In point of markings, the Golden are fully as beautiful as the
Silver-Penciled Hamburgs, while the golden ground-color, which is their
distinguishing feature, while not so popular with the majority of
breeders as the silver, may yet be preferred by some. In point of
productiveness they equal the Silvers, laying a small, white and
finely-flavored egg. The young chicks of both varieties of Penciled
Hamburgs are rather delicate; they should not be hatched before April.
Another reason in favor of late hatching is that if hatched too early
they moult out like old hens at the time they should be laying, and so
lose that sharp and rich penciling that is so desirable in pullets.
_Plumage._—One of the most important points in the plumage of this
variety is the _evenness_ of the ground-color, which should be a rich
golden-color throughout. Some birds, otherwise good, are very faulty in
this respect, the ends of the feathers being a lighter gold than the
other parts. These birds, as the season advances, are apt to get still
more faded and washed-out in appearance; and, indeed, most birds fade in
color from the effects of the sun.
Some hens of a good rich color retain this much better than others,
which is a great point in their favor.
In cocks the same fault is common, appearing in the shape of a lighter
shade on the ends or tips of the feathers, on the breast and underneath
the body; avoid this as far as possible—the more uniform the color, the
better.
The penciling should be exactly the same as in the preceding variety, as
distinct, and yet as fine as possible, and the more bars across the
feather the better—always providing they are straight across, and
clearly defined. The neck-hackle, as in the Silvers, should be clear.
The cock is of a darker tint, being almost chestnut in color; he must
not, however, be too red or too pale, but very rich in color. The proper
tail-feathers are black, the sickles and tail-coverts, or “hangers,” a
rich black, edged with brown or bronze, very narrow, and clearly
defined. The _American Standard of Excellence_ gives the required width
of this edging as about one-sixteenth of an inch.
Clear black sickles are a great fault, and so is a tail bronzed all
over, or with scarcely any black in it, being bronzed all over the
sickles. This last kind of a tail is very showy, and used to be a
favorite with judges who did not understand Hamburgs, but birds
possessing this defect have been proved to produce very poorly penciled
pullets.
_Other Points._—The comb, ear-lobe, legs and symmetry in the
Golden-Penciled Hamburgs should be exactly the same as those described
in the Silver-Penciled. In symmetry, especially, they are fully their
equal.
The points in breeding are exactly similar to those explained in
connection with the preceding variety, and need not be repeated, the
best rule being to breed from the very best birds you can find on both
sides, care being taken to obtain a rich, even ground-color in all
cases.