October
10, 1980
Dear
Mr Plant,
I
am enclosing a copy of a proposed standard for the Australian Game Bantam
which I hope you will review promptly and return with any suggested changes
you may deem appropriate.
In
order to meet our standard requirements for the Game breed, which are put on
exhibition, any bird exhibited after November 1st, the
male must be dubbed. You will notice that I have made a designation to this
effect for the cockerel and it is further qualified that in the Southern
Hemisphere that the date will be May 1st. In
setting the date, I have assumed that your seasons are exactly opposite of
ours here in the Northern Hemisphere. Is this correct? I wish you would advise
me further regarding the time of the year when your principal hatching is
done, etc.
I
am also in a quandary about setting proper weights for these bantams. The
brochure you forwarded states that cocks may vary in weight from 9 to 12
pounds and that mature hens will weigh up to 10 pounds. We normally consider
that bantams which have a larger counterpart should weigh from one-quarter to
one-fifth of the large fowl weight. You will notice that the weights I have
assigned are less than one fifth of that of the large fowl. The standard for
modern game bantams for both the English
and American Standards are somewhat smaller than I have designated. My
experience in producing the miniatures of large fowl which takes about four
generations is that if you set your goals too low, you experience a number of
problems. I will be guided with your desires on what the weights should be.
In
connection with the eye color, which was stated as pearl,
yellow or daw, I have shown the three colors but this is not in accord
with our rules. Which should the dominant color be? I cannot find a dictionary
description of the color daw. Can
you describe what this color is? As to the shanks and toes, I chose the color willow in preference to willow
or olive, because there is very little real difference and that willow is
often referred to as a leg color.
Sincerely,
P.S.
- In giving further consideration to the disqualifications, it may be that
undubbed males are acceptable in the showroom in Australia which is contrary
to the American practices. In the event that this is true, the
disqualifications should be modified to permit undubbed specimens in
Australia, will you please advise on this matter? The probability is that the
description of this breed will appear in our 1981 Yearbook, so you will have
plenty of time to get illustrations prepared for this breed.