3-3-1978
Dear
Bill,
Thank
you for your letter received some time ago and for the Pekin Club Newsletter
also.
I
suppose Bush Fires and 100°F heat must be very serious but it is tempting to
risk when you have to than the water pots every morning. If you do come to
England would be most welcome to come here to visit us.
It
seems funny you talking about restoring your heritage in a house built in
1838. Our house here was an old farm house we converted into modern style
since we moved in 8 years ago, and it originally dates back to about 1700 but
I am not sure when. Of course near here we have a Roman Fort a Museum, an 11th
century church so 1700 is modern relatively.
I
have enclosed two pictures of Pekins which won recently. Of course they are
not perfectly posed but they may interest you. Breeding is in full swing and I
have hatched over 300 chickens so am hoping for a reasonable selection later
on. I am hoping this year is one of consolidation as I have put new blood in
some of my breeds during the last few years. However time will tell.
There
is a point of caution in your risk to breed as many generations as possible in
a short spare of time. You may be breeding in undesirable factors for short
life, bad eyes (the green often appears hallways through the pullet or
cockerel year) and any other fault not apparent at point of lay.
I
feel you do not want to go back to the Pekin until you have got the colour
spot on in your crossbreeds. Otherwise you may lose something in your new
F2 generation. I say new because I mean the F2
of the back x to the Pekin.
I
have had some bad luck in my search for chickens from my hen feathered male in
my F2 of Gold Pencilled Hamburg and Partridge Wyandotte. If you
remember the object of the exercise was to get a Partridge Wyandotte Pullet
bred male which was hen feathered so that we could see his pencilling. Well
the 50 & 50 appears to be sterile as fifty + eggs have all been clear. So
it back two years and start again if I don’t get something this year. I hope
you are regoing well.
Yours,