The Book of the Hamburgs

BLACK HAMBURGS

Although there is no certainty that this is the oldest variety of fowls, still, as it has a pedigree of nearly 200 years, it is presumable that it was the oldest variety of the Hamburg family. Mr. Beldon considers the claims of the Spangles and Blacks to be about equal as regards age, and rather favors the former. However, a passage in an old book published in London in 1702 by Thomas Sutlief, entitled “A trip to the North of England,” has induced us to believe that the Blacks were the oldest breed. It says: “One of my pleasant reminiscences of this county (Lancaster) is the pleasure with which I regarded their pretty fowl, the Black Pheasants, as they call them, and which furnished me many a delicious fresh egg for my breakfast… The stout peasants regard them with much favor, and point with pride to their white ears and flat combs.”

It would seem from this that not only were they the favorite fowls, but that they then possessed in a great measure their present characteristics. If the spangled birds were then known they surely could not have fallen under the observation of this writer, who would have been sure to have noted them from their striking appearance.

Be that as it may, Black Hamburgs are known to have been bred in Lancashire long before the poultry-showing era, and were called by the peasants Black Pheasants. They had the rose comb, but it was much larger than in our present birds, and not nearly so well formed. They also had the white ear-lobe, despite the claims of many breeders that this desirable point came from a cross with the Spanish. There is no doubt that many Blacks have Spanish blood in them, and some prominent English breeders openly acknowledge its existence in their strains. But we have birds to-day that have never known a particle of Spanish blood in their composition, which possess superior qualities over those with the Spanish cross, and which have the white ear-lobe in all its beauty and perfection.

In a recent letter Mr. Beldon says: “The Black Hamburgs I remember perfectly well when I first began the poultry fancy some twenty-seven years ago, but they were not commonly bred at that time. They were a large bird, with rather coarse combs. Since then the Spanish cross has been used to produce them; in fact, I have known them to be bred from a Black Spanish and Spangled Hamburg, and by careful selection brought to much perfection, with better black plumage, bright red faces and pure white ear-lobes.”

Black Pheasants did not formerly possess the exquisite symmetry which is so marked in our present birds, being coarse and short-legged, while the most attention was paid to that resplendent greenish sheen which forms their chief attraction and renders them to-day the most beautiful of black fowls.

There have been many and clever expedients devised to show that the Black Hamburgs came from crossing. Mr. Seebay says: “I have been told by reliable persons that Black Pheasants have been shown for prizes, such as copper kettles, etc., more than a hundred years before my time. The true Silver-Spangled is almost black in one stage of its chicken plumage, and as I have known them produce chickens almost black, and as the shape of the Spangles and Blacks is exactly the same, I had always thought one sprung from the other.” This theory is the most plausible one we know of, and is also endorsed by Mr. Sergeantson. The most absurd assertion is that they are the result of a cross between the Golden-Spangled Hamburgs and the Spanish, which is easily refuted by our positive knowledge of their great age. There is no doubt but that some Black Hamburgs (so-called) have been made from this cross, as Mr. Beldon says; but the unfortunate breeder who gets any of these fowls into his yards, will soon discover from a plentiful sprinkling of single combs in his chicks and a general want of fixed characteristics, that he has been imposed upon. It is not of great importance to know exactly how they did originate, as from a practical point of view it is enough to know that they are now a firmly established breed of great beauty and undoubted excellence.

The Black Hamburgs lay the largest eggs of any variety of this breed, while in numbers they fully equal the Spangled and Penciled. They are therefore much sought after by those who wish to obtain eggs for the market as well as for the table, and are perhaps the most popular variety of Hamburgs.

Plumage.– This is the most important point in the Black Hamburg, though it has been much neglected by American breeders. It should be exceedingly soft, the feathers having a feeling as of satin to the hand, and a deep but distinct and beautiful gloss or tinge. Much weight should be given to this in both sexes, although it can be cultivated to a greater extent in the female than in the male. This green gloss should not appear on the end of the feathers only, but throughout the entire plumage —the greener and richer the color the better. To be seen to advantage this beautiful gloss should be viewed in a strong light or when the sun is upon the bird. You then see that sheen in which they surpass all other black fowls. The color required is the green black; the purple, bluish or raven black so often seen is very undesirable, and should be avoided. These colors are so distinct that there is no liability to mistake the true shade. Some strains are of a deep blue green, almost a steel blue; these have green tails. Other strains are of a lighter green; these have bronze green tails. The purer the green and the less admixture of any other tinge the better. Never breed from birds which seem to be penciled with bluish purple. It is often caused by a late and protracted moult, and may appear in birds which as chicks had the green tinge in all its perfection; but more often it is hereditary. Lancashire fanciers called this mazarine, and it appeared principally on backs of hens or flights of cocks. As we have mentioned, this glossy tinge is not so uniform on the male as the female birds, and this is seemingly in direct opposition to the usual decrees of Nature, which seems to have ordained that the male part of creation be more brilliant than the opposite gender. We are pleased to observe, however, a marked improvement in the plumage of cocks of late years, and hope to see the time when the male bird will show this characteristic as fully as the female.

In Black Hamburg cocks the breast, back, shoulders and tail should be a rich green, the wing-coverts exceedingly brilliant and the outer web of the secondaries (i. e., the whole of the lower part of the closed wing) almost as bright; the lesser tail-coverts are also very rich in color.

Tegetmeier speaks of spangling being visible in Black Hamburgs when seen in the sunlight. The birds he examined must have been decidedly poor ones, or perhaps it was his misfortune to see those birds compounded of Golden-Spangled Hamburgs and Spanish which we have spoken of. Such cross-bred birds will show the iridescent green spangle Mr. Tegetmeier has spoken of, but which we have never been able to discern on good birds of a pure strain.

Occasionally rich red or orange colored feathers will crop out in Black Hamburg cockerels – very seldom in pullets. These red feathers come from what we suppose was pheasant blood at some remote period introduced into these birds, or perhaps a part of their original make-up, and do not by any means prove the existence of impure blood. It is the result of our strenuous efforts to keep up and improve the greenish luster, and invariably comes from highly colored birds. These birds are sometimes of great use to breeders, and enable us to obtain finely colored birds by mating them with dead-black pullets.

But while we may tolerate an occasional showing of red feathers (which only appear in the hackle, as in the Golden Pheasant), we must be very severe on birds showing those of another color – namely, white feathers. There seems to be a natural tendency to show the white feathers in all black fowls, and this evil has been so stubborn to eradicate that Mr. Felch, at a meeting of the American Poultry Association, offered a resolution to allow white tips to appear in exhibition birds. The many evils which would thus arise from lowering our ideal Standard for this magnificent variety were so obvious that the members of that Association promptly rejected the resolution at a later meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. We know not whether most to blame the futile efforts of Mr. Felch to accommodate the variety to the wants of a few incompetent breeders, or to applaud the wisdom of our brethren of the A. P. A. in “squelching” such innovations. They surely have the thanks of all honest breeders of Black Hamburgs, which can be bred black as well as any other variety of black fowls, if we only have patience and honestly strive to eradicate this serious fault, which, if allowed, would work to the disadvantage of all.

Comb.– There is no style of comb so difficult to breed to perfection as the rose comb, and the excellent combs shown on Black and Spangled Hamburgs at our recent shows prove how much can be accomplished by judicious breeding. To our eye it is beautiful and elegant, and forms one of the chief attractions of the Hamburg. It should be a deep, rich red; not so large as to overhang the eyes or beak; square in front; fitting close and straight on the head; not inclining to one side; not hollow in the center – on the contrary, we prefer a slight rise in the center, although an even comb throughout is better. It should be uniform on each side; the top covered with small points, and terminating in a spike behind, which inclines upward very slightly. The absence of this spike is a grave defect, which if a natural blemish disqualifies a bird by the American Standard of Excellence, as does likewise a comb so large as to obstruct the sight.

Ear-Lobes.– The ear-lobe is one of the most striking features of the Black Hamburg, and in connection with the bright red comb and greenish plumage, form a tout ensemble such as no one can see without admiring. The ear-lobe on the old Black Hamburgs was smaller than it is nowadays, although it is noticeable that those birds which have been kept pure have a smaller and finer ear-lobe than those which were crossed with the Spanish. As we have before observed, Mr. Beldon (in common with some other breeders, who all ought to know better) has thought that the white ear-lobe was only introduced by the Spanish cross, an error which we have furnished abundant evidence to refute; so that really all that was gained by this unnecessary cross was a large, pendent ear-lobe, which is totally at variance with our accepted ideas as to what a Hamburg ear-lobe should be. It has been allowed by most judges, until quite recently, to be a little larger in the Blacks than in any other variety of Hamburgs, but it must be pure white, well rounded, lying smoothly and close to the face, like a piece of white kid glove, and the smaller the better. A large, pendent ear-lobe, like that of the Spanish and Leghorns, is certainly a grave blemish; nor should it be wrinkled or puffy, or at all tinged with red about the edges.

The Face.– One of our chief difficulties in breeding Hamburgs is the tendency to white in the face, which should be a deep, rich crimson, almost scarlet. A white face is a positive disqualification, and a dark gypsy face much to be avoided. Both these latter defects owe their origin to the Spanish cross, although white specks in the face will often appear in pure-bred birds as they advance in age. By careful breeding, and judiciously selecting those cocks which retain a pure red face, this may be entirely bred out, while breeding from birds showing the white face fixes the defect in the progeny, and causes much trouble to the breeder before it can be eradicated. It is rare to find a two or three-year-old cock which does not show a patch of white under the eye or near the ear-lobe; but the graver and more common the fault, the more pains should be taken to breed it out, and we have no doubt but the time will soon come when such a thing as a white-specked face in the show room will be unknown. We trust efforts will be made in this direction.

Legs and Tail.– The legs should be a dark, leaden blue, approaching black, in young birds, as the tendency is to grow light with age. Light blue legs in a cockerel or pullet are very objectionable.

The tail in male birds should be long, well curved, and graceful, flowing rather backward from the rump. A squirrel tail is a grave fault – a disqualification, in fact – as is also a wry tail or one carried constantly to one side. Wry tails have various causes, originating sometimes from accident, but they are often hereditary, and wry-tailed birds should never be used for breeding. Often the cramped quarters of an exhibition coop will render a bird temporarily wry-tailed, or rather induce it for a time to carry it to one side. This will usually disappear when the bird is given full range, but is quite an unfortunate circumstance, as a prize bird is often thrown out on this account.

Symmetry.– This means a great deal in Hamburgs; and as no breed is more symmetrical or graceful in form, particular pains should be taken to prevent them from running into a Game or Dorking shape. We have often seen breeders send birds to the show room which were good in all other points, but most degenerate in symmetry. We heard a prominent judge say lately that “symmetry could not be expressed; it was something about which every man had his own ideas, and applied to birds according to his judgment.” Each breed has its distinct symmetry of proportions, and it would be no more absurd to expect a Cochin shape on a Hamburg than it is to admit a Hamburg to be well proportioned with the slender neck, long legs, and high station of a Game, or the heavy, square and dumpy appearance of the Dorking. In fact they must be real Hamburgs in shape; neck medium length, and carried well over the back; back not very long or very short; breast full, prominent and wide; wings good size, the points carried comparatively low; tail ample and well spread out, and carried rather erect; thighs well rounded and of medium length; shanks slender, smooth and neat; carriage showing gracefulness and activity. By no means must they carry the idea of being Black Dorkings, or Rose-combed Spanish, or worse yet, untrimmed Games. Avoid also narrow bodies and whip tails.

Points in Breeding Black Hamburgs.– In mating any variety for breeding, the faults to which they are most liable should be borne in mind, and the breeder’s one idea be to breed them out, and so perfect the birds as much as possible. This in some instances may take years of careful and painstaking matings; years of disappointment and chagrin may follow, as we see the defects still cropping out, and realize the failure of all our carefully-laid plans. But how glorious is the feeling enjoyed by the fancier when at last skill triumphs, and he beholds in a numerous and nearly perfected progeny the result of years of toil and study. Then it is that he hies him joyfully to the show room; then it is that he triumphs over the breeder who has so long plucked the premiums from under his nose; and as he returns home, after enjoying his first genuine success, his thoughts are employed as to the best means of further improving his birds; and to such men – studious, painstaking and persevering – we owe that perfection in our domestic fowls which is so astonishing, considering the short time that has been devoted to their improvement, and which ought to convince us how pliable and plastic fancy poultry is in the hands of an intelligent breeder. Do not be discouraged by failure at first —keep trying, and the time must and will come when your efforts shall be crowned with success.

Black Hamburgs are not a very difficult fowl to breed, when you go about it understandingly. In selecting breeding stock, we again say, bear in mind the defects to which they are heir – namely, badly-shaped combs, white faces, pendent and over-sized ear-lobes, legginess, and white or red feathers.

At shows color in cocks is not regarded so much as it is in pullets – not nearly so much as it ought to be. “Although,” says Mr. Sergeantson, “other things being equal, color will carry the day.” Therefore for breeding cockerels, choose the best combed birds; good, red faces, free from white; round, small ear-lobes; free from red or colored feathers in any part of the plumage, and short legs, broad breast and back. Squirrel tails result quite often from narrow-bodied birds, and this, besides being very objectionable, is hereditary, so bear this last requisite well in mind. We have said nothing about color in this mating, for the reason that it is not considered of so much consequence in cockerels as in pullets; but if, with the above requisites, you can find a male bird with good color, you may breed in the progeny this very desirable quality.