Cornell we Library SF 489.H19H5 1912 ‘WO 's; all varieties—silv nN mann, bale New Dork State College of Agriculture At Cornell Gniversitp Ithaca, N. D. Librarp ee SFAc# Hit hs STANDARD SILVER SPANGLED HAMBURGS Illustrating this popular variety in colors. THE BOOK. oF THE HAMBURGS ALL _VARIETIES.--SILVER AND GOLDEN SPANGLED, SILVER AND GOLDEN PENCILED, AND BLACK AND WHITE. @9 9@Y An Illustrated Hamburg Standard. Each variety fully illustrated and described, section by section. How to mate, with correct methods of scoring and judging. By THEO. HEWES, Indianapolis, Ind. HISTORICAL NOTES, By DR. H. P. CLARKE, Indianapolis, Ind. PRICH, 50 CENTS. Published by Inland Poultry Journal Company, Indianapolis, Ind. 1912. OUR EFFORTS HAVE NOT BEEN WASTED Third Edition Necessary. We doubt if there was ever any one Standard breed so sadly neglected, or bred with such general indifference, as the Hamburg in its several varieties at the time that this book was first placed on the market. There were but few Hamburgs in any of the varieties found in our largest shows, and those few were usually inferior in shape and color, in fact the breed had reached a point where fanciers looked upon them as a joke, while the judges had about as many ideas as to correct shape and color as there were judges award- ing prizes. As an illustration: At the Illinois State Show a few years prior to the issuing of this book a Silver Spangled Hamburg male was scored by a well known judge 94% points, while females in the same show were scored as high as 95% points. A careful inspection of the specimens failed to produce one single feather, in male or female, that was true in markings as understood by the fanciers at the present time. The markings on all of these birds were crescentic rather than sharp spangles and each and every one of them had been scored at least ten points too high. We found the same condition in the pen- ciled varieties as in the spangled. The judges were honest but simply did not know what constituted perfection, and there was such a small number of birds found in competition that they did not busy themselves to learn what really did constitute perfection, and of course the breeders were satisfied so long as they could win no matter what the shape or color of their birds might be. It was this condition that led us to put out the book of The Hamburgs, believing that a better knowledge of the breed would be the means of getting more people interested in them and gradually breed up the several varieties until they would be what the Standard makers intend they should, one of the handsomest of the smaller breeds. The result of our efforts has been entirely satisfactory and has brought to the Hamburgs many of the best fanciers of this country, men and women who are interested in the best and will stop at nothing short of it. They have learned how to mate birds correctly and the general type and size of the breed has improved with it. Today we find in the leading shows in the country, large classes of strictly high class specimens. At the Chicago Show in 1911 there were 47 birds in the Silver Spangled class alone, and there was not a poor one in the entire lot, while the winning males in both cocks and cockerels were a little short of mar- velous. In females we have found so many good ones during the past few years, that we feel that we have really done something for this meritorious breed. _ This is our third edition ot the book, and it is going to the fanciers with the hope that it may encourage them to still greater efforts in the production of high class exhibition specimens of all varieties of the Hamburgs. EDITOR. Wien Hoos i WLW PAIR OF IDEAL GOLDEN SPANGLED HAMBURGS HISTORICAL NOTES. The Hamburg of Ancient Lineage—One of the Oldest Fowls in Existence --Its Relation to Other Breeds--The Redcaps and Campines. By DR. H. P. CLARKE, Indianapolis, Ind. —HAMBURGS. WHILE the Game as a fighting cock and the Dorking as a table fowl can claim more an- cient lineage than the subject of this sketch, the Hamburg unquestionably enjoys the distinction of being the first fowl bred for exhibition purposes. Long before the days of poultry shows, nearly a century in advance of the old Shanghai ‘then fever,” at least as far back as the time of George II, we find Spangled Hamburgs bred to feather and ex- hibited for prizes in the two English counties of York and Lancashire. These shows were usually local in character, generally held in the public houses or village inns. Only hens and pullets were exhibited, prizes being awarded the most’ accurately marked specimens, with a sweepstake, or “cup” con- sisting of a small copper kettle to the ultimately successful breeder of the year. Some of these old kettles are still to be seen in the rural districts of that section, having been handed down through successive generations, as carefully cherished and as highly honored as those similarly curious troph- ies across the Channel, the “Roi des Coqueleurs”’ pewter plates of French Flanders. The name “Hamburg” first entered poultry no- menclature as the designation of a top-knot fowl; the bearded variety, .to distinguish from the un- bearded, which later was then as now called Poland or Polish. Just when the term was first adopted can not now be told, but Nolan, of Dublin, and Richardson, an old-time English author, both de- scribe “Hamburgs” as above indicated. Bennett, Miner and other early American authors all follow the same plan, and several of them give illustrations of crested Hamburgs, although at the Boston Poul- try Show of November, 1849, it is noticeable that the “Bolton Gray or Creole,” “Spangled Hamburg” and “Penciled Dutch” were grouped together, while the crested breeds had a separate class. It seems probable that up to the poultry show era in England none of the varieties now so desig- nated bore the name Hamburg. The spangles were previously known as “Pheasants” and “Mooneys,” the pencilled birds were “Bolton Grays,” “Bolton Bays,” “Creoles” and “Dutch Everyday Layers,” while the blacks were commonly called “Black Pheasants.” These were all brought together un- der the name Hamburg, it is said, at the inaugura- tion of the great Birmingham show, the term being understood as applying to a class of fowls rather than to one certain breed. ,Our pencilled varieties are known to be of Dutch origin and practically identical in blood with the modern Campine. Spangled Hamburgs doubtless contain. some of this same blood though they have been essentially English in character as far back _ as history can trace, and I am rather inclined to believe that in the make-up of the original Mooneys and Pheasants there was at least as much of the Old English Game as of any imported blood. The style, size and carriage of the birds would seem to indicate as much, to say nothing of the reddish ears, while it is a known fact that several of the old Game strains gloried in true pheasant markings of plumage. Even the rose comb need not necessarily be considered foreign to the Game, for this feature is occasionally seen on the purest of pit fowls. In early times the birds bred in Lancashire were known as “Mooneys,” from their round, moon-like spangles, while in Yorkshire the half-moon or cres- centic feather tip was preferred and birds so marked were called Golden and Silver Pheasants. In this connection it may be interesting to present what was perhaps one of the first attempts at a Poultry Standard, made in the early part of the last cen- tury, for judging Golden Mooney hens (remember that males were not exhibited) in the village shows of Lancashire. Comb.—Best double; best square; the most erect and best piked behind. Ears.—The largest and most white. Neck.—The best streaked with green-black in the middle of the feathers; and best fringed with gold at the edges. Breast.—The largest moons; best and brightest green-black, most free from being tipped with white or red at the end of the moon, and the clearest and best red from the moon to the bottom color. Back.—The largest moons; best and brightest green-black, least tipped with white or red at the edges of the moon, and the best and clearest red from the moon to the bottom color. Rump.—The largest moons; best and brightest green-black, least tipped with white or red at the edges of the moon, and the best and clearest red from the moon to the bottom color. Wing.—This is divided into four parts: (1) Bow. Best and brightest green-black, and best and clear- est red. (2) Bars. To have two distinct bars, com- posed of the largest, clearest, brightest, and best green-black moons, and the clearest and best red from the moon to the bottom color. (3) Flight. The clearest and best red. (4) The lacing, or top of the wing above the flight. Largest, clearest, brightest and best green-black spots on the ends of the feathers, and the best and clearest red from the spot to the bottom color. Tail—The brightest, darkest and best green- black. To be full feathered. Legs.—Best and clearest blue. General Appearance.—The best feathered hen. 8 THE BOOK OF*THE HAMBURGS Of recent years there has been in England quite a change in the style and carriage ‘of all the Ham- burg varieties, the fanciers apparently aiming at more of a pheasant shape. (The term “pheasant” is here used in the American, not the British sense.) This is to be observed to some extent in the new Standard of The Hamburg Club as compared with our own Standard of Perfection. The former calls for short thighs, while the latter says “of medium length.” The English work describes cock’s tail as: “Of good length, carried at an angle of about forty-five degrees; sickles and secondaries broad, plentiful and sweeping.” The American book: “Full, well expanded, carried moderately upright, but not erect.” This comparison of language, how- ever, does not make plain the real difference in 2S SINGLE type so much as an inspection of the exhibits at leading British shows where many of the prize birds are now seen with really short legs, long backs, low sweeping tails, almost Sumatra in style. In fact, the editor of London Poultry, in an issue of October 24, 1902, speaks of the Black Sumatra as “strikingly graceful, its flowing, well carried tail and Hamburg-like body combining to give it a most attractive appearance.” REDCAPS. Both from the appearance of the fowl and also from its habit, we are led to believe that the Red- cap is a near relative of the old Yorkshire Pheas- ant, though just how much blood the two races held in common would now he difficult to deter- COMB SILVER CAMPINES. mine. The Pheasant is much the better known and seems to have enjoyed for a long time the greater popularity, though the Redcap plainly contains a larger proportion of original Game blood, is more truly English in style and consequently, in the ab- sence of evidence to the contrary, may be consid- ered as probably the more ancient. As far back as records go, the Redcap has had classes at a few local shows in York and Derbyshire, but has been the fowl of the villager rather than of the city fan- cier, and never attracted very much attention out- side the two counties named. About seventeen years ago Mr. A. E. Wragg, of Edensor, and a few other English fanciers started a boom on the Red- caps which enjoyed a run of several seasons, spread the fowls to different sections of England and opened classes at many of the leading shows. This flare of popularity has since subsided in the larger poultry centers and the breed relegated to the “Any Other Variety” class. The Redcap was introduced in America by Mr. Geo. Smith, of Rhode Island, and first exhibited at the “Poultry Fair” of Boston in the year 1852. It flourished for awhile among the fanciers of New England, but finally died out and was practically forgotten until re-introduced in July, 1886, by B. P. Valentine, of New Jersey. Mr. Valentine bred the variety with success but did not appear to under- stand the value of printer’s ink, and very little was known of the breed in this country till a couple of years later when “the Redcap boom” was fairly launched by the writer of these notes. Numerous importations were made, a specialist club formed, THE BOOK. OF THE HAMBURGS 9 and for awhile everything looked Redcap and rosy. Then admission to the Standard was secured and nothing much has ever been heard of the variety since. Just why it should thus go up like a rocket and come down like a stick, is hard to determine, though my own opinion has been that the standard weight requirements are what killed the fowl’s popularity. It is easy enough to talk about seven and a half pound cocks and occasionally to show one even considerably larger than this, but anyone who has kept the fowls a length of time must be free to acknowledge that this figure is at least half a pound beyond the Redcap’s natural attainment, while our standard weights on hen and pullet are fully a pound too high. Really I sce no reason for having standard weights at all. Should prefer to see this breed treated same as the other members of the Hamburg family. The Redcap is a beautiful bird and a most ex- cellent table fowl, but it is not such a heavy weight as its English advocates (whom our standard mak- ers followed) would have us believe, and I think they hurt the variety’s career by laying too much stress upon size. As with Old English Game, the fowls can be bred quite large. But whenever seven pounds in the male is exceeded, the coarseness in type and the lack of quality more than offset all the advantages gained by increase in size. There are some localities in England where the Redcap used to be bred having a comb with a double spike behind, which was considered a sign of distinction and purity, though I never saw any standard which recognized this feature. It would now be considered almost a disqualification. CAMPINES. The home of the Campine, from which the breed takes its name, is a sandy stretch of country ex- tending eastward from the city of Antwerp to Has- selt in Limbourg. It is in this district where the fowls are bred in greatest numbers though they may also be found in considerable quantity scat- tered through other sections of Belgium, as well as in Southern Holland, Northern France and the Rhenish provinces of Germany, in all of which places they have been known for a very long period of time. There is a tradition to the effect that this breed was brought into western Europe by Jo- hanna, eldest daughter of Baldwin IX. He was the Count of Flanders who established the Latin Em- pire at Constantinople in the latter part of the twelfth century. Was killed in 1206. His old capi- tal, the city of Lille, was destroyed in 1212, and was rebuilt by this daughter known as “Johanna of Con- stantinople.” While there remains at this late day no authentic history bearing upon any of her efforts in poultry culture, the character and contour of the birds appear to point to an earlier home somewhere near the shores of the Mediterranean, the fowls are yet fairly abundant in the region where a part of Johanna’s palace still stands, and on the whole the story may be considered as at least within the range of reason. No such breed is now known to exist in the Levant, but testimony to its former existence may be found in the “History Naturalium” of Ulisse Aldrovandi, an Italian naturalist of Bologna, whose ornithology published in 1599 contains a very accurate description of the Silver Campine under the name “Turkish Fowl.” As “Dutch Pencilled,” “Chittiprat” and “Dutch Everday Layer” the breed has been known in Eng- land for almost a century, though it is only within the past decade that the Campine as such has been recognized among British poultrymen, and only during the past four years that the fowl has been at all taken to by fanciers and exhibitors. Right now the single-combed silver and golden varieties are enjoying a boom in the British Isles. A spe- cialist club has been formed, a standard drawn up and classes secured at several of the leading shows. Already the fowls begin to display more uniformity in markings and a general betterment from the ex- hibition standpoint. The Campine Club has a mem- bership of seventy-seven, there were forty-one birds at the Palace Show last year, with present pros- pects of still further advances in the immediate future. The Belgian Campine was introduced in Amer- ica by Arthur D. Murphy, of Maine, in the year 1893. The single combed varieties were admitted to the Standard at the World’s Fair revision and a great effort was made to push the fowl into popu- larity. But very few fanciers caught on, and the Campine became a “dead one” as far as the United States was concerned, before its boom had even started in England. In Belgium there are seven recognized varieties: 1. Single Comb Silver. 2. Single Comb Golden. 3. Rose Comb Silver. 4. Rose Comb Golden. 5. S. C. White. 6. Courte-patte. 7. Braekel. The first named is numerically equal to almost all the others combined. It is the common fowl of Northern Belgium and may be found in the villages, in the small city yards and on the farms. The birds are kept for their eggs rather than their beauty, and as a consequence comparatively few specimens could stand the close scrutiny of a fancier’s eve. Occasionally a hen may be seen with rather evenly marked penciling, but many others appear with mossy or grayish body and light colored hackle. In fact, this is the impression most apt to be con- veyed by a flock of Campines in a Belgian barn- yard. They look like dapple-gray birds with white necks. Among the real fanciers a little attention has of late years been paid to markings and an at- tempt made to breed the Silver Campine somewhat similar to the Pencilled Hamburg, though in the former the pencilling is with a wider bar and the markings are more diffused throughout the plum- age, particularly in the male. The cock’s tail is commonly black or with slight traces of pencilling. In England the present fancy is for sickles edged with white or “mackerel marking.” The single comb Golden birds average a little bet- ter in uniformity than the Silvers, also a trifle small- er in size. They are to be found in fair numbers throughout all the region named. Rose Comb Silvers are not overly abundant though a few may be seen at nearly all the Belgian shows. In Southern Holland and Northern Bel- gium one will occasionally find in these ¢lasses real Pencilled Hamburgs of evident English importa- tion or else crosses of these on the native Campine. Further to the south in Belgium and in Northern France the rose-combed birds are of a more distinc- tive type and undoubted purity. They are Cam- pine all over. The cocks are hen-feathered and hen-tailed, much better in pencilling than the ordi- nary single comb variety and in every way more worthy the attention of a fancier. Indeed there are few prettier sights in that land of pleasing pros- pects than a flock of these rose-combed Silvers run- ’ 10 THE BOOK OF THE HAMBURGS ning over the lawn and amidst the shrubbery of an old-fashioned chateau park. The accompanying illustrations were drawn by the Inland Poultry artist from a colored plate in L’A\cchmatation Illustree, published at Brussels some years ago. These pictures show the differ- ence in style between the two kinds, and are pre- sented as evidence in support of a belief I have for some time held, namely: that if our American poul- trymen had taken up this rose comb variety—a fan- cier’s fowl-—instead of the single comb bird of the barnyard, the name Campine might even now have a place in our prize-lists and popularity. The hen- feathering would not appeal to some tastes perhaps. I have talked with French and Belgian breeders who did not favor it. But to me it seems a positive attraction as well as an advantage. Both sexes be- ing practically alike, there are no “double mating” problems. The breeder knows exactly what to count upon and so can secure more definite results and higher excellence generally, which fact is well illustrated in the case of the old-time Lancashire Mooney, a hen-feathered fowl whose perfection in spangling has never since been equalled. The White Campine of Belgium occupies about the same relative position as the White Hamburg in England and America. The Campine aux Courtes-Pattes is a duck-legged single comb Silver of more oddity than good looks. I once saw a very fine exhibit of these birds at the Concours Agricole Regional du Nord, (what we in America would call a “state fair’) and they seem to have some few ad- mirers among the gardeners and truck-patch farm- ers in the flax country, but are not often seen around Antwerp or Brussels. Taik with a Belge who keeps Braekels and he will strive to convince you that his pets belong to an entirely distinct and superior race. As a matter of fact the Braekel is merely a heavy weight single comb Campine. Not a separate variety, only a strain or family which has been bred to large size for table use rather than fecundity. All the fowls of which this monograph treats are wonderful layers. They are game-like and graceful in carriage, noted for strong contrasts in color effects and glossy brilliance of plumage. Whether one choose the gorgeous Spangle or the noble Red- cap of Merrie England, the Rosecomb Hen-feather of Northern France, or the rustic grisette from the land of dog-traction, he will have secured a thing of beauty that will be not only “a joy forever,” but also the kind of homely comfort that proves its worth in the egg-basket and the pocket-book. ROSE COMB SILVER CAMPINES. THE BOOK OF THE HAMBURGS Lae Fees eX y) PPO NY te We 3 Sala ae Co es Wecenta bla et OF ENGLISH REDCAPS. iI THE BOOK OF THE HAMBURGS X a ( \ SX CH FANUN ek SAIND yee AS} eS ; AAS AY Be ea Fa | AE | Lig Ne ay 4 AYN" a, : 14 SiH. Mi >= 1 24) aie aay AYE 7, 4 HE Ga ij <0 AG ELIE! Be GZ eg AE GE, SS STANDARD SILVER SPANGLED HAMBURG MALE. ' SILVER SPANGLED HAMBURGS--MALE. General Description--Advice to Breeders--Standard Requirements Dis- cussed Section by Section--Shape and Correct Feather MarKings Fully Ilustrated—-Correct Methods of Scoring and Judging. N Chart, Fig. 1, ts presented my ideas of a Ham- burg male and sufficient plumage is shown on each section to give the amateur a thorough knowl- edge of what constitutes perfect color on this breed. In the following pages | believe that a sufficient number of sections are illustrated to give the reader a good general idea of the defects which they may expect to find in this breed, and by calling atten- tion to them and stating how much I would dis- count them, they should be able to form a good idea of what their birds would score. Aly aim is not alone to educate the amateur as to what really constitutes a perfect bird, but to as nearly as possible eliminate the worthless birds from our show room and bring all breeds up to a higher average. Remember, it is not quantity, but quality that makes the show. Perhaps there is no one breed recognized by the Standard that has been bred and talked of so long, where there is so. little known by the average fan- cier as regards its fancy points, as the Hamburg. No breed is shown with such radically defective plumage, and breeders seem to have no idea of what really constitutes a perfect bird. While many choice specimens are shown every year and some of the grandest color produced that is found on any breed, the rank and file of exhibitors are hardly competent to tell whether a specimen is a prize bird or a disqualified one; in fact I have seen ex- hibitors waiting to see where the ribbon would go, feeling moderately sure of first, when perhaps in the next cage to their own fowls would be one specimen worth a car load of the stock they were anticipating winning on. This is true, not alone of one show, but many of them. In fact, exhibited in some of our largest exhibitions we find Ham- burgs where an entry fee of from $1.00 to $2.00 is charged, when the specimen is worth only eight cents per pound, and would be expensive in some cases at that price. Still this condition of things is not to be wondered at, as up to the present time but little prominence has been given the breed and what few birds have been exhibited were, as a rule, shown by amateurs who were not qualified to select the best of their own flock either for exhibition or breeding purposes, and when the flock started to degenerate they had no idea how to mate to im- prove, nor where to look for aid, even though they were conscious of the deterioration. In figure 1 is presented a chart, showing both shape and color of an ideal Silver Spangled Haim- burg male. The same chart could be used to illus- trate a Golden Hamburg by making the ground coior gold with black spangles, and in view of the fact that the Silver and Golden are alike with this one exception, the latter will not be illustrated, but the chart, Fig. No. 1, will represent the ideal male of both varicties. It is the aim in this chart to show a well balanced, symmetrical bird, one that we be- lieve conforms to the Standard requirements and such a bird as the writer would honestly pass in the show room without a discount on symmetry. Just such a bird as should head the yards of our up-to- date breeders to make the Hamburgs what they truly have a right to be,—one of America’s most fashionable breeds. In judging Hamburgs either under comparison or score card methods, the judge must at all times take into consideration the number of points that are al- lowed for each section and estimate his discounts accordingly. The scoring of any fowl is simply the working out of a mathematical problem with your eye as the sole guide for measurement. You may not be able to score a bird twice exactly alike, for this eye measurement may vary from one-fourth to one-half point in a section, but a careful study of the chart, together with the defective sections and the valuations given herewith, will, without doubt, give you so good a general idea that you need not go far wrong in selecting your best specimens in your own yards or in the show room. SYMMETRY OR TYPICAL CARRIAGE. This section is one of vast importance and one that we should dislike very much to see dropped from the scale of points, as a careful study of it will come nearer giving the amateur the correct idea as to Standard qualifications than any other three sec-: tions in any breed. At the revision meeting on Fisher’s Island the word symmetry was dropped and typical carriage adopted in its place. The change was not a good one, in my judgment, and was opposed by both Mr. B. N. Pierce and myself, and a more careful study of the section since the adoption of the latter appellation has more thor- oughly convinced me that we should return to the ‘former. Symmetry is a due proportion of the several parts of a body to each other, or the harmonious blending of all parts to make a whole, while typical carriage refers to the pose of a specimen and may mean some peculiar position of the bird, whether that po- sition is typical of the breed it represents or not. I belieye that any unprejudiced person will agree with me that the word symmetry should be substi- tuted for typical carriage, and I believe the amateur can be better taught to understand the meaning of the word and its application to the scoring of fowls. A Hamburg male to be symmetrical must be a well-proportioned, closely knit bird, showing a small, neat, rather short head and nice tapering 14 THE BOOK OF THE HAMBURGS Sa oy sh BY m ee > | Wi Wrest = \ We SK ee NUS ae 0) a = AN = wi, } De oy AK sy | | 7, A) ve Ay LA Miay ify STANDARD HAMBURG SHAPE—MALE. Chart Fig. 1—Showing Standard Hamburg male shape, all varieties; Also correct color markings for Silver and Golden Spangled Hamburg males. THE BOOK neck, with full hackle flowing well over the shoul- ders. Back, of medium length, gradually sloping on nearly a straight line from end of hackle to base of tail. Breast, broad and prominent. Body, round and symmetrical. Wings, large and carried rather low but held firmly in place. “Pail, full, well ex- panded and carried moderately upright. Sickles, well curved. Legs, of medium length and standing square when viewed from front. Shanks, of me- dium length and toes well spread. In fact, just such specimens as are shown in Figs. No. 1 and 28. Should head be long and gvamey, the out is one- half. Neck feathers too scant, failing in hackle ‘at junction of back, one-half out. Lack too long or too short, one-half out. Roached back, one out. Too narrow, one-half out. Breast narrow or flat, one out. Not deep enough through from shoulders to point of breast bone, one-half out. Body too long or too short, one-half out. Too narrow, failing to show the nicely rounded outline so much sought for in this breed, one-half to one out, as in degree. \Wings carried too high, one-half out. Badly fold- ed, one-half out. Tail too high or too low, one-half to one out. Scant in plumage, failing to show a nice, full flowing tail, so much admired in this breed, one-half to one out. Legs too short or too long, one-half to one out. Knock knees, one-half to one and a half out, as in degree. CONDITION. This section in all Hamburgs is valued at eight points, and has reference to the health of the speci- men and the general condition of the plumage. It is important, inasmuch as it throws a safeguard around careless or thoughtless exhibitors and com- pels them to put their birds in presentable shape for exhibition, or stand the chance of being turned _ down by the judge placing the awards. It is a judge’s right and privilege to severely discount any specimen that shows clearly the owner has been careless in fitting the specimen for exhibition. A judge may be a power for good in weeding out un- sightly specimens, and in that way make our ex- hibition rooms a place where only the best, the healthiest and the properly groomed may receive a rize. : In scoring this section a bird should have the benefit of any doubt, as quite often they are injured after they arrive in the show room, or become soiled in plumage from lack of attention on the part of the attendants who fail to clean their coops as often as they should, but where birds are shown in a manner which indicates carelessness on the part of the owner, they should be cut for it. If a fowl shows symptoms of roup or has swollen head, the out is from one-half to one. If roup or canker has reached that point where the breath of the fowl is offensive, making the spread of the dis- ease liable, the judge should refuse to award it a prize, but instead should order it out of the show room, as one sick bird may cause a lot of harm if left in a room over night with a lot of healthy birds. Where feathers in wings or tail are broken the out is one-half to one and a half, as in degree. If back of females are practically bare, as they some- times are when allowed to run with vigorous males, the out is one-half point. When legs are scaly or tough the out is one-half to one and a half, as in de- gree. Combs injured by fighting or frost one-half to one as in degree. OF THE HAMBURGS 15 HEAD. This section is valued at six points, and is sub- divided allowing three for shape and three for color. In shape it should be short and small, and in color the head should be white; face, bright red; beak, dark horn. In the chart is shown a well balanced, well propor- tioned head, and one that fits well the spright- ly alert carriage of the Hamburgs. In No. 2 is shown a head that would be termed a trifle coarse, 2 still good enough to pass ordinarily without a discount. In No. 3 is shown a head narrow and too long. Such a head should be discounted one-half to three-fourths points. In Nos. 4 and 5 we have a gamey, snakey head, such as are usually adorned with the kind of head gear we are illustrating. Such heads should be discounted one point each. In No. 6 is shown a head that is wrong in every way. It is too shallow and too narrow. It has about the right length, but is not rightly propor- tioned. The beak is nearly straight, the upper man- dible is too thin and delicate, while the lower man- dible is too thick and out of proportion. Such a head should be discounted two points in the show room and never uséd in the breeding yard. COMB. Aside from color there is no one point on the Hamburg that adds so much to its beauty as a well balanced, symmetrical comb, and nothing that so detracts from it as a poor one. This section is not understood by the average fancier, and the judges in some instances are slow to distinguish be- tween the several types of Rose combs. As an illus- tration, the writer has seen a comb similar to one shown in No..2 passed as perfect on a Hamburg male. It is this difference of opinion that warrants our going ahead at a big expense to show the read- ers what we believe to be correct outlines as de- scribed by the Standard, calling attention to the de- fective ones, so that a fair and careful comparison may be made of them. In the chart, Fig. 1, is shown a comb that I would be willing to pass without a 3 discount. The Standard says, in describing this sec- tion: ‘Rose, square in front, free from hollow in the center, uniform on each side, firm and even upon the head without inclining to one side, the top covered with small points or corrugations, termi- nating at the rear in a spike with very slightly in- clines upward.” In No. 2 is shown a comb similar to the one shown in the chart, except the spike turns down- ward, following in the shape of the skull. Such a comb looks well on a Wyandotte, but is far from a good Hamburg comb. If the breeder desires good 16 THE BOOK OF THI HAMBURGS combs on his males, he must guard against combs like No. 2. This comb would no doubt produce a fair per cent. of good combs a Rey bey on females, but on males it wae, would simply run to the Wy- COOEYE Foe e Fs ib EF ie. andotte type in such propor- tions that the breeder would /“-%” be discouraged. f In No. 3 is shown a type of comb quite often seen, and one that has some good feat- ures as well as bad ones. Writer would prefer comb No. 3 to comb No. 2 on a x breeder; however, the dis- count in scoring should be the same—one point. Comb No. 2 is discounted one point for spike turning down at the end, while comb No. 3 should be discounted one-half point for uneven, corrugations and one-half point for stub spike in rear. In No. 4 is shown a comb that is sometimes met with and one that careless breeding will soon de- velop. This comb is too high and too narrow, 4 comes to a point in front, and is short the spike that goes to make up the perfect Ham- burg comb. = (LE SEE STANDARD BLACK HAMBURGS THE BOOK OF THE HAMBURGS 43 BLACK HAMBURGS. Valuable as this variety is we seldom find them except in some of the large shows or state fairs where one or two exhibitors vie with each other for honor and premium money. None of the solid black breeds have any greater claim for popularity and surely none of them are more worthy of a place in the breeder’s yard. Some birds with good qualities, both as meat and egg producers, fall by the wayside on account of their unsightly appear- ance, but this cannot be said of the Black Ham- burgs, as there is no fowl bred more strikingly handsome, and so far as Standard qualifications go, but few if any of the breeds can be compared to them, as they breed so true to color and shape that one can hardly find a defect. In looking back over the few exhibits of Black Hamburgs that I have seen in the past ten years, perhaps no better quality has been shown than the winning cockerels at the World’s Fair show at Chi- cago in 1893. I made a pretty careful study of the males in this class, and if I remember correctly they were shown by Wm. McNeil, of Canada. The cockerels were just at their best in shape and color; the females not quite so good, but showing well for so early a show. I wondered then why more breeders did not take up this handsome variety, and mentally promised myself to do something to bring them more prominently before the public. On the opposite page is shown a pair of Blacks, the male being drawn to represent the Chicago, 1893, winner, as I remember him. The female in the drawing represents the one shown by Messrs. J. Frank & Son, of Sherbondy, Ohio, at the Pan- American Show in 1901. The female in the draw- ing, while good in shape, comb and lobes is too small; in fact I have not found a female, good in other respects, large enough to suit me. I presume in this, like many other of our old-time varieties, it is pretty near impossible with the small amount of new blood that is imported, to keep up the size and until more breeders see some of the good that is in this variety and import more liberally, we will have to content ourselves with the smaller birds. I trust this book may have the effect of creating a more wide-spread interest in this breed of fowls, and the Blacks with the rest of the varieties may take the place they so justly might hold. In my description of the Spangled and Penciled varieties, I have called attention to shape defects, and in view of the fact that one shape description fits all varieties of this breed, further efforts would simply be repetition. In color, our drawing shows them better, per- haps, than I could explain by word. The Standard says, in describing color of both male and female that they should be greenish black throughout. There is no richer color on any black variety than the Hamburgs. There is the elegant beetle green in neck, back, wing bows and tail coverts of both male and female that is not quite equalled in any other black fowls. You will note the Standard says greenish black throughout, while in describing the color of the Black Langshans, it says glossy metal- lic black, with greenish sheen. In describing the color of Black Wyandottes it reads: “Rich, glossy black with greenish sheen.” In Langshans it adds, purple bars, any tinge a serious defect. This should be added to the color description of all black fowls, as nothing detracts so much from the beauty as the purple barring, and no color is harder to keep out, especially on wings, hackle and back of males. This purple color is one that has bothered our American fanciers perhaps more than any one feat- ure, and the problem is yet unsolved, as every year I hear some breeder complaining that his matings have gone wrong. I remember once visiting a friend of mine who was breeding Langshans. He had told me what a wonderful mating he had gotten together, and what great hopes he had for the fu- ture. Together we looked the birds over, and sure- ly I never saw better balanced color in my life, and I, like my friend, expected great things from them. I wrote him about the first of October, asking how he had come out with his mating, expressing the hope that his young birds were as good as we had expected them to be. His answer was a setback. He says, “Haven’t a decent looking bird in the en- tire lot. I never saw such ‘rotten’ color in my life.” I visited him later and together we looked over his - young stock, and really they were a sight! Great, big; elegantly shaped fellows, good combs and well balanced tails, but a color with as many bars as a rainbow and nearly as many colors. He sold the entire lot to a huckster for one dollar per head. The next year the same pen was allowed to run in an old orchard, their eggs were used on the table early in the season, but later a few eggs were set in order to get broilers for home use. A few hens that stole their nests were allowed to sit and raise the chicks that were hatched as best they could. The result was the grandest lot of chicks ever owned by the breeder. The same grand shape as the season before, coupled with as fine beetle green color as I ever saw on this breed. The first season he had fed too high foods, and too much of it. The result was not enough exer- cise and poor color. The next year his birds hustled for themselves, got food only when they worked for it, resulting in perfect health and perfect color. There is another color defect that sometimes shows in black fowls, especially in the neck and wings of Hamburg males. That is a red or brassy feather, the color often running the entire length of feather. I have found specimens with two or three of these feathers showing in neck that were other- wise perfect in color. I hardly believe this is caused by any impurity in the blood; it is simply a case of too high color in the mating, and nature takes pains to point out that thus far and no farther can you go. The Standard should disqualify for this red plumage, but fails to make its language plain enough on color disqualifications to warrant a judge in making this defect of so much importance. If our Black Ilamburgs were better known they would be bred in greater numbers, as they are a veritable egg machine and as for beauty no black fowl in the Standard can surpass them. ‘SOUNANVH adLlIHM GAaVANVILS D AMBURGS Bp is oo UL ge ge Le Sue i Kg ABGLEA pA LEE In » aM uy) i } i} i IK Uh M) i} U} a Ss ; x THE BOOK OF THE iy) yf ‘ row 44 THE BOOK OF THE HAMBURGS 45 WHITE HAMBURGS. There is another family of the Hamburgs that is seldom seen, still from a utility standpoint there is no better breed in America, size considered. There is more of an excuse, however, for this breed being cast aside than there is with the Blacks of the same breed. The Rose Comb White Leg- horns with their foreign blood and yellow legs have a trifle the best of the argument, both as to size and market value, as our American housewives are slow to select a broiler with other than yellow legs. However, the sprightly little White Hamburgs are worthy a place in our Standard and should be more widely known. One seldom sees a good exhibit of them, and when you do see a few good ones you are in doubt as to their being Standard bred, as Rose Comb Leghorns off in color of legs are sometimes substituted for Hamburgs. In all the big shows I have attended in the past three years I have not seen two dozen White Ham- burgs, there being only three entries at the Pan- American Show in 1901. There is no better field open today for importers than to bring over from England about a dozen of her best specimens of White Hamburgs, as it is evi- denced by reports coming from there that there are a good lot of them shown in all their leading exhibitions. This variety when bred as it should be is one of the purest in color of any of the white fowls. The Standard description of plumage is: ‘White throughout; quills also. Legs blue or-leaden blue.” It is this color of legs that has much to do with the White Hamburg’s slight hold on the fanciers, as there seems to be a prejudice against anything but a yellow leg in this country. However, if our breeders would look only to this breed for eggs, and assist in building up fine laying strains of them, they would soon learn their real value. In our drawing of the Whites as shown on the opposite page, we portray them as we remember ‘the best specimens of the breed found in our shows. The ones we have seen are a trifle under size as compared to the other varieties of the Hamburgs as exhibited by our best breeders. They have the SF; same general characteristics as the other members of the Hamburg family, except the female seems a trifle shorter in back, and carries her tail a little higher than her sister in the Spangled and Black varieties. The legs of the White are somewhat shorter, or appear shorter, due to their size, and in scoring one is tempted to cut for size almost every specimen that comes up for a card. In this as in all varieties of Hamburgs, comb and ear lobes are of considerable importance, and should be very carefully guarded if one expects to maintain the true type, as presented in the draw- ing. Color of lobes is another matter that requires constant care, as red or yellow will creep in and streak up the surface, and the lobe will run bad in shape, being too long and uneven. The best col- ored lobes are nearly always the best shaped ones, and when we allow them to get too large, we sim- ply crowd them down nearer the wattles, resulting in the red creeping in at the edges, and unless care- fully watched will soon overspread a great part of the lobe, and it is well to remember at all times that red covering one-third or more of the surface is a disqualification. In color a slight ticking of grey or black some- times shows on hackle and wing bows. As I un- derstand the Standard this slight ticking of grey does not disqualify. The Standard says under head of General Disqualifications: ‘In all white varieties any feather on a specimen having positive black or red in any part of the plumage.” It will be noted the words “positive black or red” are used. It will also be noted the Standard says “feather,” the sin- gular being used in this sentence to eliminate the old-time theory that it required more than one feather off color to disqualify the specimen. Slight tracings or tickings in the white fowls will not dis- qualify, but positive black will. I hope soon to see the day when our Hamburgs will be one of our leading classes at the shows, both small and large. Fraternally yours, THEO. HEWES. a Pressboard Pamphlet Binder Gaylord Bros. Makers Syracuse, N. Y. PAT. JAN. 21, 1908 arenes ‘helena ee A n fi ft, R f i