The Portland daily press., 1874-08-03
Miscellaneous,
LIGHT DRAHMAS.

LIGHT DRAHMAs,
There is, perhaps, no variety Of fowls more
generally bred in the United States than
hight Brahmas, and they are becoming great
tavorites. Two shades of color characterize
TINS variety; American birds are almost ex-
eetly The color OF new milk when drawn from
the COW, not the blush color of milk when
SKINNED oil the cream. The contrary Of
tsifs Is sought for by English lanciers, and the
peaily or BLUSH white most preferred, it be-
ing less apt to run into the deep straw color
IN the cocks; so frequently seen in this cocn-
try. 1t may also be observed, as further
mark ofdIstinction, that American birds are
much longer in the leg and back, and, there
fore, less compact in shape than the English;
put to counterbalance this the former are
bred TO much larger size. Other poin.s of diff.
terence might also be enumerated, such as
long head and legs in the American, while
the English prefer short head and legs. Re-
cent importations of American birds to some
OF the most celebrated breeding yards in Eng
land, will, no doubt, soon cause a change in
form, as no doubt a valuable bird lies between
the two. A fine, long-bodied, American hen
OF ten or twelve pounds weight mated with a
broad-backed, short-bodied, and very short
legged English cockerel OF good pearly color,
would, no doubt, produce excellent birds,
much improved in shape to those now to be
found with our best fanciers.
In breeding light Blahmas, one Of the chief
difficulties to be overcome is to obtain suffi-
Gent amount of black ,.larking In the hackle,
and yet not too much in places where not re-
quired. Among nearly all poultry there Is
natural tendency to breed lighter and lighter,
which should be counteracted in the light
Brahma by choosing cocks with densely-
striped hackles and saddles, and mating them
with dark-pecked hens; but the result Of this
will be pullets with backs and other parts
spotted or splashed, and cockeres with black
spots on the fluff, in the wing, and other un-
desirable places. Bat, says Mr.. Wright in
his Book Of Poultry, ito breed pullets, put
cock with narrow out tolerably distinct
stripes in his hackle, saddle quite clear, and
leg feathering nearly white, with hens so
darkly striped in the neck as to be unfit for
exhibition, or, if they can be got so dark, en-
tirely black, even in the very fringe. From
such cross, so tar as regards color, nearly
every pullet will be fit to show, while q fair
number of good cockcrels may be expected,
but not marked enough to be considered real-
ly perfect birds. To breed cockerels for show.
ing, on the contrary, cock should be select
ed with stripes in his hackle of very solid
character, and defined stripes in the saddle
also, if possible, and mated with hens too
light and cloudy in the hackle, and entirely
free from any color on the back. From this
mating hardly q cockerel will miss as regards
color, but most of the pullets will have backs
more or less speckled, except in rare cases,
not to be counted on, when birds seem to-
breed WELL with no trouble at all. The col
or of the gray under-huff should alsS be care
fully examined. 1t will be found that this
varies, in some birds or very dark gray.
and in Others of a light pearly gray. In many
cases the dark gray under color goes with the
darker surface marking. but this rule is not
by any means universal; and it two birds be-
on the surface, apparently both too dark 10 be-
mated with success, for fear OF producing
dark splashes or specks, yet supposing one
say the cock-be of a dark undercolor, while
the other is light, the experiment may often
be made with success.
Having in previous article desribed the
economic merits and laying qualities of Brah-
mas, it is unnecessary again to recapitulate
them here; we will therefore at once proceed
to give brief description of the light Brah-
ma characteristics as a competitor in the
show-pen, and, in doing so, acknowledge our
Indebtedness to the authority already quoted.
THE COCK.
The head should be white, with distinct
black stripe down the centre Of each feather.
The shoulder coverts, back, breast, thighs,
but the fluff, or under part Of the plumase.
down to the skin, is dull gray. The secon-
daries, or outside wing feathers are white on
the outer web, and black on the inner web.
causing the wing to appear pure white when
folded, the primaries, or flights, black. The
saddle feathers may be either white, or, land
this is rathec to be preferred) white slightly
striped with black; tail coverts glossy green
black, those next the saddle being silvered on
the edges. The tail should be rich glossy
green black, with the two top feathers finely
edged with Silyery white, the white line be-
ing sharp and even all round, and about one
sixteenth OF an inch in width. This point,
when perfect, is a very great beauty, and
generally sign of good and careful breeding,
but it is now SO rare that it cannot be in-
sisted on. The shape of the tail is already
described; in default of that conformation.
wnat would be sickles in another breed
should diverge lateraIly, like the tail OF the
black cock; but in either case it should be
nearly upright, and the tail of she Cochin Is
not to be sought after. Perfectly white
shank-feathering is, if possible, to be
avoided.
The hen should have pure white head,
the brilliant red of comb, deaf ears, and wat
ties contrasting very distinctly. The neck-
hackle should be the same clear white, dis
tjnetly, darkly, and broadly striped down
each feather, the black stripe ending clear
ard sharp al the base, so as to form kind OF
dark necklace. All the body color should be
a clear white surface, with an underground
color of gray, the primary quills being black
The tail is also black, except the two top
feathers, which ought, if possible, to be edged
with white on the top edges, but this Is not
to be too rigidly insisted on. The shanks,
like the cocks, should be a bright yellow
color, and the feathers white, very slightly
mixed with gray or black. Except the neck
tail, and the little black or gray on the leg,
the general appearance of both sexes should
be clear white all over, any tendency to
yellow being great defect. The lat er color
exists naturally in some strains, and Is dis
tinct from the sunburn which hot weather
will produce even in good white birds.
Some breeders cross the light Brahma with
the white Cochin, a cross much to be depre-
Gated, the evils OF which appear more and
more in the Interpretations, say two or
three, than at first. Reversion to the Cochin
breed may be seen in the single combs, dark
or sandy patches of color, light hackle, and
deficient breast; but the best test of the cross
is, perhaps, In the ground color, which Is
white instead of gray; this latter, with single
combs, is most conclusive evidence OF a
Cochin cross. Light Brahmas, to be seen to
perfection, require a good grass run, on
which they will keep clean, and always look
neat and tidy. They are great foragers, and
will follow the plow for several fields from
their roosting abode, and in such case require
little food other than they pick up for them.
.nI,, In