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His mates should possess good
body shape, have combs that are set on a good firm base, and the more
upright they are the better. They also should be free from thumb marks,
sprigs, or other blemishes. The lobes should be neat and fine in texture.
When we come to consider the pullet breeding pen we
have to proceed on altogether different lines so far as head points are
concerned, because we want a falling folded comb on our hens and pullets.
The cock, or cockerel, to head the pullet breeding pen should have a large,
well cut comb, clean and free from all malformations, but it should be thin
in substance, and inclined to fall over, in fad, the less firm and upright
it is the better for the purpose. His mates should be pullet bred and be as
near to exhibition form as possible. The nearer they are to the standard,
the better. Care must be taken not to use hens or pullets with loose, floppy
combs. What is needed is a larger comb of fine texture evenly serrated, and
which rises straight up for a short distance in the front of the skull and
then falls gracefully over to one side. A comb that is flat and flops over
is one to be avoided, as is one that falls half to one side and then folds
and falls over on the other side. From such one may expect, to breed nothing
but badly-shaped combs, for it must ever be remembered that the hen has more
than half the say so far as combs are concerned. The lobes of the hens or
pullets in this pen should be as pure in colour as possible, be velvety and
kid-like to the touch, free from hollows or wrinkles, and a good size.
Speaking generally, the lobes of pullets and hens
are purer in colour than those of cockerels and cocks. Many prefer an ivory
white lobe to a dead white, and it certainly looks more natural whilst such
lobes are usually of better texture and substance than those that are dead
white.
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