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Show MATING SINGLE STANDARD. C. S. Gorlinc. Doubtless ninety-nine out of a hundred hun-dred of those who keep poultry use the single mating system, and for that reason wc will -take up the study of the method first. Its use is bc6t adapted to solid colored birds, such as white, black, buff and red. Many follow this system because they (believe (be-lieve it is right in principle, but doubtless doubt-less the great majority use it because be-cause of its greater convenience and saving in room, both in yarding. and in housing the birds. To produce a fair number of average good birds by this system it is ci primary requisite requis-ite of the first importance to start with the best stock obtainable male and females of standard markings specimens that conform in size, shape, color, head and leg points to the standard requirements of that variety. By this method of -mating we expect to obtain males and females fe-males in the progeny that conform to standard requirements. The secret sec-ret of success in this method lies in the ability to select a high class male and equally high class females to make up a pen. There arc five chief points of excellence to consider: ist. Birds of constitutional strength and in good health. 2nd. Only those of standard shape. 3rd. Standard color, 4th. Head points of standard excellence. 5th. Shanks, toes and beaks of standard requirements. That jfl a thorough understanding of these jfl requirements may be had, a copy of the Standard of Perfection should jfl be in the hands of every ibrccder, and the breed and variety bred should fl be studied in detail until each scpar- fl ate requirement is learned and un- fl dcrstood. Especially is this true of fl shape, which is the stumbling block m for every beginner and often for the M experienced breeder. For instance, I in the Brahmas; it has been noted in a previous chapter that there is considerable difference between the Light and Dark varieties. This applies ap-plies equally to the Wyandottcs, the Orpingtons and the Leghorns. Although Al-though these differences may be -ever so slight, they will at once be detected' de-tected' by the expert poultry judge and cuts made accordingly. Wc have seen Wyandottcs with shape like the Rocks, with long shanks of a beautiful beauti-ful pea-green color and with combs somewhat like the rose comb; wc have seen Orpingtons of the same general type and nice yellow shanks and with comibs that a Leghorn might have been proud of and wc have seen Leghorns with shanks that might have belonged to ducks and with breasts and combs that for slim-ness slim-ness and smallncss would have been becoming to a lot of scrub games, and the innocent owners were wholly unaware that there was anything amiss in the shape and style of their pets. Assuming then that health and vigor predominate, we give preference prefer-ence to the birds having as nearly standard shape as possible and in mating white varieties wc want those of a pearl white plumage showing in flic sunlight a silvery sheen or gloss. This is the color so hard to obtain and the one so much prized by fanciers. A bird of a dead chalk-white chalk-white color will rarely show good color in the shanks of the yellow shank varieties, which will be nearly white or a faded washed out straw color instead of the rich orange yellow yel-low shanks sought, A great fault to be guarded against is the tendency to crcaminess on the breast, back and1 flights often resulting in a de- Ik cidcdly " brassy appearance of the plumage. Again there will often toe a tendency to throw black spots in the fluff or breast feathers or gray or brown splotches in the flight or tail feathers. In the Orpingtons especially, birds will occasionally be found ticked with red or brownish spots and sometimes with black feathers feath-ers in the saddle or in the flights. On the whole, then, we had rather have a slight tendency to crcamincss in the plumage than to risk the chalk white color with its liability to throw mottled feathers, in our breeders. Therefore, we apply Principle VI. "Size and general type arc more often transmitted to the progeny by ' the dam; color and comb, by the sire." As to color and comb, wt would be more particular in select ing the male to head our standard single mating and give particular attention at-tention to the size and shape of the ' females. The -comb, especially requires re-quires careful selection, for while it only counts 8 or 10, (depending up-. up-. on the breed) it is the particular se lection that most strikingly sets off the "beauty of the bird. (To be continued). |