Pekin
THIS STANDARD REQUIRES FURTHER REVIEW FOR THE AUSTRALIAN SETTING.
| Pekin | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Category | Egg Colour | Sitter |
| China | True Bantam | White or Cream | Yes |
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
THE COCK
Head - Skull small and fine. Beak rather short but stout, slightly curved. Eyes large, bright. Comb single, small, firm, perfectly straight and erect, well serrated, curved from front to back. Face smooth and fine. Earlobes smooth and fine, nearly as long as the wattles. Wattles long, ample and smooth, neatly rounded. Neck short, carried rather forward, with abundant and long hackle reaching well on the back. Body short and broad. Breast deep and full. Back increasing in breadth to the saddle, which should be very full, rise well from between the shoulders, and furnished with long soft feathers ; small short wings tightly tucked, the ends hidden by the saddle-hackle ; very short full tail, soft and minus hard quill-feathers, abundant coverts almost hiding the main feathers, the whole tail forming one unbroken curve with the back and saddle.
Legs short and well apart ; stout thighs hidden by the fluff that grows between the saddle and the thighs. Hocks completely covered with soft feathers curling around the joint and standing well out. (Note - Stiff feathers, "vulture hocks," are objectionable but not a disqualification.) Short thick shanks abundantly covered with soft out standing feathers. Toes (four) strong and straight, the middle and the outer plentifully covered with soft feathers to their ends.
Carriage bold, rather forward but low, the head not much higher than the tail.
Plumage very abundant, long, and quite soft with full fluff.
THE HEN
With the exception of the back (rising into a full and round cushion) the general characteristics are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences.
COLOUR
THE BLACK
Beak yellow usually with dark horn. Eyes red or yellow, red preferred. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet yellow.
Plumage lustrous beetle-green to the skin, free of white or coloured feathers. Some white in undercolour permissible in the male as long as it is not visible in natural position.
THE BLUE
Beak orange-yellow, or yellow slightly marked with horn. Eyes red. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet: Yellow.
Plumage of the Cock - Hackles, Back and Tail even shade of rich dark blue, free from rusty, sandy, straw or bronze markings. Remainder rich clear blue free from lacing.
Plumage of the Hen one even shade of rich blue free from lacing; "pigeon blue" preferred.
THE BUFF
Beak rich yellow. Eyes red. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet: Yellow. Plumage "rich golden-buff" in the cock, and "rich sound buff" in the hen, of a perfectly even shade throughout, quite sound to the root of the feathers, and free from black, white, or bronze feathers. The colour shade of the bird should be as clear and as even as possible throughout."
THE CUCKOO
Beak yellow, or yellow slightly marked with horn. Eyes red. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet yellow. Plumage light French grey, each feather evenly and distinctly barred across several times with dark slate, the markings fine and regular, and the plumage free from any white or straw tinge.
THE PARTRIDGE
Beak yellow or yellow shading to horn. Eyes red or orange, red preferred. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet rich yellow.
Plumage of the Cock - Head dark orange-red. Neck-hackle bright orange or golden-red becoming lighter towards the shoulders, each feather distinctly striped down the centre with black. Back, Shoulder-coverts and Wing-boiv rich crimson. Breast, Thighs, Upper-parts, Tail, Wing-butts and coverts, Foot and Shank Feather and Fluff, lustrous green-black, free from grey, white, or rust; primaries and secondaries bay outer web, black inner.
Plumage of the Hen - Head and Neck-hackle light gold or straw, each feather distinctly striped down the centre with black. Remainder clear, light golden-brown, finely and evenly pencilled all over with concentric rings of a dark shade (glossy green-black preferred), the whole to be of uniform shade and marking.
THE WHITE
Beak rich yellow. Eyes red or orange, red preferred. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs and Feet rich yellow. Plumage pure snow-white, free from cream or yellow tinge, or splashes of black.
FURTHER COLOURS
There are many more plumage colours in Pekins. For further varieties see the Old English Game colour standards. In all varieties the beak is yellow but may be shaded or have horn colour except in the white variety where the beak must be clear yellow. Eyes in all varieties of Pekin are red to orange. Comb, wattles, earlobes and skin of the face should be red. Shanks and feet: yellow.
STANDARD WEIGHTS
The male weight from 32 oz. to 36 oz.
The female weight 28 oz. to 32 oz.
SCALE OF POINTS
| Points | |
|---|---|
| Colour | 20 |
| Type and carriage | 15 |
| Fluff and cushion | 15 |
| Head | 10 |
| Leg and foot feather | 10 |
| Legs (length) | 10 |
| Condition | 10 |
| Size and weight | 10 |
| 100 |
SERIOUS DEFECTS
- Twisted or drooping comb;
- Slipped or Split wings;
- Missing or deformed toes;
- Any bodily deformity.
SOURCES
- The Poultry club standards, containing a complete description of all the recognised varieties of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, ed. by William W. Broomhead. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009202629
- The Australasian book of poultry by Compton, A. J; Publication date 1899 Publisher: Melbourne, George Robertson and Co.Schedule for Judging Modern Australian Game. (The Standard issued by the Poultry Club of N.S.W., with a few minor additions.) https://archive.org/details/australasianbook00comp/page/n17
INFO to CHECK
From COmpton's Australasian Poultry
Head.—Neat and small; Comb, single, small, straight, and erect, well serrated, and nicely curved from beak to the back ; Beak, short, stout, and slightly curved ; Eyes, bright and large ; Face^ smooth and fine in texture ; Wattles, large, long, smooth and fine in texture, well rounded ; Ear-lobes, smooth, well-developed, fine in texture, almost as long as the wattles ; Neck, short, well furnished, neatly arched, and carried well forward ; Hackle, abundant, reaching well on to the back ; Back, short and broad, widening to the saddle, which should be full, rising well from the shoulders, well furnished with soft feathers ; Wings, short, small, neatly tucked up, the ends hidden by the saddle hackles ; Tail, very short, full, and soft, the quill feathers soft ; Tail Coverts, ample, and nicely curved, almost hiding the tail, the whole tail forming a graceful and unbroken curve with the back and saddle ; Breast, wide, deep, full, and rounded in appearance ; Thighs, short, stout, and wide apart ; Hocks, completely covered with soft, curling feathers, which stand well out
Legs, short and stout, and well furnished with soft feathers, standing well out ; Feet and Toes, stout and straight, the centre and outer toes covered with feathers to the tips, and as abundant as possible ; Plumage, very abundant, long, and soft, the fluff h€mg full between the saddle and thighs, almost hiding the thighs ; General Shape and Carriage, broad, deep, plump, and well rounded, the body carried forward, but low, the head being a trifle higher than the tail
- Weight, cockerel, 2 lbs. ; cock, 2 lbs. 4 oz.
General Characteristics of the Hen. The hen should resemble the cock in all points, making allowance for difference in sex. Weight.— pullets, I lb. 12 oz. ; hens, 2 lbs.
Colour Points in Buff Pekin Bantams. COCK. Cojub, Face, Wattles, Ear-lobes, and Eyes.—Bright red. ZJ^-,//'.— Yellow. Head and ^eck H'ackle.—'Rich, sound, bright golden buff. liack, \Vin,--hrccs, Shoulder Coverts, and Saddle Hackle.—Rich, bright golden buff. Tall.—Brit^ht golden buff, free from black, white, or bronze feathers. Remainder of Plnmage.—One uniform shade of golden buff, right to the roots of the feathers. Legs and Feet.—\'ellow. HEN. The hen should match the cock throughout, and as Buff Pekins are of three recognised shades of colour, viz., Leinou-Bufl] Bntf, and Cinnamon, of whichever shade the cock is, the hen to match must be the same. Colour Points in Black Pekin Bantams—Cock and Hen. Comb, Face, Wattles, and Ear-lobes.—Bright red. Eyes.—Red or yellow, the former preferred. Scrt^.—Dark horn colour, or black with a yellow tinge. Legs and Feet.—Yellow preferred. Dark legs, with soles of the feet and under the toes yellow, is allowed. Plumage.—A beautiful lustrous, uniform beetle-green black, black at the roots of the feathers. Colour Points in Cuckoo Pekin Bantams—Cock and Hen. Comb, Face, Wattles, and Ear-lobes.—Bright red. Eyes.—Red. Beah.—Y^iXor^, or yellow slightly stained with horn colour. -Pale French grey ground colour, each feather throughout the body distinctly and evenly barred across with parallel lines of a dark slate colour ; the markings fine and regular. Legs and Feet.—Bright yellow.
Scale of Points for Pekin or Cochin Bantams. A bird perfect in shape, style, colour, size, and condition to count loo points. Points to be Deducted for Defects. Bad head and comb lO Want of cushion and fluff 15 Too long in leg ID Want of foot and leg-feathering 10 Bad colour 20 Bad carriage and shape 15 Bad condition 10 Incorrect size and weight ... 10 100 Disqualifications. Twisted or drooping comb, legs any other colour than yellow (with the exception of the Blacks), slipped wing, crooked breast, crooked back or wry tail, or any other bodily deformity ; birds not matching in colour when exhibited in pairs ; any fraudulent dyeing, plucking, dressing, or trimming.