About thirty years ago, when poultry shows first came into fashion,
there were two kinds of Golden-Spangled Hamburgs. One was called the
Golden Pheasants, and was a fine, large bird, but as a rule the cocks
were hen-feathered. The spangling was very fine, and the groundwork a
dull bay, but there was a great deal of smut in all their markings. They
were good layers, had white ear-lobes, and moderately good combs. The
other variety were called Golden Mooneys, and in color and markings were
very superior to the Golden Pheasants. Mr. Beldon, in “Wright’s Poultry
Book,” says: “I shall never forget my feelings of pleasure on first
seeing the Golden Mooney hen. She struck me as being something
wonderful. The ground color of the plumage in these fowls is of the very
richest bay, the spangling very bold and clear, and of a green,
satin-looking black; in fact, the plumage was so rich and glossy that
the full beauty of it could not be seen, except in the sunshine, but
when it _was_ seen, it formed a picture never to be forgotten. I am here
speaking of the hen; the cock’s plumage was also of the very richest
description.”
The cocks, however, had solid black breasts and their ear-lobes
consisted of little more than a bit of red skin, such as we see upon
Games. By degrees, as hen-feathered cocks and red ear-lobes came to be
considered great blemishes, these two varieties were bred together, and
from them is derived our modern Golden-Spangled Hamburgs. They are a
little larger than the Silver-Spangled; but, while they lay a trifle
larger egg, do not produce quite so many of them. They are very hardy,
and exceedingly attractive in appearance, being the richest colored of
any variety of the Hamburgs, excepting the Black.
_Plumage._—The plumage of the Golden-Spangled Hamburgs differs in many
respects from that of the Silver-Spangled. The ground color is a rich,
deep golden-bay, and should be as even throughout as possible. There is
a tendency to run lighter in color under the breast and body. This is a
serious blemish. The neck-hackle, instead of being spangled, as in the
Silver variety, has a long black stripe running the entire length of the
feather to the extremity of the tip. This stripe should be a glossy,
greenish-black, standing out well defined from the ground color, and not
clouded. The saddle is composed of similar feathers. Both saddle and
hackle should be abundant, the latter flowing well over the shoulders,
especially in the cocks—of course the females have no saddles. The
breast, back and body feathers should be a rich, golden-bay, each
feather ending with a large, distinct, round, black spangle, having a
rich greenish luster. The wing primaries and secondaries in the cock are
bay on the outer web, and black on the inner web, each feather ending
with a black, metallic crescent. On the hen the primaries and
secondaries are a clear golden-bay, each feather ending with a black,
metallic crescent. The wing-bows should be a clear, deep golden-bay,
each feather tipped with a large, round, greenish-black spangle; the
greater and lesser wing-coverts a clear golden-bay, each feather ending
with a large, oblong, greenish-black spangle, forming two distinct bars,
parallel across the wing. The tail should be a rich greenish-black in
both sexes, full and well expanded. In cocks the sickles are well curved
and glossy, and the tail-feathers abundant and of a rich, metallic
luster.
One of the most common defects in this variety is feathers tipped beyond
the spangle with a small edging of bay or white; sometimes both appear,
one beyond the other. Although this is to be avoided, it is not a direct
disqualification. We have often seen it appear upon old birds whose
plumage was previously entirely innocent of such markings, and it is
rare, indeed, to find a pair of old exhibition birds entirely without
it, to say nothing of breeding fowls. It makes its appearance chiefly
upon the breast and body, but is also frequently seen in the hackle. We
hope to see the time when this defect shall be wholly eradicated. The
white tips are the most objectionable, but are nearly as common as the
bay edgings to the spangles. The entire plumage should be close and
glossy, and very rich and uniform in color and markings.
_Other Points._—The comb on Golden-Spangled Hamburgs is liable to be
coarse and large, although in finely-bred birds we often find as good
combs as are ever seen upon the other varieties. A tendency to red
edgings in ear-lobes (which should be a pure white) is also to be
avoided. In size this variety surpasses the Silver-Spangled Hamburgs,
but they lose in symmetry usually what they gain in size, consequently
symmetry is a point which should be carefully looked after. There is not
much tendency to white face, which is seldom observed in birds of this
variety. The legs should be of medium length, shanks clean and slender,
and in color leaden-blue. The tail is one of their chief beauties, and
should claim much attention from the breeder, care being taken to guard
against wry or squirrel tails, which are very liable to descend to the
offspring.
_Points in mating Golden-Spangled Hamburgs._—We do not know of a single
case where any one has given instructions for mating this variety which
are at all clear or definite, or offer the slightest assistance to the
breeder. Even our distinguished English contemporaries give it up in
despair. One of our correspondents writes as follows:
“At a large exhibition several years ago we inquired of a gentleman who
had won nearly all the awards on Golden Spangles—and with excellently
marked birds, too—what his system or mating was by which he procured
such fine birds. With something that resembled a sneer at our remarks,
he said: ‘I let them breed themselves!’ We had then been trying our best
for some time to study the characteristics of the breed, in order to
obtain some clue by which to mate them properly; and this remark,
together with the living proofs of the good results of such
indiscriminate matings before our eyes, we must confess rather staggered
us. We went home and carefully thought it over, and adhering to our
former notions that science would finally triumph, we persevered in our
experimental matings, and had the pleasure two years after of defeating
the same breeder most thoroughly in the show room. His birds were by
this time little more than mongrels—the result of his plan to ‘let them
breed themselves!’”
In breeding this variety there should be two pens—one to breed males,
and one females. In breeding for cockerels, select a large, well-marked
cock, whose ground color is a deep, rich golden-bay throughout, free
from smutty or cloudy markings, with fine, glossy plumage, the spangles
of which possess in a high degree the beautiful metallic, greenish
luster. With him mate pullets of medium color (care being taken not to
have them too light or dark in the ground color), whose spangles are
large and distinct, without running into each other and giving them an
undesirable spotted appearance. These pullets should possess good glossy
plumage, but size is not requisite, nor need they necessarily have
extra-fine combs and ear-lobes, provided the cock possesses these
desirable qualities in a marked degree, for it is from him that these
qualities are inherited, while the pullet furnishes the color and
markings in a greater degree. Especial pains should be taken to choose a
cock with a small, fine comb and pure white ear-lobes, when they can be
found in connection with the requisite points mentioned.
In breeding for pullets choose a dark-colored cockerel, with good
ear-lobes, small comb and good symmetry, and simply mate him with the
very best hens you can find. There is a tendency in hens of this variety
to become a rather dull, light bay in ground color as they grow
aged—these are the very hens to mate with the above-described cockerel.
Care should be taken to procure the very best comb, ear-lobes, and
symmetry you can find.
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[Illustration: SILVER-PENCILED HAMBURGS.]
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With these matings you can hardly fail to breed a good proportion of
fine chicks; but, as we have said in connection with the Silver-Spangled
Hamburgs, you may not find a cock at first that will prove a good
breeder. If not, you must keep on trying. In both the varieties of
Spangled Hamburgs the _strain_ has a great deal to do in furnishing good
breeders. “Blood will tell;” and we should call the attention of the
breeder of both these varieties to the necessity of establishing a
strain of his own as soon as possible, whose good qualities he will be
able to know thoroughly, and whose bad ones he will promptly recognize
and endeavor to counterbalance by proper matings.