Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-10-08
WHY SHOW YOUR FOWLS?

This is the time of the year when
the fancier begins to look over his
flock and pick out the ''phenoms"
and groom them for the shows. Every
now and again someone is sure to ask,
whats the use of it all?" The
writer has been following the show
game for the better part of more than
a dozen years and has few good rea-
sons right on tap.
In the first place, the old saw about
competition being the life of trade"
is right in point. The man who gets
up against fine string of birds that
belong to another fellow is sure to
learn something about his own and if
he is the right sort he is sure to see
where he can improve on his own
work. You hear lot of knocks
about breeders working for feathers
only and a showing in the exhibit
hall, and that such work is for the
idle rich that can afford to play with
such things. But take it from us, the
poultry business wouldn't be billion
dollar industry if it wasn't for the
men that spend money and gray mat
ter working out ways of beating the
other fellow in producing better poul-
try. There's only few ways to find
out what progress you are making in
the poultry business and one of the
ways is putting your ideas, as shown
by your fowls, in competition with
others in the same business and find
ing out which are the best.
OF course there are men who are
satisfied that they are the only ones
with enough brains to succeed in pro-
ducing the best and who don't care
rap for what anyone else thinks. Such
men are hopeless and If any such
happen to be reading these lines just
quit right here. A few days ago we
were talking to a poultry-raiser who
confidently asserted that he had the
best White Leghorns on the coast
and that he had a pen of them in
which every hen laid an egg every
day from December to July. We
modestly asked where he had shown
them. We were informed that he
had never shown them at all. This
was something of jolt, but we fur
Their inquired what kind Of trap
nest he used and imagine our surprise
when told that he had never seen a
trap-nest. Think of it! Just plain
liar, you say? No. sir. We happen
to know that the man is absolutely
honest; he really believed the fish
story that he was peddling. The man
bought some good stock to start with
he mentioned the name of the
breeder-and got the idea in his mind
that he had the best ever. He never
showed, he never trap-nested, he
never compared his stock with other
breeders and therefore made himself
ridiculous whenever he talked about
it. The ostrich that buries his head
in the sand and imagines himself hid
den from his enemies isn't half SO
foolish as this poultryman.
But that isn't all of the story. A
few weeks later we were asked to
take look at flock of White Leg
horns that belonged to an amateur
breeder. We took look and told
him to sell 'em all and get some thor
Oughbreds. The owner was Mortified
and informed us that they were from
Mr.. Blanks yards and that he had
the best fowls on the coast. It was
the same Mr.. Blank that we men,
toned above. And further inquiry
developed the fact that these "phe-4
MONS" had laid less than 80 per cent /
for the past nine months.
A poultry show is sort of conven.
ton where men and women set to.
gether and bring their fowls along.
compare notes. see what the other fell
low is doing, find out their weak
nesses and their>strong points. get
the advice of experts and then 20
home and get busy.
We don't advise spending too much
time and money in exhibiting fowls.
Too many shows only waste the time ,
Of the breeder and wear out the
fowls, but every breeder should at
east show at the local county fair and
his home poultry show or one in a
neighboring city. Rub shoulders ,
with others in your line-at least
don't be an ostrich. ,