The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-07-02

thoroughbred poultry. Any breed that
cannot be mated so that a single pair
will produce first class males and
females alike ought not to be consd-
cred as worthy of a place in the stand
ard. / am glad to see so many Of the
old Barred Rock breeders coming around
to what | have advocated all my life.
! have been a middle mater, 50 to
speak. This has been termed single
mating and have for many years prac-
ticed both double and single mating,
and have produced much greater per
cent of very high class exhibition
birds, both male and female, from a
single mating. The trouble has been
brought about by some judges favoring
the black and excessively narrow barr
ing in males. And this has been a great
damage to the grand old breed of
America s favorite
Question Of Color.
The first class pullet and the first
class cockerel should be of one shade.
In a general way the male may look
lighter though he is of the same shade
or color as the female, for the reason
that while he has as many bars to the
feather, his feathers are { much longer
that the lighter color 81 VS. wider be-
tween the dark bars. WLss judges pun
ish dark blue barred in black and pro
tect the specimen that is grayish white,
barred in darker blue that shows no
black or metallic black in the dark bars,
then will it be possible for man to
raise majority of his birds, both male
and female, that will score 81 to 95.
The standard makers had no moral
right to describe as perfect male and
female that will not when mated pro
duce chicks like themselves. 1t is no
uncommon thing to see a Barred Rock
that by the literal description of the
standard score 93 or 81, standing out
side Of the several awards, while the
speciment winning had black bars and
black, or nearly black sickles, and off
color in beak and legs, and if honestly
judged could not have been worthy of
fourth place, and this is why so many
breeders are disgusted with some of the
judges. 1t is too much "hobby judg
ing" The judges give too much prefer
ence to single feathers. A bird may be
absolutely standard in the two colors,
but because there are not more than
five bars in the back plumage it is
forced to take back seat in favor of
the one that is absolutely false in stand
ard color, but that is stronger in under
color and barred 20 the skin on the
back.
Unfair Judging.
If there is defect it should be pun
ished, but only fair per cent, and the
Judge ought not to let his decision for
or against the bird rest on any one sec
ton, but right here is wher, many
Judges fall down. That is not fair or
first class judging. Let the Barred Ply
mouth Rock to their original color-light
blush gray barred with dark blue
that stops short of black. Then we can
mate males and females of selfsa
color. Then, and not until then, can
we have the progeny like sire and dam
and more than IS per cent of them will
score 90 to 80. Then will the Barred
Plymouth Rock take its rightful posi-
ton as the prime favorite of the fancier
and farmer. The writer has bred Barred
Plymouth Rocks for 35 years and pro
duced birds both male and female, by
the single mating, that have won the
blue in the best shows in the United
States. Forcing breeders to use two
matings to be able to win in both
classes is robbing both the breed and
tho breeder of Rocks.
Proper Mating.
| claim that by proper mating Of the
bred stock one can have all speci-
mems barred to the skin, and have five
bars in the short plumage. Any excess
is unnatural, and nature should be
our law, not man $ ideal. Our standard
should be such that it can be endorsed
by nature. The first description of
each breed when we took it in hand
and honestly described it should still