New State Poultryman. (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 7, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 1, 1908 Page: 4 of 18
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8
NEW STATE POULTRYMAN
February 1, 1908.
FOWL SUGGESTIONS.
Shape makes
the breed and
color the variety.
There is no true
statement regard-
ins standard bred
poultry today, yet
it is either mis-
understood o r
overlooked by the
Mrs. W. C. Opfer. averaSe beginner
who is seeking to
raise or purhcase perfect specimens of
his chosen kind of fowl. What, when all
is said and done, is the prime object
of the poultryman? Shall we not
agree that utility is first and beauty
of second importance?
Shape really is the fowl itself;
plumage, beak, comb, legs, etc., might
almost be denominated the trimmings.
When one has selected the kind of
chicken he wishes to raise, he usually
knows of two or three requirements,
or supposed requirements regarding
it; and generally one of them proves
to be a hobby with him.
But one has to go slow in mount-
ing a hobby for it may prove to be
only a “hobby-horse,” in that it lacked
ability to advance.
Those who only “mark time” in this
day and generation are surely left,
while the mass of humanity marches
on. Progress is in the air, and he
who would win must be well informed.
Since fowls are judged by the stand-
ard of perfection, private opinion
counts for little as regards the points
that go to make perfection. Unless
one is able to work a complete revo-
lution it is wise to submit to the pow-
ers that be.
The preceding paragraphs are given
as a preface to what is to follow:
There are those who desire to pur-
chase good stock, but do not know
how to go about it.
For instance, a man visited our
yards a few days since. He is a man
who is able and willing to pay a good
price for the right kind of birds; but
an absolutely clear beak was a neces-
sity with him. Well, we have them,
so were not worried on that score!
But the point is here: Nothing but a
yellow beak makes a mighty poor
chicken.
Some of the best specimens of the
breed have a little dark color on their
beaks. According to the Standard, “a
slight dark striping at base of beak
in female is not a serious defect,”
moreover, it does not disqualify a male
bird. And further, I have it from a
judge of national reputation, that one
may sacrifice a little on the color of
the beak, in order to secure a good
color of plumage. In selecting show
specimens, it is well to remember that
the beak can only be cut once, while
the color of plumage may be cut in
every section.
The same is true of the comb. The
amateur fancier thinks, or is apt to
think, that comb is everything. True,
a good comb attracts the notice of
show room visitors and it is just as
"ell to exhibit a few good combs, even
though the judge may cut these birds
severely on other sections. But if a
bird is good generally, don’t put too
much stress on the comb at the ex-
pense of more important portions.
Another popular notion is that all
pure breeds of certain varieties must
be “yaller legged,” and this is right
and good as far as it goes, but to stand
a fowl on “yaller” alone is a mighty
small foundation. Vigor should be
considered of prime importance. A
good, strong leg is of more practical
good than an extra touch of “yaller”
to the average poultryman.
Again, some people just “dote on a
good wing.” it wouldn’t seem to mat-
ter to them whether the specimen was
cross-eyed or bow-legged, it must
have a good wing.
You have heard of things that were
“all eyes?” That reminds me of a
chicken raiser I know. She took eyes
for her hobby and to hear her talk
one were led to believe that eyes and
eyes only constituted a chicken.
No one likes a good eye better than
I do, but if the sight is perfect, the
color of the eye has nothing to do
with the fowl, for ordinary purposes.
It will receive a slight cut, in the
show room ,for off color, but neither
the egg business nor the size of the
specimen will be a whit the worse.
The utility fowl and the show room
fowl may be one and the same, or
they may not, and yet both may be
pure bred.
Show room fowls and utility fowls
may weigh the same and lay an equal
number of eggs, but a competent
judge scoring them by the Standard
would be forced to give the highest
score to the one most nearly recem-
bling the ideal of its kind and this
is fair and right.—Mrs. W. C. Opfer.
DR. C. B. HILL,
Guthrie, Okla., won at the Stillwater,
Okla., show on Partridge Wyandottes
on seven birds of his own breeding: 2
cock, 1st and 3rd ckl., 4th hen, 1st and
2nd pullet, 1st pen and sweepsteaas
pen on parti-colored birds Jan. 6-11,
1908.
MR. AND MRS. F. KREMER,
Manchester, Okla., won at the Kansas
State Poultry show on his Buff Leg-
horns 1, 3 pen, l, 3, 5, hen, 2, 4. 5. pul-
let, 2, 4 ckl., 2 cock. At Enid, Okla.,
1 pen, 1, 2, 3 hen, 1, 2 3 pullet, 2, 3
ckl., 2 cock.
We want Poultrymen and women to
sell our Poultry Remedies. Albert
Cure & Son.
When writing advertisers, mention
the New State Poultryman.
/VWVWWW'-------
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Griffin, C. W. New State Poultryman. (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 7, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 1, 1908, newspaper, February 1, 1908; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc937511/m1/4/?rotate=90: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.