, a pure white hackle, the lower part distincth-
striped with black, the breast, shoulders, wing, back and
thighs pure white. The fluff is white, but often the under fluff
is gray, and such specimens are very useful in the breeding
pen when the hackles are growing weak in striping. The sad-
dle is generally slightly striped but this should only be lightly
marked, and not too much of it. The primaries and seconda-
ries should show black on their inside when the wing is
opened. The outer feathers of the tail should be slightly
edged with white and it is in the bird's favor if the sickles are
also laced with white. The toes, shanks and .scales should be
bright yellow or orange, also the beak.

"The hen should have a pure white head and very darkly
striped hackle; breast, thighs, wings and body all pure white,
the primaries and secondaries showing black, like the cock,
the tail black, with white lacing or edging on the upper feath-
ers. The strongest birds have always bright red eyes and are
to be preferred to the yellow-eyed ones." R. B.

Just how to bring the Dark Brahma Bantams to the highest
perfection of color and penciling is the most important point.
They, like the Partridge Cochin Bantam, will be valued in
proportion to their high qualities of color and fine finish of
penciling. The fine gray color of the Dark Brahma female and
the delicate dark penciling must be most perfect in these Ban-
tams or else they are of no value. We lay before our readers the
advice of experts who have shown their abilitj- to successful!}'
handle the large specimens. Below are the words of the time-
honored Mr. Philander Williams, who donates his experience
for our use.

Taunton, M.\s.s., Sept. 24, 1H97.
Mr. T. F. McGrew:

In regard to Dark Brahma Bantams, I would saj-, I know-
nothing. Of course, they are produced from a cross of some
varieties and it is evident that they have not been bred long
enough to have the color established. I see no way to get the
color, but to breed them together and then select each year
such specimens as you think will improve the color. I think
the proper way to breed Dark Bantams is by a double mating

and breeding in, although I ne-ver did this. Thereason, I will
tell you further on. I always have mated to breed nicely
penciled pullets. I have always tried to have a nicely striped
hackle and saddle on the male, but prefer him mottled con-
siderably on breast and fluff. You will remember when the
females were quite brown, but now you see quite often a nice
.silver gray hen with scarcely any brown, and I believe this
has been brought about by light colored males and breeding
in. I never have dared buy a male because I did not know
liis breeding, and unless you do know how a male v/as bred he
probably would spoil the color of your females. ■ . ■

I give you a little experience. Last season I found my
males had poor hackles and saddles, .so much so that I was
compelled to buy a male. I mated him, but you may be sure
I had other matings of my old stock. I did not expect to
get any well penciled pullets from the new cockerel and I
was not disappointed. Cockerels are good, and an improve-
ment, but the pullets are way off. Now, I do not care what
the breeder says about the breeding of the cockerel, and I did
not ask him a word. I know he was not bred out of nicely
penciled females. But you take this cock (now) and mate him
with nice shaped females with little or no penciling and you
will get splendid cockerels. I said I never dared mate to
breed cockerels, because they would be good for nothing as
breeders and one might be tempted to breed them because they
would be so handsome, and thus lose years in breeding pencil-
ing in females. I see no way for you to do only to breed the
Dark Brahma Bantam and select each year the lightest colored
cockerels and, what I call, work them up. You can do it, but
it will take time. Partridge Cochins are the same as Dark
Brahmas in breeding. Philander Williams.

MORE ABOUT DARK BRAHMA BANTAMS.

Waltham, Mass., Sept. 24, 1897.
Mr. T. F. McGrew:

Yours of the 18th at hand, asking me how I would proceed
to bring Dark Brahma Bantams to as fine color and markings
as shown in my best specimens of standard Dark Brahmas. In
reply I must say that I would never expect to accomplish that
while at the same time I was trying to dwarf them in size to
Bantams. I have had twenty years of experience in breeding
Dark Brahmas exclusively. I have tried many experiments
and made careful note of the successes and failures, not only
my own, but those of others. Long ago I discovered that
quite as much depends on the care and feeding, and locality
where they are grown, as on the stock they are from. I have
had birds raised in different localities, all from eggs from my
ver}' best hens, but to see them in the fall one would suppose
them from as many different strains. Those raised on poor
soil without plentj' of shade, and perhaps poorly fed, would
be a sorry lot, not one in a dozen that I would not be ashamed
to have seen in my own yards; while another lot of the same
age would have a fair amount of fine specimens.

Every year I have raised tw-o or three dozen at home,
where they have had the best care I could give them, and
among these few I have always found my best birds. It seems
strange, but it has always been my experience that whenever
chicks are stunted they have invariablybeen bad in shape
and worse in color. Hence I say I would never expect to get
such color on birds that have been hatched very late and starved
to make them small, as I would on birds encouraged from
the egg to make strong, vigorous specimens. The same care
and feed that make flesh make feathers. I have never
raised a bird that was a cripple or stunted in size, that was
good in plumage. If you succeed in establishing a strain of
Dark Brahma Bantams that are as fine in color and markings
as is often seen in the standard Dark Brahmas, you will have
accomplished a great feat, and will be entitled to your reward.
I appreciate your ambition. H, A. MANSFIELD. .

THE BANTAM FOWL.

DOUBLE MATING.

NiSKAYUNA, N. v., Sept. 28, 1897.
Mr. T. F. McGrew:
^ In order to mate for pullets I take a mottled breasted cock

or cockerel with hens or pullets. This cock must have a good
silvei hackle, good dark under-color, and no red in wings.
For cocks I take a dark breasted cock or cockerel, silver
hackle, good under-color, no red in wings and free from white
feathers in the toes and legs when they can be so obtained.
For pullets you want the hens rather dark. These are the
points I use. Hoping this will do you some good, I remain,
Yours truly, John H. Warner.

PEKIN OR COCHIN BANTAMS.

The Five Varieties Considered— What Can be Made of Them.

The five varieties of Cochin Bantams are the most attract-
ive of all Bantam breeds. Their beautiful form and colors,
. and hardy constitution make them the most desirable as a
general purpose Bantam, giving them a commercial value, as
well as fancy. They are very prolific layers of rich, high
flavored eggs, and their plump little bodies make either a
broiler or a pheasant, when needed for special occasions.

One of the marked differences is the deep or reddish
color of the male as compared to the female Buff Cochin Ban-
tam. This was the natural color as they came from China.
The proper way to breed them to conform with their natural
condition is red males to the
lighter colored females. This
kind of mating reproduced of their
kind.

The red color of the male
should not be encouraged by
preference; rather should a good,
sound buff in both male and female
have the favored place. If the
standard would demand small size
in all varieties, a pure buff, black,
white, or partridge color, as it
may be, with no foreign color in
either, we would soon have all
varieties conforming to one uni-
form standard for shape by adopting a proper form and holding
to it. The size and weight of Pekins, as in all Bantams, should
be about one-fifth of the size and weight of the large or stand-
ard breed of the same variety. We believe this is the English
rule on all Bantams, and it might be a good rule for us to
follow. Do not, however, for one moment fall into the grave
error of thinking that the smaller the better for all Bantams.
This has gone too far already with some varieties. All Ban-
tams should be as small as the law of nature will allow and
still maintain their form and vigor. When below this they
should be discredited for undersize and loss of constitution.

Cochin Bantams are troubled with two grave faults, bad
shaped backs, and too long legs. These faults seem to be more
serious in the Buff than in the others.

We must not expect to remedy this in a j-ear's time, but
all should contend for better form, feathers and color.

The standard calls for the same general form as for stand-
ard Cochins, but it must be remembered that the tail formation
of Pekins is quite different from their larger cousins; so this
alone must change their form somewhat. Figures 30 and 31 show
what might be considered proper form from side and rear views
of the male.

To be good Cochin Bantams they must be miniatures of
standard Cochins. The neck of the Pekin should be short and
full, in fact, the neck of the cock bird should be very full and
heavy looking, see Fig. 30. The back should widen from front
to rear, saddle very full. The cushion and saddle of a good

Pekin cock should rise from between his shoulders and not just
forward of the tail proper, as is so often seen. The tail should
be very full and surrounded with abundant saddle feathers and
tail coverts with but few hard quills. The tail should help to
add shape to both back and saddle. The fluff under the saddle
and tail should be very full. This formation makes the most
perfect and handsome looking bird.
This is the natural tail formation for
the Pekin, see Fig. 31.

The legs of the Pekin should be
short, in fact, a mature cock bird
when well feathered, should appear
as if his body almost touched the
ground. To have this form his body
must be set low between the legs, and
the fluff must be quite abundant; this
also widens out his legs and adds ^''S- ^^.-Rear view of Male.
to their breadth. Always remember, however, that a Cochin
Bantam never reaches its full form under sixteen or eighteen
months, and is often two years old before it is fully developed.
Quite often this is forgotten, and we expect to see a matured
form on a young specimen.

The female must also conform to the description of a
standard Cochin. Head, neck and body formation, should be
a miniature Cochin. The divided back so often seen, more
especially in Buffs, should be guarded against; this is from
lack of cushion and a narrow tail. The narrow or flat tail
grows up between the wings, unsupported by any cushion, and
gives the divided form of back, which is the very worst defect
a Cochin Bantam can have, and should be stamped out as soon
as possible. Do not hope to do this in a day, for it may take
years to fully accomplish it, as it did in the standard varieties,
and even now it is often seen in them.

The cushion should begin just back of her shoulders and
sweep back about the tail as in a well formed Cochin pullet ot
the larger variety. The Pekin's tail being composed of flex-
ible or soft feathers adds much to the beauty of a proper back
and cushion, see Fig. 32. The tendency at this time is to im-
prove their form and color by crossing with the larger Cochins,
and that is changing the tail formation to conform more to
the larger Cochins.

Fig. 32 furnishes the rear view of the proper formation —
broad, full and well feathered with good fluff almost to the
ground. This is a description of a fully developed hen. Do
not hope for this just yet in a pullet. Let it be your aim to
produce this form and feather, if possible, on a pullet, but
feel satisfied when you have it in a moderate degree, for the
female, like the male, continues to improve in form and feather
each year, and never fully develops until the second year.

The combs of many of our Cochin Bantams are much
larger than their size and beauty demand. This might be im-
proved, and also the shape of the comb. No reason can be
advanced for a small Cochin cock hav-
ing a comb almost as large as a Leg-
horn's. All these points only need our
close attention to be soon corrected.

The following points should be
always remembered in breeding Cochin
Bantams: The neck should be short and
full, neatly arched; the body should lean
slightly forward, and the top of the tailpj 33 _
be almost as high as the top of the head
on the male. The head should not be held high above the body
on a long, slim neck overlooking a slim, flat tail; all these
points must be considered in the producing of a perfect
Cochin Bantam.

The Cochin Bantams came from Pekin, China, to England
in 1860. The first that came were Buffs. For many years no
other color was known, and then came the Blacks. At the

-Rear view of Hen .

THE BANTAM FOWL.

2g

time of the coming of the Blacks the original Buff stock was
almost run out by inbreeding. They were improved by cross-
ing them with White Booted Bantams. This cross aggravated

"MltABLC POUL K^ JOURNAL

FIG. 34. — BUFF COCHIN B.\NTAMS.

the tendency toward extended hocks that still exists in this
variety. These crosses produced the foundation of the Cuckoo
Pekin stock, afterwards built up with birds of the same mark-
ings from China. The early Black Pekin males were crossed
upon the Buffs, and this cross produced some cock-
erels very near Partridge color. The cross of the
White Booted Bantams on the Buffs also gave the
foundation for the Whites. We give our English
brothers the credit of building up the five colors of
Cochin Bantams. We of this side of the world have
made several efforts to produce by crossing and
reducing some Partridge Pekins, but up to this time
nothing of much value has resulted from our efforts
Many have introduced standard Cochin blood into
the Buff Pekins with some benefit. No one has, to
our knowledge, produced either Partridge or Cuckoo
colored birds of high quality in this country. Some
are now being bred and we hope to see them in the
show room.

BUFF COCHIN BANTAMS.
Buff Cochin Bantams, as stated by the best Eng-
lish authority, were first bred to some extent by Mr
Kenick, of Dorking, who bred in and in from the
original importation for almost twenty years, until
size and constitution were gone. Others secured
some of the same stock from him and introduced new
blood by importation and a cross, as above stated,
with the White Booted, building up their constitu- "
tion. Some also introduced Nankin Bantam blood
This cross did not harm the color of feather to anv
great extent, but it darkened their legs and made
them longer, also reduced the leg and toe feathering
and spoiled their shape and form of back, breast
and tail. Evidently the first that came to this coun-
try were tainted with the Nankin blood, for a large
per cent of them had bad colored legs and scant leg and toe
feathering. Those produced here of good form are descend-
ants of a cross with the standard Cochins and reduced by
oiiossing with smaller_specimens.

Mr. Entwisleof England, who purchased some stock from
country writes of them as follows: "One great point we
e most highly, and we think our English breeders will not
be long in recognizing, is the sound, even color
insisted upon by the Americans. They say:
'A BuS must be a buff, perfectly free from any
dark shade in fluff or fleece of feather, buff
under the wing when expanded, buff in all
the tail and foot feathers.' A bronze tail is
considered a blemish, and the Americans do
not allow such faults to be hidden or disguised
by pulling out the faulty feathers." These
words are quite complimentary to our ability
to breed good color and should be strictly ad-
hered to. If all judges will continue to refuse
to place awards on coops containing specimens
that plainly show evidence of being plucked,
whether Bantams or any other kind of fowls,
in a very short time none of this kind would
appear, and all would buy or breed the right or
standard forms and colors.

We will refer to a few points of difference
between our standard and the English. Plum-
age of Cochin Bantams with them is so de-
scribed: "Very abundant, long and quite soft;
the fluff which grows between the saddle and
thighs so full as to hide the latter; weight,
thirty-two to thirty-six ounces." The cut of
an English cock will illustrate this. This
feather formation and full breast make them look very short of
leg. Their demand for general shape and carriage is as follows:
"Broad, deep, plump and well rounded; the carriage bold,
rather forward, but low, the head being not much higher than

FIG. 35. — AN ENGLISH BUFF COCHIN COCK.

the tail." The weights are in the proportion demanded for
all Bantams, one-fifth of the regular Cochin. This is the same
in our standard for females, but for males we demand lesa
weight than one-fifth.

30

THE BANTAM FOWL.

■ Nature has declared for the Buff Cochin Bantams in their
natural state that the males shall be of richer and darker color
than the females. When mated, the females, if several shades
lighter color than the male, will produce, females of their
own color and males like the sire. A light colored male bred
to females of his own color produces better males than females.
The latter will be much paler of color than the mothers. This
has been overcome somewhat bj' the cross with the large
Cochins.

[The color of the Buff Pekiu, whether male or female, must
be pure and true, whether of a light or dark shade. We began
two years ago to work for the proper buff shade for both males
and females, using a light colored male with a hen whose
breast color was the same shade as the breast of the male.
Two cockerels from this mating won first and second at New
York in January, 1897. One of the same lot headed first pen
at the same show. In getting this color we have lost some in
the color of females, also in under-color of both male and
female. This year, 1897, we have used these males on the
best colored females and feel satisfied with the result, as the
young stock shows much improvement, many of the males
being an even golden buff throughout, and the females are
much better than last season.

BLACK COCHIN BANTAMS
Black Cochin Bantams come next to the Butfs and here
we shall again quote from Mr W F B,ntv\isle, the noted
English writer, whose words far exceed our ability in describing
them. He writes as follows: "In Black Cochin Bantams,
color of feather and brilliancy of sheen very properly count
highly, quite as much so as color does in the Buffs. The
desired color is one of uniform, lustrous beetle green, as seen
in the Laugshan and Black Hamburgs to the greatest perfection.
The under fluff should be l)lack down to the skin, but it is
very rare that we can find a bird perfect in this respect. All
the points of head, face, wattles and ear-lobes are the same as
in all other Cochins, bright red, neat, smooth and even. The
eye in the Black Cochin varies more than in auy other variety,
some being very dark brown. This we think as grave a fault
as a white or pearl eye. We think the eye of the Black Cochin
should be red. In breeding Blacks, it has often been noticed
that it is very difficult to ol)tuin the most perfectly colored
cockerels and pullets from one pair of birds, the rule being
that all the most brilliant colored pullets' brothers have more
-. or jess- red feathers in their hackles, backs or saddles; whereas,
all the soundest and best Black cockerels' sisters are wanting
in luster or sheen, and look quite inferior in color to the
pullets bred the other way.

"Where there is ample room for the purpose," Mr. Ent-
wisle tells us, "even in starting from one common parentage,
two distinct strains should be built up, the one for producing
cockerels free from red or straw colored feathers, and using
for this purpose only the deadest black pullets or hens mated
with a sound black cock, and avoiding the more lustrous hens
or pullets.

"And, on the other hand, we should select the most
lustrous, beetle green winged and breasted cock, however
much red he shows in neck, back or wing, and mate him with
the most brilliantly colored hens or pullets, provided always
that other essential points were sufficiently in evidence."
(The writer has demonstr.ited to his own satisfaction that
good colored males and female:^ can be produced from the same
inatings when good colors only are used. With us in America,
our motto is good color, surface and under-color. This rule,
properly followed, the desired end will be gained.)

The proper handling of all Black fowls depends largely
upon the true color of the male. If the male bird is a cock
bird of true color the chances are that a large per cent of
his chicks will be true to color. In selecting breeding stock
of Black Cochin Bantams go down to the very skin in neck,
back and breast feathers; also look well to_ color of wings at
the very point where they come from the flesh.
If the color is dark clear to the skin it can be de-
pended upon. No strain of black fowds ever pro-
duced all of its chicks pure black. Some produce
quite a large proportion of pure black females,
y but few produce true colored males, and these in

]§ turn produce but a small per cent that are perfect

p^ in color. This can be improved year by year if

' only cock birds of the truest color are used, for

you can place dependence on the reproducing of
true color if the sire himself is a two-j'Car-old.
The more of the bright lustrous sheen on your
breeding stock the better. Even if they produce
some offspring with red cast in plumage, it is far
better to maintain the rich beetle green with a per
cent of birds with reddish cast than to lose the
color and have white. Both Black and White
Cochin Bantams have a tendency to white in ear-
lobes. This should be guarded against with great
It usually comes with the ver}- best speci-
mens and the temptation to use them often
overcomes our better judgment and stamps the
fiult upon the flock. This takes years to get rid of. Better
keep it out than be compelled to breed it out.

We consider yellow legs a mistake on Black Cochin Ban-
tams. If you have on your birds yellow legs and white in
neck and ear-lobes, you may be certain the blood is bad and
you need not hope for pure black in plumage. Better discard
your whole flock and begin again with a few well selected
birds from some well established strain that has perfect color
of ear-lobe and plumage, with dark colored legs, the darker
the better, just so they show yellow inside of feet. If we hope
to establish a jjure, solid black plumage, we must get rid of
all the yellow possible in cvt-ry part of the bird. They are
not a utility fowl, so give them all the adyuntage possiljle in

fault by extra good
may counterbalance
fauU will show itself

As to the point of overcoming ou<
points in the same section of the mate, th
the fault, but you can depend upon it thi
in the future. Never breed from a liird with a serious fault in
shape; get the best and di-scard bad defects.

CUCKOO COCHIN BANTAMS

Cuckoo Cochin Bantams are of late production, starting
from sports of Blacks, Buffs and Whites bred together and
slrengtheiieil by birds of the Cuckoo color imported from
China. Never having seen any of this color, we give you a

THE BANTAM FOWL.

31

description of them as written by Mr. Rntwisle, the greatest
breeder of Bantams. He said:

"Cuckoo Cochin Bantams should have very sound orange
yellow legs, and orange beaks are generally preferred, though
personally we do not dislike a little dark marking on the beak
of a Cuckoo Cochin Bantam, as it seems quite in harmony
with the feathering. And now we must try to describe the
color and markings of the Cuckoos. These points vary very
considerably from a pale, almost white ground, with cloudy
and indistinct markings, to a beautiful, soft French grey
ground, with dark slate bars. The more clearly defined and
the finer the markings the better. Not only does the ground
color varv, as well as the color of the bars or markings of the
feathers, but also in different birds the pattern of the markings
varies considerably. There are Cuckoos shown with the same
pattern of markings as the Dark Brahmas and Partridge
Cochins — concentric circles of penciling, one with the other,
/. e., in the hen — but this is not correct. The
marking we require in Cuckoo Cochin Ban-
tams is a series of clearly defined bars (we pre-
fer narrow ones) across each feather, from the
head down the hackle, breast, thighs, wings,
back, saddle and tail, and, in fact, each feather
throughout the whole bird, both cock and hen,
must have this distinct barring, or series of
bands, across the feathers. In some birds we
have counted nine bars across the hackle or
saddle feather of a cockerel, but seven bars
make the feather look well. A less number
would not be so good. In hens, across the
saddle feathers, five bars are sufficient, and as
feathers on other parts of the body are not so
long, a proportionately less number of bars is
.equired. The same description of marking is
required on the feathering of the legs, feet and
toes, and the more distinct the better.

"A common failing of Cuckoos is to have
some of the wing feathers white, or with a good
deal of white in them, and also in the tail feathers. This is
a grave fault, and is reproduced in the chickens most per-
sistently. If the fault is seen in the brood cock, it will not
do to run hens with him having the same fault. If the cock
bird is perfectl\- sound in color, less anxiety need be felt
about a little white in the hens' flight feathers. Never breed
from any — either cocks or hens — that are broad, coarse or
irregular in their markings."

PARTRIDGE COCHIN BANTAMS.

The Partridge Cochin Bantam has the same standard colors
and penciling as the larger specimens. They are the latest
production in the Pekin variety. As stated, their origin was a
cross of Buff and Black bred to large Cochins and reduced bv
care and patience to the proper form and size. The same
method of producing males and females of proper colors in
the large varieties must be followed with them. We hear of
superb specimens of this variety being shown in England;
but their idea of color of Partridge Cochins and'ours differ so
much that due allowance must be made in this line. The
writer is now breeding a strain of Partridge Cochin Bantams
that are small in size, fine in form, and very good in color and
penciling. These birds show good length of feather and fluff,
also fine foot feathers, and it is my belief that within a few
years they will be fully the equal of the very best Cochin Ban-
tams. This strain has its origin in English bred birds, crossed
on a small standard female and recrossed on the imported
stock. We can now feel assured of a good foundation in this
variety. The winners at New York and Boston last winter
were a sample of what the stock may be expected to produce.
The same stock won over all others at both New York and
Boston in 1898, proving their quality.

Past experience in breeding this variety has taught me
the great importance of color in the male bird used to produce
pullets. Of all the birds produced last season (1897) not one
male bird had to be destroyed for lack of standard color.
Many pullets were of no value, their color and penciling being
so defective. To produce the proper color of female the
deepest red possible fo obtain in males in necessary. Having
been produced with a Black Breasted Red Bantam cross, but
few of the males formerly showed good penciling in hackle.
This is improved by the cross with a standard or large Partridge
Cochin female, and now both hackle and saddle show indica-
tions of the black stripe.

Another fault in this variety is the tendency to long beak,
fashioned after the Game Bantams. Great attention must be
paid to this, for it detracts from the Cochin form and beauty.
The color of the female in these Bantams is not so rich a brown
as it should be. It has a tendency toward a yellowish brown.

and not a reddish or mahogany brown, as demanded by our
standard for Partridge Cochin color. All these shortcomings
must be improved by the careful mating of the best. They
are to-day better in many ways than their larger cousins were
ten years ago. They have fine Cochin shape, good leg and
toe feathering and almost perfect color in the males. With
these great advantages to start with, careful handling will soon
reduce their size and perfect the color and marking of the
female and make them full}' the equal of anj- Cochin or Cochin
Bantam .

WHITE COCHIN BANTAMS.

White Cochin Bantams of very good form and color are
bred by a number of Bantam experts. They are quite well
feathered, and as a class average better in general Cochin
characteristics than the other varieties, the chief difficulty is
the tendency of the males to turn yellow in color. This fault
can be bred out of them b}' using as breeders birds having a
perfectly white shaft in their feathers. This may have a
tendency to whiten the color of leg and beak, but better this
fault than yellow plumage.

It is said by experts, thai the purest white specimens,
when first hatched, show a sooty shade of color. This grayish
color is said to promise better color when matured than the
yellow cast. Of this we cau not say from experience, but we
know that if pure white to the skin when hatched, they will
mature to a beautiful pearly white. The Whites, we believe,
will become the banner Bantam of them all.

In man)' cases the White and Black specimens far excel
the Buffs in true Cochin qualities. They, like all but the
Buffs, came from a cross with their larger cousins and carry
the Cochin shape, none but the Buffs baviug suffered in shape

32

THE BANTAM FOWL.

and feather by the cross with Nankin and White Booted Ban-
tams. These faults are fast disappearing from the Buffs, and
soon we may hope to see Cochin wonders in miniature form of
the five colors at our exhibitions. Of one point too much can
not be said. It is quite true that the smaller the better if true
Cochin type is maintained, but close feathering is not Cochin
form. Cochins should have long, fluffy'feathers, and these
close-feathered birds that look small should not be allowed to
gain the ascendency, for if they do the true Cochin Bantam is
gone.

The following is from the pen of Mr. A. P. Groves, a true
fancier, who contributes his experience to this work:

Chestnut Hili., Phil.'VDElphia, Pennsylvani.\.
Mr. T. F. McGrew:

The American White Pekin or Cochin Bantams were
originated by me about eight years ago. I was breeding Buff
Pekins at that time and some of their progeny came pure
white. I bred these white specimens together and established
what is known as the Snow-Drop strain. There was no Booted
Bantam or other blood used in their composition. Thev are

FIG 38

COCHIN BANTAMb

now well distributed over the United States, and some have
gone to England to compete for prizes there. In many instances
they have been successful. I consider our home-bred birds
the equal of those sent from England, if they are not the
superior. Some of these may be whiter in plumage, they
having paid more attention than we to this point, but in shape,
leg and toe feathering we acknowledge no superiority. Having
as careful breeders here as there are on the other side, why
should we fall behind them?

I consider the White Cochin, when well bred, the hand-
somest of the Bantam family. Care should be exercised in
breeding them. Only birds of good shape and heavy leg and
toe feathering should be used; otherwise you will have many
culls. Never breed from a bird with light leg or toe feathering,
no matter how good otherwise. In regard to feeding the
chicks, give them bread soaked in sweet milk, not too wet,
for a month or six weeks; after that give them whole wheat.
I have followed this rule for several years, and seldom lose
a chick. .\. P. Groves.

BLACK COCHIN BANTAMS.

Of all the breeders of Cochin Bantams none have surpassed
Mr. David A. Nichols, of Moiroe, Connecticut. To him is
due the honor of establishing a strain of Black Cochin Ban-
tams free from all white in plumage. The following is from
his pen, especially for the readers of this book:

Monroe, Connecticut.
Mr. T. F. McGretv:

I can not think myself a successful breeder of Bantams;
each year brings me some new disappointment. Hopes cher-
ished for months fall away in non-realization of some improve-
ment confidently looked for. But still, many of these

disappointments are softened with the knowledge that other
points are strengthened and we are better and stronger for
another season.

My first selection of Black Cochin Bantams was made
from the best I could find. Color, form and size were not so
good then as now. These I bred from and improved each year
by selecting the best of all and inbreeding, always discarding
a fault in form or]'color, till I had established a solid black
plumage on some fairly well formed birds. These were mated
to hold color and improve the Cochin form. The records
must tell whether I have been successful in my efforts or not.
My chicks are hatched under hens on a farm near by (not
having room at home), light-weight barn-yard fowls being
used as sitters, each hen having from fifteen to eighteen eggs .
Each hen is given from twelve to fifteen chicks to care for.
They and the mother hen are placed in a coop out in the
garden, or where no grass grows, as I have had poor success
in ni}- efforts to rear them on a grass plot. The birds, when
young, will ramble in the grass when it is wet from rain or
dew, and a few days of this will cause them to dwindle and die.
The chicks are fed the first few days on cooked
oat meal. After one week they have the food
known as H. O., and are fed with this till large
enough to eat wheat. When at this age they are
confined m covered wire runs and not allowed to
roam about and grow too fast. I find that when
allowed their freedom they are quite liable to grow
into oversized birds.

The breeding birds are kept in separate pens
that have a wire netting cover over them to pre-
fix vent the birds from getting out or into the wrong
^pen. It also prevents hawks or cats from bother-
■ ing them. It is quite a pleasure to see a hawk dart
down for a specimen to his liking and injure him-
self on the wire covering. In pens of this kind
^ you will always feel content that the birds are
quite safe.

Upon the subject of mating I will be silent.
Having heard the saying, "Tell a chopper by his chips," it is
far better that I should not claim the art of knowing how to
mate or produce good ones, for by so doing I lay myself open
to the criticism of those who do know how.

D. A. Nichols,
care of bantams.

Springfield, Ohio.
.Mr. T. F. McGreic:

When the breeding season commences, move pens entirely
away from the winter quarters. For houses use a common
store box, make a slanting top, and cover all over with tar
paper. Make south side a wire door. Runs should be covered
with grass or sand and must have plenty of shade. If runs are
large a good feed of wheat at night is a plenty; if small, some
oats in morning and wheat at night should be given, with green
bone three times a week and a trifle of corn once a week for a
change. Do not let them get too fat. Incubators and brooders
should not be used except where large numbers are raised. In
early spring set hens in a warm, dry house by themselves.
Make nests at least a foot off the ground. Later make nests
on the ground. Be careful about sudden changes of food or
weather, or bowel trouble will surely follow. When chicks
hatch move the brood to a warm, dry shed with a sand floor.
Sand should be changed two or three times a season. Keep
the hens in coops, but let the chicks run in the shed. The
first week I feed thoroughly cooked rice. Give fresh water
three times a day and a nice green piece of sod each morning.
After a week feed cracked corn, millet and rolled oats, a little
green bone once a week, but not much as it causes bowel
trouble. If chicks get dysentery or bowel trouble feed nothing
but cracker crumbs and cut green catnip. There is nothing

THE BANTAM FOWL.

33

better than catnip to check the bowels. Wean when six weeks
old and place in a shady run by themselves and feed wheat
and corn, gradually reducing the food to two light meals a day.

Separate the sexes the first of September, and October first
move back to the winter quarters, which have previously been
thoroughly cleaned and the runs sown in wheat or rye. A
large, well ventilated house is the thing for Bantams. Do not
use a low, dark house.

In winter I feed wheat in the morning, millet and cut
clover at noon, cracked corn at night, and green bone twice a
week. I find a hot mash for Cochins or Cochin Bantams is not
best in cold weather. They will eat it heartily, but after the
temporary effects of the heated mash wear off they stand around
and shiver and take cold easily. Commence in the morning
and make them scratch all day. They will lay better and keep
healthier. When Bantams are molting increase food and
give a small quantity of fiax seed and yellow mustard seed
once a week. Do not fail to have a well filled dust box in
each house the year through, and in summer spade up a place
in the runs. Let them play in the dirt, that is, nice, fresh
soil, not filth. It will help to keep them free from lice and
their plumage in better shape.

To see what lice can do, I took two green legged chicks
from a brood ten days old, that were apparently hearty and
well. On the throat of one I placed three gray lice, and on the
other, four. In two days the latter died, and in a little over
three days the first one died. They were subjected to the same
care and treatment as the rest of the brood, which have all
lived. So you see too much stress can not be put on the lice
question, especially with reference to Bantams. I prefer
vaseline to any other grease for head lice, but prefer to use
none if it can be avoided. Coal oil or lard kills chicks as well
as the lice in a great many cases. Powdered moth balls, one
part; snuff, two parts; insect powder, four parts, make the
best insect powder I ever used. Two or three moth balls
placed in the nest with the eggs will keep both hen and chicks,
when hatched, free from lice. It is fine.

As to mating, I mate with these objects in view:

First, shape; second, color; third, size. Or first, a Cochin;
second, a Buff Cochin; third, a Buff Cochin Bantam.

In the male I want as light surface color as possible, but
must have a sound under-color, and I depend on him for comb,
color and carriage. In the female I want a deep color (not
brown), very good shape and feathering. Too much care can
not be used in selecting the male. This is contrary to nature,
and red will crop out strong in wing-bows of cockerels for a
few seasons. Dark males and light females do not go with
me. Do not discard a good shaped or colored Bantam because
it is too large; nor breed a delicate, punj' one because it is
small. You are breeding trouble if you do. I believe it is all
bosh about using a male with black in tail because it holds up
color. The sooner Buff breeders drop that notion the quicker
black will disappear in wings and tail. (The tail does not
wag the bird.) Do not breed a green legged bird for a farm
in Texas; white is bad enough. What we need, and need
badly, are judges who know something about Bantams. Not
one in ten pays any attention to long, straight, dark colored
beaks, depressions in front of eyes, lack of depth of keel bone,
long flight feathers, lacing of feathers on back of females, etc.,
and as long as the judges do not the breeders will not. The

successful breeder of to-day is the one who selects a variety
best suited for his purpose, studies it carefully, uses an abund-
ance of grit, patience and common sense, adapts himself to his
circumstances and surroundings, and sticks as closely as
possible to the lines of nature.

Clarence Henderson.

a breeder of white cochins.

Elberon, New Jersey.
Mr. T. F. McGrew:

We imported our first stock of White Cochin Bantams from
England. We made altogether seven importations, and we
can candidly say there is no necessity for going there except
for new blood to prevent inbreeding. In fact, after the new
standard is out we will not be able to import, because they
breed them with both yellow and white legs and beaks. The
best White Cochin Bantam we ever imported was "Nameless."
She was undoubtedly the best White Cochin Bantam ever seen
in America. She was even smaller than any pullet. When
she was four years old she was sold for the longest price ever
paid for a Cochin Bantam in this country. Messrs. Butterfield,
Ball, Zimmer and Rockeustyre considered her perfection. The
yellow legged strain was produced by a cross of the English
and American White Cochin Bantam, breeding for a type with
yellow legs and beaks, and by a very strong use of the ax on
culls.

Feed bread, cracker crumbs, oat meal, grit and wheat, with
this breed. Beware of yellow corn as you would a pestilence.
Where one has plenty of shade one can produce that sheeny
white plumage. CHARLES JEHL.

secretary national bantam assoc! ation.
Flatbush, Long Island.
Mr. r. F. McGrew:

I do not think I can give you anything of particular
interest regarding the handling of Bantams, as you requested,
but will send you a part, at least, of my experience.

I generally mate three or four females with one male and
have several matings. The eggs are saved from the middle of
April and chicks are hatched during the first week of May.
When young I put the chicks in barrels at night, with the
opening facing toward the south. These I find are satisfactory,
as they shed the rains and afford a dry place for the broods.
I put a quantit}' of earth on the bottom and pack some up
around the outside, always placing the barrels on higher
ground than that immediately around thefti. I lay a board over
the front, which furnishes a shelter from showers and breaks
any hard wind. When the hen leaves her brood I change the
chicks to dry-goods boxes about four feet square. These I tilt
about one foot back by nailing legs on the front of the box, and
place three or four roosts inside. A slight cover partly over
the front keeps the rain out and gives a proper shelter to the
stock. By the use of plenty of kerosene no trouble is had from
lice at any time of the year. The stock is allowed to run over
a tract of laud, not being confined until nearly matured. Ban-
tams require a change of food and must be fed when young or
the chances are that not many will survive. I give raw beef
quite often and all the grain they require. They are easily
cared for if they receive the proper start in the spring.

E. J. Latham, Sec'y Nat'l Bantam Ass'u.

CHAPTER VII.

JAPANESE BANTAMS.

The Manner of the Japanese in Producing Birds, Plants, Trees and Flowers.

T HIS home, time is not considered by the Japanese
when producing or improving a plant or flower. Con-
sider the patience and time consumed to produce the
many varieties of form and color in chrysanthemums.
We can to-day surpass them in fine colors and forms,
but this is only our ability to make use of the pro-
ductions of others, aided, as we are, by well equipped
hot-houses and conditions most favorable. In trees they have
dwarfed the most stately and beautiful into miniature form,
some with long flowing leaves, others with wnxen texture and

FIG. 39— JAPANESE BANTAM.S.

bright glowing colors. These are engrafted into one another
until the product is a beautiful little toy tree with many kinds
and colors of leaves. Even in the production of fruit trees
they succeed in getting wonderful results.

A friend, who spent years of his life in their country, tells
me that they take young fowls and animals and confine them
in boxes made to suit their purpose, and of different forms to
meet the form of their specimen. These are confined in the
ill-shaped boxes until they mature and their bodies grow to
the shape of the inside of the box. No consideration of time
and trouble affects them just so they can accomplish the object
in view and surpass a neighbor in the work. Think of a square
shaped chicken or pig, or a squirrel or rabbit with a hump like
a camel! These same efforts produced the fowls with the very
long tails, many of which are little larger than our Bantams.
To produce these curious freaks must take an extent of con-
finement on one hand and so close in-breeding on the other
that they must possess some wonderful.secret of infusing vigor
into their specimeus unknown to us.

Some thirty-five years ago the first fowls known as Japan-
ese Bantams came to England. The earl3r specimens were
of cuckoo marking, others variously marked and speckled, but
the most attractive were what we now call Black Tailed Japan-
ese Bantams. No mention is made of the white edge on the
sickle feathers of those early importations. We should pre-
sume from all information at hand that this was not promi-
nent enough to cause any mention of same. In addition to
the above mentioned varieties, some came frizzled feathered.
The Black Tailed Japanese are described as follows, by -in
early writer: "The cock has good carriage,
short clear yellow legs, drooping wings with
black flights, body white, tail erect with long
black sickle feathers showing white shaft,
comb large and upright, moderate serrations,
wattles long and red. The hen should have a
very short yellow leg, drooped wings, black
flights, white body, tail large, erect and fan
shaped, the hen's comb crinkled." Another
description tells us there is another variety
of White Japanese Bantams in which the
cock's tail flows in a sweeping semi-circle. In
perfect specimens the center of these feathers
is of the deepest glossy black, finely edged or
laced with white like the tail of a Silver Pen-
ciled Hamburg. The latter description was
recorded about ten years after the first, show-
ing that at this later date the edged tail was
noticed. Today we have the preference for dark
slate or black primaries, edged with while.
The English .standard calls for a black inner
-^ web for the wing primaries and secondaries.
Both now call for white edge on tail in both
^ sickle and coverts. The English also admit

the following varieties at the present time:
Black Tailed White, Black, White, Speckled,
Buff, Gray, Brown and Cuckoo.
We present for consideration the description
of a pair shown at the Palace Show, as described by an expert:
"Cock, snowy white in feathers of neck, breast, thighs, body
and wings, with a black tail; each sickle evenly edged with
white; his legs and bill as yellow as an orange; comb, lobes
and face as red as blood; when his wings are open they show
the black in the underneath feathers of flights and coverts, but
the upper and outer surfaces are white. The hen is colored
just like the cock and her shape is like his." Why we should
prefer the dark slate color for primary markings can hardly be
told. Why should slate colored wing markings be preferred
in these when it is not allowed in Light Brahmas, both being
white with black markings? The comb of a Japanese is quite
prominent and beautiful, usually fine in form and well ser-
rated. The face, ear-lobes and wattles are quite uniform and
handsome. A well formed Japanese female is a ver\' quaint
looking bird, the short legs, drooped wings and long tail being
so very different from any other fowl, and when they move
about they look almost as if they were sliding along.

No variety of fowls breeds more.true than they, their main

THE BANTAM FOWL.

35

fault being loss of color ia the black feathers and defective
lacing. To my notion the most attractive of all Japanese is
the pure black. This color seems to fit their size and form
better than the white with black tails. They are also to be
had in solid white, buff, gray and brown of various shades.
The most popular varieties are the Black Tailed Whites, pure
Black and pure Whites.

The first importation of Black Tailed Whites into this
country were quite oversized birds in compar-
ison with those w^ now have. The first impor-
tation of real quality in Japanese Bantams, we
believe, should be credited to Mr. J. D. Nevius,
of Philadelphia, who has at different times had
large consignments of Black Tailed Whites,
pure Black.White and Grays of superior quality.
The first really fine specimens set n by the writer
were in his yards.

Black Tailed Whites are the best known
with us. To breed them to perfection is quite
an art. The proper coloring of body, wings and
tail must be closely watched to prevent them
fading or encroaching upon forbidden ground.
The rich yellow color of beak, legs and toes;
the bright red face, comb and wattles; pure
white plumage of entire body; wings partly
black; and black tails, the sickles and coverts
of same edged with white, make a beautiful
combination for the breeder's skill to work into
greater perfection. Their long overbalancing

tails and full plumage with their form and car-

riage of body give them an appearance unlike
any other fowl. A slight description of their
general form will represent them all as to shape.

The face of a Japanese Bantam should be full and round
from a side view; eyes large and bright; comb rather large,
strong and well serrated; neck short, curving backward over
the body, almost touching the tail; back short; breast round
and full with a forward carriage ; body short and plump; wings
long and drooping; the tail of the male long and full, carried
upright and forward almost touching his head; the tail of the
female should be carried nearly upright, a drooping or hang-
ing to either side is quite a serious defect; legs very short and
free from feathers, tile shorter the shank the better, just so
the body is carried free from the ground.

The Black Tailed variety should be a very clear white,
all except wings and tail. The primaries should be black,
edged with white. The secondaries, our standard tells us,
should be dark slate, edged with white on the upper web,
lower web white. We much prefer the black in wing of both
male and female, tail of both black. In the male the sickles
and coverts are edged all around with white. The tail coverts
of female same as body color. If of fine form and carriage
and pure white with black markings, this is a beautiful

a greenish luster so much the more beautiful. Beaks, legs
and toes ia all Japanese Bantams should be yellow, but in
Blacks they are apt to shade into a dark color. This is allow-
able, and is often seen on the richest colored specimens. The
Whites should be pure white. The Grays, very dark or black
in body color; the male niarked in neck, back and wings much
like a Silver Dorking; the female laced all over with the same
silvery color. Such well marked specimens are very scarce.

^.^

The Black Japanese Bantam should be a pure black, if of

FIG. 40. — FRIZZLED BANTAMS.

Usually the markings of both male and female are very
deficient. A few Buff Japanese were shown at New York in
1897. They are very scarce and not fully developed as a dis-
tinct variety.

In breeding these Bantams the most perfect specimens
obtainable should be bred together, not more than two or three
females to each male. The young chicks must be very tenderly
handled until six or eight weeks old. After reaching this age
they are quite hardy and will care for themselves if properly
fed and housed in dry quarters at night. Long grass makes a
bad run for them when damp as they are quite sensitive to wet
and damp surroundings. Being so close to the ground their
body feathers get wet and produce disease.

FRIZZLED BANTAMS.
Frizzled Bantams of the Japanese type are quite like them
in form. Some contend that they are of English origin, while
others tell us they came from Japan. Their general apperance
would indicate their close relationship. They look quite like
the Japanese in shape and color. The plumage of the whole
body turns a reversed way. We will treat more fully of. them
in our next chapter.

CHAPTER YIII.

FRIZZLED AND RUMPLESS BANTAMS.

Their Origin Must Be Oriental.

N the chapter on Japanese fowls mention was made
of the Frizzled as being of the same variety. In giv-
ing the information about these breeds, it is not my
intention to claim all the statements as my own, for the
reason that much of this information is gathered from
books and recorded for your information. It is my
wish to state here that the information thus gathered
is put into this form without any reference to its origin.

The Frizzled is one of the oldest known breeds. Natural-
ists made mention of this and the Rumpless about three hun-
dred years ago. On one point the early writers agree — that
the Frizzled is a native of Southern Asia; also to be found in
Java, Sumatra and the Phillippine Islands. The prevailing
color of the wild race is white, with smooth legs. Some speci-
mens were found of various colors and feathered legs, indi-
cating the presence of the same blood that produced our
Brahmas and Cochins. These facts would indicate an inter-
change of fowls at that early day between the inhabitants
of the older nations of the earth. If the fowls of China
found their way to the natives of the above named coun-
tries, why not the same interchange of fowls with Japan,
thus giving them the blood to produce the Frizzled Japanese

The Rumpless, called in early times the Rumpkin, is
properly called "Choci-KukuUo," which translated is "Cochin
Fowl." Some writers claim it as a native of Persia. Aldro-
vandus spoke of this variety as the Persian fowl, while others
positively state that it first came from Cochin, and their nat-
ural color was black. Some white ones were also seen. These
facts show that both these fowls originally came from the
same region of the country, that their original color was black
or white, with smooth legs, and for the Rumpless rose combs.
The Frizzled were very much the same. Now, these facts
being so plainly recorded at that early day should be a guide
for our standard makers, and if recognized by them at all,
color and comb should be very specific and positively described
and held to, and not a lot of cross-bi ed mongrels encouraged
into the show room.

Japan has sent us in the last twenty years many odd fowls,
showing their ability to produce odd forms, the Frizzled one

being the most attractive. Some of our ablest English writers
do not admit that these came from Japan, but to my mind
their form and carriage point to the Japanese origin. They
are bred and shown in many colors, but the preference is given
in all cases to Blacks and Whites, the former the most pre-
ferred. I copy from an English writer these words: "As to
comb we have no great preference, though our choice would
be the single comb, but in legs and feet, four toes and clean
legs are to be preferred. Of all the Frizzled, Whites seem to
be the most charming. These should have yellow legs (often
they are willow, sometimes slate), but yellow should have the
preference. Next come the Golden, with yellow or willow
legs; the Slate color, with black or slate colored legs, and the
Blacks with black legs. In addition to these, we have the
Browns, Grays and Blues, — in fact, all kinds of solid and
mixed colors known to fowls." These statements show the
many different colors of these little frizzled fowls.

Frizzled Bantams are quite small, some of the Palace win-
ners not exceeding one pound in weight. The most valued
property is the curl of the feathers, next, the quality of feather;
to be perfect they must be hard and wiry. Color is the third
consideration. Being a tender fowl they must be protected
from all changes of the weather, rain or storms. They are
fairly good layers, splendid sitters and mothers, and their
chicks are as easily raised as the Japanese.

The Rumpless Bantams, produced, as they were, by Mr.
Tegetmeier, seem to my mind to belong to the same chapter
with the above. Let me quote the words of others as to them:
"They were produced by a cross of a very small Rumpless hen
with a crest. She was mated to a White Polish and produced
Rumpless Polish Bantams. This same hen mated to a very
small Nankin Bantam produced tailless Nankins. The result
of these two crosses passed into the hands of others, who con-
tinued the work and produced them in mauy forms and colors;
also some with very short, booted legs. Both single and rose
combs are seen, but the single is much preferred." These two
breeds in their many colors would make a study for any num-
ber of fanciers, and I hope some enterprising breeder will look
into them and add them in perfection to our list of little beau-
ties at our exhibitions,

CHAPTER IX.

NANKIN BANTAMS.

One of the Most Ancient Breeds of Bantams, originally Called Nankeen.

^HESE little beauties came into notice many,
many years ago, and they have taken part in
the make-up of more of their kind than any one
bird. They are seldom seen in England, and
we hardly think a single specimen is owned in
America at this time. For their description, I
must depend on the writings of others. Comb
may be single or double, the best of early days had single
combs; legs blue. Some had white legs, but my opinion is
that the double combs and white legs came from a cross with
other birds. When bred in England color of legs and style of
comb did not matter so all in one pen were alike. Thus the
two competed. These birds were quite neglected until they
fell into the hands of game keepers, who use them for rearing
partridges. Mr. Cresswell brought them into notice early in
the seventies, by exhibiting a beautiful pen at the Crystal
Palace Show. He preferred the double combs and white legs.
I give our readers his description of them: "Size as small as
possible, comb single or double, the latter preferred; legs
blue or white, the former are preferred, but hard to find; the
birds of my original stock had white legs. As long as these
birds match in show pens the comb and color of legs are not
essential poiats."

The cock has an amusing and conceited walk, with flowing
sickle, tail and wings almost sweeping the ground. His
breast and bod}' are of a deep ginger color; the back, wings,
coverts, neck and saddle a rich, orange chestnut; tail, dark
chestnut, shading into black, almost like the original Cochin
Bantams in color. The hen's general color is a clear buff;
like a Buff Cochin. Dark, medium and light colored birds
are found among them. Most of them have a shaded or pen-
ciled hackle, but they should be free from this, with tails
brown, shading into black at the ends. The unseen half of
primary in both male and female is often black. They are
naturally very domestic and tame, excellent layers of good
sized eggs and careful mothers for their chicks. They breed
very true to form and color. The fact that these birds breed

so true to their own type proves their originality. If taken in
hand by experts of the present day they would soon become a
favorite, both for their beauty and sterling qualities. Since
writing the above, Mr. John Glasgow has secured and bred
some of these little beauties of most perfect form and feather.

CUCKOO BANTAMS.

Cuckoo Bantams, or miniature Scotch Greys, are like our
American Dominiques. They have single combs and white
legs. They are produced both in Scotland and England quite
independently. Another variety of these same birds has
been produced by crossing them with Rose Combs, giving
them the rose combs and darker legs. These crosses produce
Cuckoo color with rose combs, Andalusian color and light
slate blue color, also both white and black with both styles of
combs. These Bantams are almost lost sight of, having been
pushed aside by the many new kinds more handsome of form
and feather.

In my boyhood days we had the African Bantam, or Crow
chicken, very small and finely built. In form they were very
much like the early Games, the male being marked very much
like our present Brown Leghorns and the females perfe'etly
black. These little fowls bred as true as sparrows year after
year. I bred from the product of the one original pair. They
had for their home a big box covered with stiff paper and
painted with tar, the roof made of boards to shed the water.
Here winter and summer they grew and thrived under con-
ditions that our present fowls could not stand. They had all
the corn they could eat, but their size kept just the same.
These fowls came by steamer to Philadelphia to a man who
had a paper mill. He bred from them and sent their product
to the children of his sister, and from them came my pair from
which I bred for years with no new blood. This experience
illustrates the constitutional powers of these small fowls.
Follow this plan with judgment, and form, size and color
are at your command in handling and reducing these small
fowls.

CHAPTER X.

POLISH BANTAMS.

Also Some New Bantams Worthy of Note.

pHESE miniature Polish are of the same form, colors
aud marking as their larger relatives of the same
name. Both American and English fanciers have
worked to produce these little beauties. The lack of
general interest in them proves a barrier to their
progress, and it may be their extermination. They
are a most beautiful little fowl, and a Polish Bantam
craze that would result in a club that would push these little
beauties to the front might soon result in a special Polish
Bantam show that would rival the New York cat show
Boston exclusive pigeon show.

- These Bantams have been bred in the following colors:
Black, white, buff, silver, gold, cuckoo, blue, and white
crested black. They are simply Polish Bantams with all the
Polish markings, etc., that belong to the Polish family. They
were produced by crossing Golden Polish and Golden Sebright
Bantams for the golden color. For the silver color, Silver
Polish and Silver Sebrights were used. For Black and White
Polish, Black aud White Rose Comb Bantams were used.
These crosses produced solid Blacks and Whites, and White
Crested Blacks; also white crested blue or slate colored and
solid colored blues. The pure Whites were among the first to
attract attention both here and in England. Up to the pres-
ent time they are the most perfect of all Polish Bantams. Of
them we shall make particular mention.

White Crested White Polish Bantams only are allowed by
our standard; no other Polish Bantam is considered. Of these,
two kinds or forms of comb are allowed — the single and
V-shaped. Birds of the single comb variety have silvery
white colored legs and no beard, while those that have the
V-shaped combs have blue or slate colored legs, and a beard
or muff under the throat, extending back to crest on either
side. The beak of each conforms in color with the legs,
either silver or blue, as may be. The blue colored legs,
V-shaped combs, and beards, we believe were produced both
in this country and England at about the same time. The
others show signs of an unnatural cross. Demanding, as we
do, V or leaf combs and blue legs for standard White Polish,
why should we admit both in the Bantams? Then, as to
weight, there is only two ounces difference in these Polish
Bantams and a Buff Cochin Bantam. These points show a
very unnatural standard's demands. The English demand
seventeen to twenty-two ounces for males and fourteen to
eighteen ounces for females in all Polish Bantams. Why
should our standard permit such heavy weights for them?

The White Polish Bantams should be pure white and as
small as possible. Our preference is for the V or leaf comb.
Having, as they do, the muff or beard, and being naturally
the better formed Bantam, they should have the preference.
To breed these successfully, select a male perfect in form,
crest and beard; he should also have a large, well-proportioned
tail for his size. Legs should be of blue color and very
smooth. His beak should also be blue and crest should be
large and perfect in form. He should be mated to a small
female as perfect in all these points as possible. A hen should
be preferred rather than a pullet for producing strong chicks.
It is always best to select as breeding stock birds that have
the largest knobs for the crest to grow upon. Always select a
crest that is well filled in front and as round as possibl

The other variety is or should be the same, only the single
comb as small as possible. They have silver colored legs and
beaks, in other points the same, only no beard.

In all other varieties of Polish Bantams the standard for
the larger varieties should guide, excepting the size. This in
all Polish Bantams should be quite small. Do not try to pro-
duce these beautiful fowls and call them Bantams when half
the size of the larger Polish. Their beauty depends on their
miniature size.

Since writing the above Mr. F. B. Zimmer, of Gloversville,
N. Y., has shown me his flock of Bearded White Crested White
Polish, and produced evidence to show me that he was not
the ' only the first to produce this variety, but the only one thus far
to produce them of proper size and shape with all the other
features of this variety in so marked a degree as to assure repro-
duction of their high qualities. His strain of Bearded White
Polish is, beyond all dispute, the best in all the world.

A new variety of Polish Bantams is just now before us —
the Buff Laced Polish Bantams. To be of correct type they
must resemble the larger Polish of the same variety in all fea-
tures and conform in size to other Polish Bantams.

THE SULTAN OR BOOTED WHITE POLISH.
The Sultan or Booted White Polish we mentioned with the
Booted Bantams. Nothing could be more beautiful than nice,
well-kept Sultans. They would help to swell the numbers for
a Polish Bantam club.

SILKY BANTAMS.
The Silky Bantams are very scarce, and are known of the
following varieties: Whites, Yellow or Golden, Browns
or Blacks. Some of these have single combs, others the wal-
nut comb. They are quite small, rather hairy, and said to be
good sitters and mothers. Their native land was Eastern
Asia, about Malacca. Early writers call them the woolly hen.
Their feathers being almost entireh' fluff give them the
woolly appearance. Their skin and bones are of a purple or
blue color. This makes a distasteful looking dish for the
table, for when cooked they have a dark uninviting appear-
ance. In the early da3'S of the Cochin some of them were
called Silky Cochins, their plumage being fluffy to the very
end of the feathers, showing the influence of home cultivation
of the fancy in the Orient. Thus writes an early fancier of
these fowls: "Silkies may be classed as purely fancy, having
only their own peculiarities to recommend them. In place of
feathers they have silky hair; the skin and legs are blue; face
and comb deep purple; ear lobes tinged with white. The best
of them have five toes and pure white plumage."
A BREEDER OF POLISH.
Gloversvili<e, N. Y., March 13, 1S97.
Mr. r. F. JMcGrew:

Sixteen to seventeen years ago I started in the plain Polish
Bantams, and thirteen or fourteen years ago I brought out the
entire original stock. They originated in Massachusetts, near
Agawam, as much by accident as any way. At about that time
(thirteen or fourteen j'ears) there was as good as none outside
of my flock. The standard just let them in and, as }-ou know,
called for single comb and white legs. (I do not know who
made this standard.) Many of the chicks had blue legs and I
was not as particular then as I am now and sold lots of these
disqualified birds after telling customers, but they were crazy
after them, so they went. Being interested personally, I have
kept my eyes open for Polish Bantams, and I never saw an Eng-
lish bird that was white, nor heard of one, with V comb and blue
legs in America. And after I wrote our bearded standard as it
• reads, I never heard of any English being imported and
certain all those that are being shown in America now are
from my stock, that I bred from Big Bearded English Polish
and my non-bearded birds. I will not assert that England
never had a bird to conform to our standard of Bearded
Bantams. F. B. Zimmbr.

\

THfe BANTAM FOWL.

39

NEW BANTAMS.
The desire to produce new breeds is almost a craze with
us. Not content with improving those we have, our attention

FIG 41

Bred b\ f F McGrew

is attracted toward new things. The new rule adopted by the
American Poultry Association will close the door, for some
time at least, against imitation breeds or varieties, as may be.
As a matter of record, I will mention a number of styles
and kinds of Bantams that have come and gone, many of them
with merely passing notice. The most attractive of these are
the Penciled and Spangled Hamburg Bantams. They can be
produced bj' crossing Hamburgs and Sebrights together, and
reduced by inbreeding and selection. The Silver Penciled of
these varieties is the most attractive, and we have seen some
fairly good ones for the first cross.

Minorca, Andalusian, and Leghorn Bantams of fairly good
form can be produced by proper crosses and inbreeding. We
have seen Andalusian Bantams of fairly good color and comb,
fashioned after the old style of Game Bantams. Brown Leghorn
Bantams can be produced by crossing a small Brown Leghorn
male with an old style Black Red Game Bantam hen. Inbreed
and select the most perfect specimens of small size and breed
from them late chicks. White Leghorns can be produced in
the same manner using small White Games for the cross.

Bantams called Centurions, buff in color, resembling White
. Wonders, are bred by crossing Golden Sebrights, Japanese and
Buff Cochin Bantams with Buff Wyandottes. In our opinion
the same or better results might be obtained by crossing the
Golden Sebright on the Buff Cochin Bantam. This would
give the buff color, the feathered legs and rose comb in much
shorter time than the other numerous crosses. Buff Plymouth
Rock and Buff Wyandotte Bantams are produced by similar
crosses. In fact, almost every known fowl has to-day its coun-
terpart in miniature form of more or less merit. This may do
very well as a pastime, to please the fancy of those who pro-
duce them, but to have any real value they must possess the
characteristics of the breed they imitate and reproduce of their
kind moderately perfect specimens.

BURMESE BANTAMS.
This variety of Bantams came to Scotland from Bermah
about fifteen years ago. They are a small white Bantam when
in their best form, but black, brown and speckled colors are
also natural to the breed. They have a crest on their heads,
single small comb in front of the crest, long wings, very long

tails, extremely short legs, in fact so short that their breast
and body almost touches the ground. Their short, heavily
feathered legs and toes make it difficult for them to move
about. The legs and beaks of the Burmese are yellow, and
from their general description we should think they were
much like the Japanese, with heavy leg and toe feathering
and crest added.

BLACK SPAJSilSH BANTAMS.

Our attention has been called to the fact that they now
have in England a most perfect little Black Spanish Bantam,
about the size of the Rose Comb Bantam. It is claimed thai
they are perfect little beauties, with all the features well
developed.

Houdan Bantams, Dorking Bantams and Creve Coeur
Bantams have made their appearance in England, in a small
way, in the last ten years. All of them are splendid models of
the larger fowls they miniature. None of these have as yet
made any prominence for themselves. So far they are only a
matter of record. The most prominent new variety of Bantams
is the Langshau now being pushed for honors by their origin-
ator, Mr. Hughes, whose description of them is given below.
BLACK LANGSHAN BANTAMS.

In general appearance they are just like the Black Lang-
shans; in fact, a perfect counterpart of them in miniature form.
They also have their egg producing trait. They were produced
by breeding in direct line from Black Langshans by proper
selecting and mating and now breed true to size and form; in
fact, they breed so true that a large per cent of them are quite
good enough for either exhibition or breeding.

Now a few words regarding how I came to breed them. In
the fall of 189Z a Black Langshan hen stole her nest and
hatched a brood of chicks in November. The flock which had
this hen as a member was running at large in an old orchard
and I did not see either the hen or chicks until snow came and
I looked to see if all the stock was roosting in the house; then
I found the chicks. Well, my first thought on seeing them

FIG. 42. — WHITS COCHIN BANTAM.
Snow Drop, from life. Bred at Elmwood Farm,
was, "How much they look like Bantams!" These chicks,
five of them, survived the winter, and the thought that they
looked like Bantams was father to the resolve to try and breed
from them Black Langshan Bantams. The chicks were
dwarfed in size and to-day two of the hens that were the
foundation of the O. K. strain of Black Langshan Bantams are
alive and only weigh three pounds each.

As to how I succeeded in my resolve to breed and establish
a strain of Black Langshan Bantams I refer the reader and
others interested to my past exhibits of them.

Wii^LiAM M. Hughes,

CHAPTER XI.

PREPARING FOR EXHIBITION.

he; proper time to begin preparing a bird for
exhibition is when selecting the parent bird
for the breeding pen. Perfect health and con-
dition are quite as necessarj' in the parent bird
as in the offspring; the former will not pro-
duce healthy stock if in poor condition, un-
healthy birds will not make exhibition birds
of true value, for such birds will not stand the preparation
necessary to condition them for competition, and without such
condition the chances of \j'inning are very poor.

After twenty-five years of experience in poultry exhibitions
all over the country, I am fully prepared to say that the suc-
cessful exhibitor of fancy fowls is always either an expert at
conditioning birds or a successful purchaser from those who
understand the art. Never in all my experience have I seen a
poorly conditioned bird win in strong competition. When
this is considered in its true light we fully appreciate the
necessity of having exhibition stock in the highest show con-
dition. This includes perfect health, perfect plumage, high
condition of flesh (not overly fat) and perfect cleanliness from
tip of comb to end of toes. Not one single section can be
overlooked or neglected in its preparation, if success is to
be assured.

To properl)' rear a bird for exhibition it must be well
looked after from the day it is hatched. It will not answer to
allow them to grow up as they may and then select the best for
exhibition; they must be properly fed, watered, housed, and
kept clean and free from all insects and diseases. In Bantams
they must be fed quite enough to keep them growing properly,
but not overfed so as to force them to oversize. Good health
and condition must be maintained. And, above all, never
allow your birds to run about in the wet after cool weather begins
in the fall. If perfectly dry the cold will not injure them.

When fully matured, handle Bantams- in preparation for
exhibition as follows: All smooth legged varieties should be
kept busy hunting in hay or straw for all they get to eat. The
litter must be clean and dry. This continued digging gives a
fine polish to feet, legs and plumage of the birds; hardens
their flesh and keeps them under standard weight. The
feather legged birds must be continuall}' watched to prevent
their scratching and destroying the feathers on their feet.
Small coops must be provided for them, the floors of the same
covered with clean, dry pine sawdust. All food should be
given in dishes; great care should be taken not to drop anj' of
the food on the floor of the coop, for this will induce them to
scratch and break the foot feathering. The sawdust must be put
through a course sieve each day to free it from all dirt and
droppings, for thus onl}' can perfect cleanline.ss be observed.
All smooth legged, close feathered varieties should have
their plumage polished at least once a da}' with a cotton flan-
nel cloth or a silk handkerchief. This will keep them per-
fectly clean and free from any bad condition of plumage, and
add luster and finish to same. Never use oil of any kind upon
the feathers, for while it looks well for a few days, it soon
gathers dust and dirt, thus destroying the rich appearance of
surface plumage.

By keeping the legs of your fowls perfectly clean ami nicely
polished with a woolen cloth or chamois skin, no roughness or
bad color will appear; when neglected it takes so much hard
rubbing to make them presentable, that they often have the
appearance of having been scaled to the quick. When this is
carried to excess and the spurs shelled it gives the legj the
appearance of raw meat. This should count against the speci-
men in the show pen.

The proper training for the show pen is of great impor-

tance. No good excuse can be offered for placing a wild,
untrained specimen in the show room. It is quite impossible
to properly consider the good or bad points of such applicants
for honors; but few of them can be considered as a factor in
a closely contested class. All birds intended for show purposes
should be trained to stand in the most attractive positions, and
be taught to allow any one at all times and in all places to
handle them and remove them from their coops. When thus
taught to put their best front forward, if of good quality and
condition, all is done that can be done. Such a specimen has
considerable in its favor as against one that has no training
for the show pen.

WASHING FOR EXHIBITION.

Almost every one who has found it necessary to wash his
fowls for exhibition follows methods and waj'S of his own.
Some use hot suds and a sponge; others, alcohol to clean the
spots from the plumage, and others brush the outside or sur-
face plumage with hot suds and a stiff brush. All these meth-
ods %re good, if the}' succeed.

My plan is as follows: Fill a tub, (or bucket of the
proper size to meet the demands for room according to the
size of the bird to be washed), with warm water. First
wash head, comb, face and wattles with a small hand brush;
use a verj' little soap for same. Next scrub feet and legs very
clean with same brush. If the fowl has feathers on legs and
feet, wash quite clean with plenty of soap. When these parts
are perfectly clean put the whole bod}' of the fowl into the
water and thoroughly soften the feathers. As soon as the
feathers are well soaked with the water rub them through and
through with plenty of soap; use your hands and fingers for
this. Work the soap well into the skin; wash them as if you
wished to get every spot of dirt off the skin. When satisfied
that the under plumage and skin has been well cleaned by
thoroughly washing every spot with your fingers, then wash
the surface plumage with your hands and plenty of soap.
When satisfied that all has been well washed dip the whole
bird under water and with your hands wash the feathers
thoroughly and free them as much as possible from the soap.
Then thoroughly rinse in a tub or bucket of clean, warm water.
When the feathers are perfectly free from all soap and dirt,
then plunge the whole bird into clean, cold water. When re-
moved from this dry the feathers as much as possible with
cloths or towels. Always rub the proper way of the feathers.
When as much water as possible is worked from the feathers
in this way, take the fowl by the legs, allow its head to hang
down and swing gently so the wings will flap and plumage
be loosened.

The most important part of the operation is the proper
drying of the plumage. The best way to dry the plumage is
to place the bird in a very hot room;" a room that is heated
with steam is the best. If the hot room is not convenient
place the bird in a coop close to a warm stove or open fire.
Great care must be used not to allow the face or comb to blister
before the hot fire. To properly dry the plumage the fowl
must be kept in a very warm place till perfectly dry. The
feathers must be all quite dry through and through, or they
will stick together and look very bad. If dried quickly in a
very warm room the feathers will well out nicely and look
beautiful and fresh. If poorly done they will look'worse than
before. It is better to make the first attempt at washing a
fowl with one of little value. Do not experiment with one of
your best fowls. Learn the lessou first and then work with
the exhibition stock, .\lways put some blue in the rinse water
for white fowls, about as you would for white clothes.

When preparing birds for exhibition remember that fine
condition goes far towards their winning, and nothing helps
more than perfectly clean plumage, legs and feet; so in pre-
paring them use great care in washing any part that may need
cleansing, or, if necessary, the whole bird.

CHAPTER Xli.

DISEASES OF BANTAMS.

How to Prevent and Cure Them.

ANTAMS when young have many dangers con-
I "^TS fronting them. Being so small, of necessity they

are tender and delicate. Sudden changes of the

weather during the night will often cause them
to droop and look out of good condition, but with
care they will prosper as well as their larger
relations. To prevent disease be positively cer-
tain that the parent birds have no taint of any kind about them.
Positive absence of all disease in the breeding stock is first to
be considered. When the eggs are set under the hen, she and
the nest must both be perfectly free from dirt or lice, and the
hen must be in perfect health. To make doubly sure, dust the
hen well with insect powder (Persian is the best) before placing
her on the eggs, and again one week before due to hatch.
This should destroy all insect life; but do not trust it. In
addition give the hen a good dust ta'.h for her use during
incubating; and when the chicks are hatched look sharp for
their first enemy, the head louse, usually to be found, if pres-
ent, on top of the head. They may locate on the neck. If
none are present you may conclude the chick is safe for a week
from them. When any are found, paint well the head and
neck with melted lard, a little warm — not hot. Use small,
stiff, flat brush, and be sure the head and neck are oiled well
to the skin. This will destroy all that may be present; but
keep a close watch against their return.

More young Bantams die from diarrhea than from all
other causes. People usually' concede that the food they eat
is the cause of the disease; they change the diet, and then won-
der what makes the trouble. Nine times out of ten it is caused
by taking cold in some way; bad or sour food will cause it;
want of grit or too much water after a long thirst will produce
the same result. The best remedy is to give them special care
. so that none of the above causes will exist. Should the chicks
be so affected, clear all obstruction from the vent by removing
the soiled down with a pair of scissors, using great care not to
cut the skin. Anoint with fresh olive oil and feed dry cooked
food. Always provide plenty of good, sharp sand, or very
small grit for them. I feed nothing but Spratt's Bantam Food
and bread crumbs until they are over three weeks old.

The next trouble for the little Bantam is cold. Until
fully feathered they are very susceptible to changes in the
weather. Cold, damp days and nights often work havoc
among them. The only sure preventive for this is to house
them in a well-constructed coop, having a covered run, where
they can enjoy partial freedom during bad weather. When
affected feed warm, rich food, keep them dry, and tie a lump
of camphor and a small stone in a piece of white muslin and
drop this into their drinking water. The stone is for a sinker;
camphor is good for cold in all cases. If Bantams are kept
free from lice, cold and dampness, and properly fed and
watered,. they will be free from every disease.

ROUP.

This name is applied to all stages of the ailment, from a
slight cold to the most disgusting diphtheritic condition.
Sometime since a statement appeared in one of our journals,
■ saying that young chicks never have the roup. The author has
discovered that the above is incorrect. Being asked to look
at a brood of chicks that were hatched where no other chickens

had been for several years, he found them to be about three
weeks old and affected with roup and canker of the very worst
kind — eyes swollen and an offensive discharge from the nostrils.
This proves that it can come at anj- time. No doubt such cases
start from diseased parent birds.

How to cure roup is a question hard to settle. If in the
stage of a slight cold, clean the mouth, throat, nostrils and
head with warm water and soap, rinse well with warm water
and vinegar, half of each. Take a small syringe and force
some of this warm mixture through both nostrils till well
cleaned. Follow this with an injection of olive oil. Place
the bird in warm, dry quarters and feed soft food. If this does
not improve the patient and it grows worse you will save time
by destroying the specimen and burning the carcass.

Another treatment is to cleanse them as above and give
Aconite or Arsenicum. Others say Spongia in their drinking
water is a good remedy. All these methods will help some of
those afflicted with the disease; but when the case is so bad
that they grow worse each day under such care, it is better to
kill them.

I have seen specimens cured by dipping the head in a can
of oil (kerosene.) This will also remove all the feathers 'from
the head, but they come again. So many call a simple cold
the roup. Usually when cured by any reasonable means' it is
a simple cold, but real roup in a fowl is as bad as diphtheria
in a child and as hard to cure.

The following on disease is printed by permission of Dr.
Wm. Y. Fox, of Taunton, Mass.;

COLD.

A common cold is probably the most prevalent disease the
human family is subject to, and the same is true of Bantams.
The first sj'mptom is sneezing, then a discharge of clear,
watery fluid from the nostrils and eyes; later, a slight loss of
appetite and general dumpishness.

In itself a cold is of little consequence, but, as it is often
the forerunner of roup, it must not be neglected. Cold is gen-
erally caused by drafts blowing across the roosts at night, or
by filthy quarters. It may also be caused by dampness in the
house or runs, or too much exposure to bad weather. Bantams
can be allowed in their yards in very cold weather if the
ground is free from snow and mud, but they are much better
off in the house if there is mud or snow on the ground, or if it
is stormy. In this respect they certainly require more care
than the large varieties. The prevention of colds lies in keep-
ing the flock in clean, tight, dry quarters.

The treatment is very simple. If only one or two are
affected remove them from the rest and place in a coop where
they will be warm and free from drafts. Get some camphor-
ated oil, at any drug store, and with a small glass syringe
inject it into the nostrils twice a day. This will generally
effect a cure within a few days. If many of the flock are
afflicted in this way it will be impracticable to treat separately,
and the first thing to do is to find and remove the cause of the
illness. Having done this, keep a small piece of gum camphor
in the drinking water and watch carefully for further symp-
toms. Do not allow the nostrils to become plugged by a crust,
as they ofen will, because the discharge will be held back and
act as poison.

42

tHE BANTAM FOWL.

After the nostrils have been obstructed a day or two the head
will begin to swell and before we know it we have a case of
roup to deal with. The injection of camphorated oil as already
directed will usually keep the nostrils free and open.
ROUP.
This is a contagious disease, and generally begins as a
simple cold. It is often fatal, and is much to be dreaded as it
will sometimes go through the whole flock before the owner
is aware that there is any serious trouble It is difficult to say
just when a cold turns into roup, but when the discharge from
the nostrils and eyes becomes thick and sticky, and of an
offensive odor, you may be sure that you have a case of roup.
The next symptom is swelling of the head and eyes; frequently
the eyelids will stick together, and if washed apart a large
amount of fetid matter will escape. As these symptoms increase
the bird i% growing sicker all the time, more dumpish and has
little or no appetite.

Roup may be prevented by good care and prompt treat-
ment of every cold, but above all by care in introducing new
birds into the flock. Whenever you buy a new hen keep her
in quarantine at least two weeks, until you are sure she is in
perfect health, before exposing your stock to the danger of
contagion. Bantams oi a strong, vigorous constitution, prop-
erly housed and fed, will never have roup, unless they catch it
from some diseased fowl carelessly introduced into their house.
Probably the most common way for the disease to be trans-
mitted from one to another, is through the drinking water. Be
careful to thoroughly clean and scald any drinking vessel that
has been used by any sick Bantam, before using it again. It
is doubtful whether the disease can be carried in the air, but
give the well birds the benefit of the doubt and confine diseased
ones in separate houses or rooms. It is unwise to keep an
invalid in a room with a fire, unless you are prepared to keep
him there until warm weather, for it will never be safe to
return the convalescent patient to the unheated house after he
has had the luxury of a fire.

The treatment of roup is, in the main, very unsatisfactory,
although, if begun soon enough it may save a valuable speci-
men. Keep the nostrils, eyes and throat as clean as possible.'
Get a bottle of listerine at any drug store, and put a table-
spoonful into a glass of warm water. Inject into the nostrils,
swab the throat and wash the head and eyes with it two or
three times a day for the first four or five days. Feed with
soft cooked food and milk.

If this treatment makes no improvement in the patient,
kill him and burn his carcass. This is the kindest and best
advice that can be given, for, although he may recover after
weeks of dosing and pampering, he will still be a weak bird
and the sightest exposure will start a discharge from the nos-
trils, which may contain the germs of roup and be sufficient to
cause the disease in the flock to which he belongs.

A Bantam that has once had a genuine severe atrack of
roup is never fit to breed from, as his offspring will be sickly,
puny chicks nine times out of ten. If you are unwilling to
take this advice, as you probably will be until you have tried
to cure roup yourself, the next best thing to do is to continue
to keep head and nostrils as clean as possible. Stop the acon-
ite and give one grain of sulphate of quinine three times a day,
and all the milk and whisky you can pour down, every three
or four hours. By this time your pet will not eat and his
strength must be kept up by forcing the whisky and milk.
Should your efforts prove successful and the bird begins to
mend, leave off the whisky and quinine very gradually and
put enough tincture of chloride of iron into the drinking
water to give a decided brown color; feed good cooked food
and a little meat once a day.

CANKER OR DIPHTHERITIC ROUP.
This is a frequent accompaniment of ordinary roup, and is
probably a different manifestation of the same disease. It is

highly contagious to other fowl and possibly to man. Cases
are reported where children have probably contracted diph-
theria from fowls sick with canker, and also where poultry
that have had access to discharges from diphtheria patients
have sickness with canker. The one distinguishing symptom
of canker is the appearance in the mouth or throat of a white
or yellowish white cheesy membrane. This may appear dur-
ing the course of ordinary roup, or may come on suddenly in
an apparently healthy fowl. At the first onset one or more
white spots, about the size of a pin head, may be seen either
on the roof of the mouth or under the tongue, or, quite often
around the opening to the wind pipe. These spots grow ver^-
rapidly until, often times, the whole mouth is filled with a
membrane that is usually glistening white, sometimes yellow-
ish. When torn off it leaves a bleeding surface beneath. It
is of very offensive odor. If this membrane extends into the
wind pipe the patient will soon die of suffocation. This is a
disease that can not be mistaken, as the appearance of the
membrane is very characteristic.

The remarks on the cause and prevention of roup apply
especially to canker and need not be repeated. The general
treatment is also the same, but the local treatment is different.
Instead of washing out nostrils and mouth attempts must be
made to remove the membrane. This is often done by scrap-
ing with a piece of pine wood whittled to a convenient shape.
.\fter removing all that can be removed, without excessive
bleeding, the parts should be powdered over with alum. A
better way is to apply peroxide of hydrogen in full strength
directly to the membrane, which will soon be eaten away with
much less bleeding than in the other proceeding. After using
the peroxide a few minutes, apply tincture of the chloride of
iron in full strength. The mouth can be pretty well cleaned
by either method, but the membrane soon returns and the
process must be repeated often. When the membrane is in
the wind pipe it has to be left to nature, and almost always
proves fatal.

CHOLERA.
At the present day this is an extremely rare disease in the
United States. It is the most contagious of the diseases of
poultry, generally killing the whole flock when it once gets a
foothold. It is always caused by contact with a previous case,
never originating in a yard without such contact or exposure.
The symptoms are excessive diarrhea, first of a black
substance as thick as tar, later by a thin, watery fluid which
smells putrid. There is very rapid emaciation and prostra-
tion, death frequently occurring within thirty-six hours after
the commencement of the disease. There is no treatment;
kill and cremate.

DIARRHEA
This is quite frequent, and is sometimes mistaken for
cholera, but cholera is so very rapid that this mistake ought
not to be made. Diarrhea is usually caused by improper food,
impure water, by sudden changes in temperature or exposure to
cold and wet. Individual mild cases require no treatment, as
they will soon recover. In severe cases, remove the patient to a
coop, keep without food for twenty-four hours, keep lime
water before it instead of clear water, .\fter twenty-four
hours give a little bread, soaked in boiled milk. Let this be
the only food until diarrhea ceases. When there are a num-
ber of cases in the flock, be sure there is something wrong in
food or drink. Search carefully for this cause and remove it.
CROP BOUND.
This is quite common in Bantams, and if not properly
treated is very apt to prove fatal. The first symptom is a con-
stant effort to swallow. The neck is stretched out, the mouth
opened, and the hen acts the way you often see a little chick
act when trying to get down a worm one size larger than his
gullet.

THE BANTAM FOWL.

43

The patient acts dumpish and stands in a peculiar posi-
tion with the breast bone pitched forward and down. He is
hungry and will keep eating until his crop is filled full and as
hard as a stone. If you suspect that you have a case of crop
bound place the subject where he can not eat for twenty-four
hours and then feel his crop; if it is hard, or harder than
when he was shut up, your suspicions are confirmed.

This trouble is caused by a plugging up of the outlet of the
crop with some particle of food, such as a long, ribbon-like
piece of hay or grass. It ma}' be caused by overeating, as
when fowls get access to the grain bin and then drink a lot of
water. The cause in this case is, probably, not so much
obstruction of the outlet as it is a paralysis of the muscles of
the crop from overdistension. This is rather an unusual
form of crop bound and is merely mentioned to point this
moral; when you know your Bantams have enormously over-
eaten, deprive them of water until their crops are, at least, half
empty. ,' There is no way to prevent the other or obstructive
form.

■ The treatment is the same in either case; empty the crop.
This can sometimes be done by pouring castor oil down the
throat and working the mass in the crop around with the fin-
gers. Try this about three times, two or three hours apart. If
by that time the mass is not softened it is time to resort to sur-
gery. Remove the feathers from a space the size of a silver
dollar directly over the crop. With a clean, sharp knife make
a cut one and one-half inches long through the skin; pull the
wound along about half an inch and with a second cut go
directly through into the crop. With a spoon handle scoop
out the contents thoroughly. Either see or feel the outlet of
the crop, so as to remove any obstruction there maj' be there.
Wash the inside of the crop and the wound with warm water,
to which a little salt has been added. With a neddleful of
white silk sew up the crop and then the skin.

Give no food or drink for thirty-six hours, then give a little
bread soaked in milk. Feed carefully for a week; by that time
the little fellow will be all right, that is, supposing the relief
to have 6een given soon enough. For, if the mass in the crop
has fermented badly, as it will in three or four days, it will have
excited so much inflammation that the operation does no good.
Do not delay in a case of crop bound as twenty-four hours
frequently make the difference between saving and losing a
valuable bird.

LEG WEAKNESS.

This is most common in growing chickens and is shown
by inability to stand up. The chicken appears hungry, and
all right in every way, except that it tries to get around on its
hock joints instead of its feet. This occurs either while the
first feathers or the second are growing. It is due to defective
nutrition and is analogous to what we frequently term in
children as growing too fast for their strength. The remedy is
to change the diet, giving more meat and cut bone, something
to make more muscle. Take care that the other chicks do not
prevent the weak one from getting any food at all. With a
little care these casesrecover in a few days.

In the full grown Bantam a similar condition is often seen,
although not so often as in the heavy breeds, and is more apt
to be due to rheumatism or cramp, the result of dampness or
exposure. The remedy in these cases. is to place the patient
in a dry coop and feed well, at the same time rubbing the legs
well with any good liniment.

SCALY LEGS.
This is a most disgusting affection and its presence in a
flock is a sure sign of laziness or indifference on the part of
the owner. It is caused by a parasite, and is, therefore, a con-
tagious disease. When it first appears the shanks and toes
become covered with a dry scaly substance which increases
quite fast until it forms crusts so thick as to obscure entirely

the original shape and color of the legs. It is most common
among the feathered legged varieties, and spreads much faster
in damp, filthy quarters than in clean, dry ones.

The treatment is very simple, but is also very effective.
Apply thoroughl}', with the fingers, some carbolized vaseline
to every part of the shanks and toes. Repeat every two days
until the legs are clean. Each time it is found that consider-
able scale may be rubbed off with the fingers, and it is advis-
able to remove all that will come off without causing bleeding.
In mild cases three applications is enough to effect a cure.
In severe ones it may take six or seven, and, in such cases, it
is well to repeat twice a month for three or four months after
the case is apparently cured, as it otherwise is very liable to
return.

LICE.

If you have had no experience with poultry you will
probabl}' smile when you see lice classed among the diseases,
but after one or two broods have succumbed to their ravages,
and the grown fowls all look as if they were in the last stages
of consumption, you will admit that the little vermin are
worthy of the first place in the list of diseases.

There are several varieties of lice which infest the hen
house. There is the common white or gray louse, which is
the largest and stick to the fowl day and night. The same
variety is found on young chicks and is commonly called the
head louse because oftenest found on the head and fastened to
the skin like a leach. Then there is the red louse, or red
mJte, which works only at night. During the day he will be
found under or on the roosting pole, or on the sides of the
house. He is bright red, round and rather smaller than the
head of a pin. Frequently these mites will congregate on a
part of the wall so thick that one would think the wall was
covered with fresh blood.

There is also a brown louse, larger than the red and not
so large as the white. The habits of this are similar to both
the others, that is to say, many will leave the fowl in the day
time and be found in the house, but some of the more greedy
will keep at work day and night. This is the kind that both-
ers the sitting hen the most. Sometimes she is compelled to
leave her eggs, and, in such instances, one looking into the
nest will see no eggs there, as they will be completely cov
ered with a mass of the dirty brown lice.

The symptoms produced by lice are unmistakable, where
one has once become acquainted with them. In a fowl there
is ruffled plumage, white comb, great uneasiness and emacia-
tion. In chicks there is weakness and drooping, sometimes
diarrhea and a peculiar, characteristic look about the head, as
if the beak had been pulled on and the head elongated. The
proof that the symptoms are caused by lice is to see the
enemy.

In this connection a very good answer appeared in the
notes and queries of a recent poultry paper. The question
was like this: "What is the matter with my chickens, they
have such and such symptoms?" Answer, "Look for lice, and
if you find them remove by doing thus and so. If you do not
find any do just the same, for they are there, only you do not
know how to look for them."

In looking for lice on fowl, look close to the skin around
the vent and under wings; on chicks, examine head and under
wings; in the house, look on under side of roost and into all
the cracks and crevices.

The prevention and treatment are identical. Keep drop-
ping-board clean in hot weather; sprinkle slaked lime over it
occasionally. Have the roosts and dropping-board arranged
so that they can easily be removed. Take them out in the
yard twice a month, in summer, and paint them all over with
kerosene, at the same time paint walls and cracks near where
roosts belong. That same night go into the house and sprinkle

44

THE BANTAM FOWL.

a little Lambert's Death to Lice over the back of each hen.
Clean out the nest boxes and paint inside and out with kero-
sene. Refill with clean nesting material and sprinkle a little
Lambert's Death to Lice in it. Never set a hen without
dusting both her and the nest thoroughly with the same
powder,and repeat at least three times while she is sitting.
When the chicks hatch, welcome them with a good dose of
Lambert's, and repeat, at least once a week, for the first two
months of their lives. There are probably other insecticides
as good as Lambert's Death to Lice, but I have never seen
them, and as I know that that will do the work, I do not
hesitate to recommend it.

If the chicks are badly infested with head lice, the quickest
way to relieve them is to apply a ver)- little vaseline to the top
of their heads and under their wings. After one application
of this the free use of Death to Lice will keep them away. Do
not forget to keep the chicken coops cleau, as filth is the very
best place for breeding lice

You can not breed Bantam chicks and lice in the same
place and at the same time. If you doubt this, give a lousy
hen a nice brood of little chicks and see the result. After one
practical lesson of this kind the most skeptical will be willing
to go to a great deal of trouble to keep his chicks free from
vermin.

GAPES.

This is an affection seen only in young chicks from the
third week to about the third month. It is, fortunately, not
common in moderate climates, although said to be quite prev-
alent in the south.

Gapes is caused by the presence in the wind-pipe of one or
more thread-like worms. These little worms attach them-
selves to the lining membrane of the wind-pipe and cause it to
swell so that it fills the whole caliber of the pipe and the chick
dies from suffocation. The principal symptom is gaping. The
chick stretches his neck and opens his mouth to its fullest
extent. He does this repeatedly and soon refuses to eat,
becomes dumpish, and, if not relieved, dies. The only pre-
ventive is absolute cleanliness about the coops and )'ards.

The treatment of gapes is not very satisfactory. It con-
sists in removing the worms from the wind-pipe. This can be ■
accomplished by means of an instrument known as the gape
worm extractor. The operation requires some skill and more
patience. When a large number have to be treated the treat-
ment is wholesale, so to speak, and the usual method is to
smoke the worms out. The chicks are shut in a tight box,
which is then filled with the fumes of burning sulphur or
carbolic acid, or with finely powdered slacked lime. The
trouble with this method is that the worms will stand about
as much as the chicks will, and you will be very lucky if you
can stop at just the right moment, that is, when the worms
are killed and before the chicks are. Chickens that have had
gapes are feeble and debilitated for a long time, and perhaps
you will be more lucky, on the whole, if your smoke kills both
chicks and worms.

Better direct your energies to stopping the spread of gapes
than to doctoring those already affected. Take all the sick
and place tliem in a clean, dry coop, with sand and air-slacked
lime on the floor. Take the rest of the brood and all the
chicks that have had access to the same yard, put them into
quarters by themselves and watch very sharph^ so as to
remove each one to the hospital coop as soon as it shows a
symptom. Be sure that any chicks that have not been exposed
to danger are kept away from the infected yard, from the
quarantined chicks, and, of course, from the sick ones, until
llie disease is thoroughly stamped out.

The infected coops and yards must be disiufected. A
good way to do this is as follows: Burn all old coops that are
not of much value; mix a hogshead of corrosive sublimate of

strength 1 to 2000; heat to boiling point enough of this solu-
tion to saturate every part of the coops. Sprinkle the rest of
the solution over the ground. When the coops are dry give a
good coat of whitewash. Sprinkle air-slacked lime over the
ground until no earth can be seen. Leave alone for two weeks
and then spade and sow down to grass. Put no chicks into
this yard for two years. Fowl may be kept in it after the grass
is grown, if necessary, but no chicks.

PIP.

This is a disease of young chickens and is practically a
cold. It occurs oftenest in chicks whose parents have had
roup, or have been inbred too much. It is sometimes caused
by damp and filthy coops.

Treatment: Give dry, cleau quarters, and wash mouth
and nostrils with a weak solution of chlorate of potash.

CHICKEN POX.

This is a highly contagious disease which affects both old
and }Oung. It is rather rare. It is chaiacterized by black,
hard warts or growths on the head and face.

The only treatment is to quarantine and keep the warts
greased well with carbolized vaseline. Fowls will generally
recover and be as good as ever, while chicks almost always
succumb within a week or two after they are taken.

GOING LIGHT.

This is not a verj- definite term, and the condition to which
it is applied is also called consumption, scrofula, congestion
of the liver and inflammation. It occurs occasionally in flocks
that have the best of care, so it seems there is no sure way to
prevent it.

It is undoubtedly a disease of digestive organs, possibly
the liver. Autopsies often show a liver rather too large, but
no other abnormal condition visible to the naked eye. The
symptoms are great emaciation, extreme palor of the face and
comb, ruffling of feathers and general dumpishness. During
the first of it the appetite is fairly good, but later disappears
entirely.

When the disease attacks a chicken that is getting its
second feathers, as it often does, it is, as a rule, fatal. To be
of any avail treatment must be begun very early. Give sul-
phate of strychnine, „l-g grain, three times a day, and color
the drinking water with tincture of cloride of iron. Feed
meat, green food and some cooked food, as bread or mash.

When the patient is a grown fowl the treatment is some-
what different. Shut in a coop with clean sand on the floor,
give calomel, j\ grain, every two hours for five times, and no
food of any kind, but plenty of water. The next morning,
after these five doses, the droppings should be found in the
sand, abundant and rather loose; if they are not, give a level
teaspoonful of Epsom salts. After the bird has been well
physicked in this way begin to feed soft food rather sparingly
until your patient seems really hungry. Give the strychnine
and iron, as in the previous case. As soon as the appetite
returns put her back in the run where she can get more exer-
cise and variety of food. Watch her carefully and if she grows
worse again repeat the former treatment of calomel. It is often
necessary to do this three or four times before thorough recov-
ery takes place.

Now in conclusion, just a word. Remember that you will
be well repaid for all the time and pains which you care to
spend in giving your Bantams all proper care to keep them in
good health. Ou the contrary, in nursing sick Bantams, your
time will be frequently thrown away. The moral of this is:
Do your best to prevent disease, and when it does appear, as it
sometimes will in spite of your best endeavors, do not be afraid
to use the hatchet.

insriDEx:.

Aseel Bantams 15

Best Time for Hatching 8

Black Breasted Red Game Bantams 11, 15

Brown Red Game Bantams 12, 16

Birchen Game Bantams 12

Booted Bantams 23

Brahma Bantams 25

Buff Brahma Bantams 25

Buff Cochin Bantams 29

Black Cochin Bantams 30, 32

Burmese Bantams ■ • 39

Black Spanish Bantams 39

Black Langshan Bantams 39

Care and Management of Bantams 8

Cuckoo Cochin Bantams 30

Cuckoo Bantams ^'

Care of Bantams 32

Cold ■+!

Canker or Diphtheritic Roup +2

Cholera "^2

Crop Bound ■ • +"

Chicken Pox ^'^

Dark Brahma Bantams 27

Duckwing Bantams 13

Duckwing Wheaton Hen 15

Double Mating • ■ ■ ■ 28

Diseases of Bantams. • ■ • ■ 41

Diarrhea +2

Food and Feeding 7

Food and Water 9

From Secretary National Bantam Asso-
ciation 33

Frizzled and Rumpless Bantams 36

Game Bantams 10

Golden Pwckwing Bantams 16

Gapes

Going Light.
Housing

Introduction

Indian Game Bantams.

Japanese Bantams

Light Brahma Bantams .

Leg Weakness

Lice

Mating

Malay Bantams

Nankin Bantams

New Bantams -

Pyle Wheaton Hen • ■

Pekin or Cochin Bantams .

Partridge Cochin Bantams

Polish Bantams

Preparing for Exhibition

Pip- •■■■■

Red Pyle Bantams

Red Wheaton Hen

Red Pyle Game Bantams

Rose Comb Bantams

Roup

Size and Weight

Starving Bantams— A Wrong Idea .
Silver Duckwing Game Bantams..

Sebright Bantams

Sultan Bantams

Sultan or Booted White Polish

Silky Bantams

Scalv Bantams

White and Black Bantams

White Cochin Bantams

Washing Birds for Exhibition ... ,

DIRECTORY OF BANTAM BREEDERS.

p^ H. B. FRELINOHUYSEN. Monlslowii, New Jersey.
[^ELLY BROS., Norfolk, Virginia]

A E. BLUNCK, Jolinstown, N. Y., breeder
^' and importer of all varieties of Game and
Ornamental Bantams, Winners at New York
Boston, Kansas City and other leading shows.

A. \ '«*FERSON, 278 Baker Street, Detroit. Mich.,
"^' breeds Black Tailed Japanese. Buff and

A RTHUR PORTER, Galena, III., breeds Buff
» rnr-hi,, Ha„t,.„„ .,..„,...:„g]y Quality, not

CIHITH CURREY, West Chester, Pa., breeder
*-" of the "Golden Rod" strain of Buff Cochin
Bantams Eggs from my prize winning yards,
S3 per 13. Breeders and exhibition stock for

nR. WILLIAM Y. FOX, Taanton, Mass. White, Black
" and Buff Cochin Bantams. I breed Bantams
that win at Boston and New York shows, and I
sell good stock cheap.

W H- BOOART, II Amherst St., East Oranire, N. J.,

• breeder of Golden and Silver Sebrights.
.\ few choice sittings of eggs for .sale this season

Correspondence

ited.

A L. CUTTING, Weston, Mass. Cuttings
V*' Bantams, bred in clover, have won hun-
dreds of prizes. Typical Rose Comb Blacks and
wonderful Cochin shape. Buff Cochin Bantams
are my specialties.

PRED CROSBY, Seaton, III., breeds Buff Cochin
Bantams that win prizes. Six first prizes
on five birds at the great Moline show. Have
sold stock that won at other shov
competition. Stock for sale.

THE SOUTH SIDE POULTRY YARDS, 710 Watker St..
■ Milwaukee, Wis., breeders of Buff Cochins and
Cochin Bantams. Fowls and eggs for sale at all
.seasons of the year.

JOHN M. LUCKENBILL, 123 So. lOlh St , Reading, Pa.,

" breeds Buff Cochin Bantams and White Wv-
andottes up-to-date in size, shape and color.
Stock and eggs for sale

\y C. CAPEN, 210 Waohiogton Avenue, St. Louis, Mo.,

"•has for sale Buff Cochin Bantams. Thor-
oughbreds. No eggs. No circulars.

C A. NOFTZQER, North

" wanting anything extra guuu m a. a. Ke.
Game Bantam fowls, chicks or eggs write mc
I bred from three of America's best pens thi
yeaY. '^

\Y W. CLOUQH, Medway, Mass., owner o
' • New England's largest Bantam yards

nAVID B. HUFFMAN, Box .)2. Readvllle, N J., breeds
" Rose Comb Black Bantams. His breeders
are all Canadian or Madison Square winners
Eggs, $2.50 per 13. Stock according to merit.

W ROBERT DUNLOP, Box 34, Fayelteviile, N. Y.,
"• breeder of S. C. Brown Leghorns A
limited number of sittings from first-class birds,
mated to produce high class specimens Circu-
lar free.

r)r. B. BEUST, INew Albany, Ind., breeder of
■-' Buff Cochin Bantams (McGrew and Dr. Fox
strains). Silver Spangled Hamburgs, Golden
Pheasants, high class English Carriers, Satin -
ettes, Blondinettes, Jacobins and Archangels.

r'HARLES JEHL, Elberon, N. J., winner at
^ New York of thirtv-one prizes, twenty
specials, three cups and medals. Birds for sale
at J5 per pair in the following varieties: Black
Red, Brown Red and Red Pyle Game Bantams,
and Black, White and Buff Cochin Bantams

M M. FUULARTON, Leonia, N. J., b-eeder of

" *^* Dark Brahmas and Partridge Coc i-n Ban-
tams. First-cIass stock for sale. Write.

PRITCHARD & EMERSON, Weston, Mass.,

* breeders of Games and Bantams of all varie-
ties. Write us what you need. Prompt atten-
tion given all inquiries.

C B. FERRELL, Granbury, Texas, breeds

*-'• twelve variVf.Bc „f Bantaius Strictly up-

''" -'-'- stock and

twel
to-date, an
eggs for sale. Circulars free.

W W. CONQDON, Oak Lawn, R. I., Black,
,. *. White, Buff and Partridge Cochin,
Bearded and Plain White Polish, White Booted
and Light Brahma Bantams. Eggs and stock
for sale.

COL. JOSEPH LEPFEL, Springfield, Ohio, is

^^ the most extensive breeder of poultry and
pets in .America. -Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Ferrets
Pigeons, Dogs, Maltese Cats, Shetland Ponies'

w.

M. CLARKE, Brookfield, N. Y., breeder
of Black Red and Brown Red Games,
and Black Red and Red Pvle Game Bantams
Birds from my yards, in my own and customers'
hands have won first honors at all the leading
eastern shows in this country. A few good
birds always for sale.

MAYER, P. O. Box 125, Brunswick, Ga.,

breeds high class B. C. Bantams, G. S
ntams, Partridge Cochins, W. C. Black Polisl-
d Barred Plymouth Rocks. Write for prices

THARLES C. REISS, 12lh and Elm, Readini, Pa.

o J'^'";'^*'"' exhibition B. B. Red, Red Pyle and
Buff Pekin Bantams, Babcock, Mohan and My-
ers strains respectively.

VyOODCLEFT POULTRY YARDS, Freeporl, N. V. New

" York. Boston anH •tt'a=»,i„^t™ „!

M"*?; y^A ^?^^' <^''«'" P"'"*' Kan., breeder
"* Buff Cochin Bantams. Breeding and exhi
bition stock for .sale. Nothing but scored birds
offered. Eggs, $2.50 for 10.

P L. FREEMAN, East Millstone, N. J., breeder
„ * ,P"^' White and Black Cochin Bantams.
Breeding stock rea.sonable prices. No stock for

IRAC. KELLER, Prospect, Ohio, breeder and

importer of Golden and Silver Sebrights for

twenty-five years. Winners at World's Fair

THARLES C. MUNROE, 287 Cedar St., New Bedford, I

~ Mass., has .sold his Bantams, but has high "

J W. MULI.MX, 609 South Erie St., Toledo, Ohio,

breeder of America's best B. B. R. Game
Bantams and Black Rose Combs.

A LBERT W. LEWIS, Fall River, Mass., pro

■• » prietor of Lakeside Poultry Yards, breeder
of Black Cochins. Winnings on application
Good stock always for sale. Eggs, $S per 13.

fHE BROOK RANCH, Salt Lake City, Utah,

,, ^.^f '"^ """le ■''°™'= 6"^ Bantam fowls. They
will take good care of all orders.

DAVID A. NICHOLS, Monroe, Conn., breeder
^ of first-class Black Cochin Bantams. Write

AMES HALLENBECK, Altamont, N. Y.,

breeder Silver Sebright, Buff Cochin, Black
Red Game Bantams. Also Barred Rocks, Buff
and White Leghorns. .4.11 of the finest.

nyiM," Gloversville, N. Y. Silver and Gol-
'^ den Sebrights, Black and White Cochin
Bearded and non-bearded White Polish, Black
Red Game Bantams; English Beagle Hounds.

TTHOMAS PARKER, Johnstown, N. Y., breeder
• of exhibition Bantams. Black Reds, Brown
Reds, Duckwings, Pvles, Birchens. White Game,
Golden and Silver Sebrights, White and Buff

I D.NEYIUS, 403 Provident Building, Philadelphia. Pa., C'''^''^'^'^^ HENDERSON, Springfield, Ohio, R

"■ ..importer and breeder of Buff, Black and , . Proprietor 'Buckeye Poultry Yards," breeds „^

COWARD LYNCH, S. 1320 Minnehaha St., Hamline, St.
'-' Paul, Mion., breeder of White Crested White
Polish and Pekin Bantams, and Black Tailed
Japanese.

ANSOM JONES, Penn Yan. N. Y., breeder of

White Game and Buff Cochin Bantams.

gs and stock for sale. Satisfaction guaran-

I B. WEBB. DeWitt, Iowa, breeder of Golden
»'• Sebright, White and Black Cochin Ban-
tams. Stock for sale. Eggs. S2 for 15. Express
prepaid on eggs.

\un. McNEIL, London, Ontario. Canada. For sale,
" White and Buff Cochins, Golden and Silver

ALEX. VAN WYCK, New Whatcom, Wash.,

fi F. SOUTHWICK, Beloit, Wis. breeder
'-•• Black Minorcas, Black .Africans. Golden
Sebrights, White, Black, Buff Cochin Bantams.
Peruvian and common Guinea Pigs. Eggs and

D F. SIMONDS, Garden City, Kan., breeder of
•-'• the best strains of following Bantaius:
Buff, White, Black Cochin Bantams, Black
Breasted Red, Red Pvle and Silver Duckwing

J"of''B''i;f?L'?i^'',^Ic'i''l''oc^i;f*ra;ir^i;i\'^^^H\^^^^^ A ™RNEY. Elwood. Ind.. breeder of the
purchased from Loii.^?c\-rF?.'', 'Ti'f ■.",?. ^' ^' <^b?.i'^=s' ?•. B; ^-ds, S. D. Wings, R. Pj-le

M

purchased from Lon

Boston Black cockerel, also the second Boston

Buff cock. With such grand birds heading my

pens I claim the equal of any breeder in this

country. Stock and eggs for sale at reasonable

prices.

fi DALE McCLASKEY,Papillion, Neb., b

'-»•. the choicest of exhibition Buff O

Bautams. stock <

Buff Cochin

I eggs at reasonable prices.

wings.
Games, Silver Sebrights, Buff Pekin Bantaiiis
Stock for sale. Eggs i

CMIL 0. RAASCH, 710 Walker Street, Milwaukee, Wis.,
'-' breeder of Buff, Black, White and Partridge
Cochin Bantams. Stock and eggs for sale.
Satisfaction guaranteed.

I YNNHURST POULTRY YARDS,aia8sboro,N. J., breed-
'-' ers of high class Cochins, Cochin and Jap-
anese Bantams. Exhibition and breeding birds
for sale. Eggs in season. Office, 403 Provident
BuiWiug, Philadelphia, Pa,

DIRECTORY OF BANTAM BREEDERS -Continued.

^ ^ jt .^ .^ ^

JOHN BAUSCHER, Jr., Freeport, III. Box 222.
Choice Buff Cochin; Golden Sebright and

CTEM BROS.,! Easton, Pa., Midget Bantam /"'LIFFORD QOTT, Horsforth, Leeds, England,

'-' Yards. Buff: and Black Cochin Bantams. V^' originatorofCornishlndian Game Bantams.

Waverly and Alle

rHARLES M. SMITH, 167 Crystal Street, Brooklyn, N. V.

^ Prize winning Buff and White Cochin, Black
Rose Comb Bantams. Eggs, f2 per 13. Stock in
season .

AC. TOMB, Eureka, III., breeder of Bantams
• that are winners. Buff and White Cochin
Bantams. Stock for sale at reasonable prices.
Egg.s in season.

ER. SPAULDINQ, Jaffrey, N. H., breeder
• B. B. Red and Game Bantams; twenty-
five years e.^perieuce. We breed and sell birds
that win at best shows.

and fast becoming variety of
Winners at all best English shows. Latest,
two firsts, second, third, Birmingham; two
firsts, medal, special, second, Leeds. Also Sil-
ver Sebright, Frizzle, Rose Comb, Pekin, and
Old English Game Bantams. Commissions
executed. Highest references. Stamp for reply.

CE. ROCKENSTYRE, Albany, N. Y., twenty
• years an importer, breeder and judge of
all standard varieties of Bantams. Only the
best kept or sold.

JB. VOSS, Davenport, Iowa, breeder of the
• pure Ainscough Black Red Game Ban-

jpest in the end. Try

MRS. B. HOLLARD, Highland, III. Bargain;
in Buff Cochin Bantams bred from bird;
that are true buff and pure blooded, if taken
soon, 7Sc to J2 each. First-class stock.

P HENRV GALUSHA, 229 Water

'-'• breeder of high class exhibitio ,

tal Bantams. Highest honors at America's

largest shows. Correspondence .solicited. .

lOHN MELVIN, Whitinsville, Hass., breeder
** Black B. Red and Pyle Red Game, Black and
White Rose Comb and Sebright Bantams. My
breeding stock is imported.

and variety Bantams. If you do not.-believe it,
look up the awards of the great shows. Eggs
in season. Stock for sale. Send for price card.

WILLIAM H. MACBOLDT, 1167 Myrtle Ave., near Broad-
wav, Brooklyn, N. Y., breeder Buff Cochin
Bantams. Birds small, well feathered. Color
eggs for sale in season.

IRVIN S MILLER, 397 CbewS'.,Allenlowo,Pa., breeder
' of Bantams, all varieties. Japanese, Golden
and Silver Sebrights, Black Rose Comb, Bearded,
White Crested Polish Bantams.

HUan C. BEELMAN, 808 Warren Avenue, Chicago, III .
breeder of Golden Sebrights exclusively.
Quality right, prices reasonable. Stock birds

LL. LUCAS, Oil City, Pa., breeder of Gold
• Strain Buff Cochin Bantams. Prices from
Jl up. Stock for sale at all times. Satisfaction

PHILANDER WILLIAHS, Taunton Hass.,
breeder of Buff and Black Cochin Bantams
and Golden Sebright Bantams. Have bred the
Sebrights for thirtv years. Stock for sale.

1 breeder thoroughbred fowls
Langshans. Originator of Black Langshan Ban-
tams. No eggs for sale.

D LINCOLN ORR, Orr's iVlills, N. Y., importer
• and breeder of Light and Dark Brahma
Bantams. Elegant little fellows that will please.
No eggs.

E LATHAM, FiStbush, Long Island, N. Y.
• Golden Rod strain Buff Cochin Bantams,
bred to successfully compete with America's

_ White Rose Poultry' Farm. Bantams.
Beauties and winners. Black Cochin. Black
Red Games. Buff Cochin. Red Pyle Games.
White Cochins, Bearded and Crested White Pol-
ish. Eggs and stock in season.

birds a specialty

Highest type of exhibil

SD. DRURY, Northampton, Hass., breeds
• Golden Sebrights only for love of excel-
lence in the breed, not for the profits in the