The Minorca fowl by Harrison T. H

Author:Harrison, T. H
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Minorca chicken
Publisher: London, Fanciers' Gazette
Published: 1893-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

question of white on the face. Now, to condemn this seems very hke thrashing a dead dog. Surely this point is once and for all settled in this wise : that white on the face, in whatever quantity (although perhaps only one. speck), should utterly condemn the bird for show purposes, and that the judge should pass over all birds so marked. At any rate, we have arrived at this length in Scotland, and surely England cannot be behind us in this respect. It simply means that if we ticket a bird with white in face we encourage the greatest defect which there can be in the Minorca. In my opinion the pure blood-red face is the making of the Minorca, and nothing blemishes the appearance of the bird so much as white on face. At Auchterarder Show, where there was a very large entry, I passed over five birds for this defect, and did not even go the length of looking at their other points from a judge's standpoint.

As to the other points, I must condense my remarks as much as possible, and I would only say that my idea of a Minorca is— face as free from hairs as possible (trimmed faces alioays to he passed), eyes dark, lobes large, but of a distinctly almond shape. As to the combs, this is a matter of personal opinion. I prefer combs as large as possible, provided that the general effect pleases the eye, and does not for a moment give one the idea of the comb being a deformity or even an inconvenience. If the structure of a cock's comb is correct it never requires support. What I mean by this is that the breadth at the base in a full-grown Minorca cockerel should not be less than one inch and three-quarters. If the breadth is this, there will not be the least necessity for a support, nor any possibility of the comb falling—except perhaps through injury. As to the colour of legs, old birds invariably get light, but those cannot be too dark in yearling birds—the darker the better. Still, if we give five points for a hlach leg in a pullet, we may also give five points for a dark slate-coloured leg in a hen, and still be acting justly.

Before closing I have to touch on the main point of interest to the writer of the article on "The Andalusian." In my opinion, a Minorca is not a Minorca when it resembles the Spanish in shape. I would class the Spanish as a sprightly, lanky, leggy fowl, while the correct type of the Minorca is as follows :—Let us have the legs of medium length, inclined to the short side; body deep and square; neck of medium length, but hackle very full and flowing, giving a Dorking-like shape at shoulder ; tail carried well hack.

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