Evening star., 1916-01-02
HOW TO FIT FOWLS
| FOR THE SHOWPENS
Preparing Birds for the Big Winter
Exhibitions Is Amateurs
Hardest Task.
Good Physical Condition, Handsome
Plumage and Careful Groom
ing Are Prime Requisites.

| 1AuudSe ana Cdre1ul Irooul-
| ing Are Prime Requisites.
| With the exhibition and show sea-
son in full blast, the amateur poultry
man is confronted with the most diff
cult problem he Is called on to solve
II he is ambitious to show his fowls
In competition with those of other
breeders. AS a rule, amateurs know
nothing about conditioning birds for
the showrooms- and less than nothing
In regard to proper methods of wash
| ing and fitting the birds for exhibit
tion.
| Every fowl, whether young or ma
| ture, should be in f1rst-class show con-
d1tion when it enters the exhibition
nall. The plumage should be the
standard length for the breed, lus-
trous and plentiful, the head bright
red In color. and the comb. developed
to the required size. The specimen
| should appear in handsome dress, good
| physical condition. and trained to ex-
| hibit his good qualities to advantage.
Careful training imparts to bird
hold desired poses under showroom
| conditions.
"Gentling" the Birds.
| If possible, obtain exhibition coops
| similar to those used at the show you
| VIII attend. Cover the floor with short
! straw or a mixture of bran and straw
| for feather-leg breeds. Two months be-
more the show place the birds you in
| tend to exhibit in the coops at night
| visit the coops as frequently as you
can and handle the birds often. Carry
them around under the arm, open their
| wings and examine the undercolor and
accustom them to every movement of
the Judge. 1t is not advisa BILE or neces-
sary to keep the show birds confined
IN the training coops day at a time
| is sufficient Then. allow them the run
OF the house for two or three days and
outdoor exercise if seasonable.
It Is necessary to examine show
BIRDS carefully at least ten weeks be-
tore the show Remove all imperfect
| feathers. in the hops that they will
color Frequently colored feather
showing little white along the edge
of the web will molt out perfectly
when the fowl is well fed on sour milk
new feather-one in which the quill
is filled with fuid-as it will invar-
iably return partially white. A few
days before the exhibition examine
your birds again and pluck the i'm
perfect feathers. 1t is quite a problem
to determine the best procedure when
there is foreign color in some of the
large feathers on the wings or tail.
II the color is a cause for disqualified
tion there is no justification for ship
ping the bird to the show. What is
best to do will depend upon the quality
OF the specimen in other sections, and
upon the amount of defective color in
the wings. Usually these defects oc-
on in tIor fno l1fl
Wash All White Birds.
All white fowls must be washed, and
most fowls of other colors can be i'm
proved in appearance by washing, fluff
ing and grooming before the show For
white birds have three tubs filled with
% warm. soft or rain water; (2)
| warm. soft or rain water; (3) warm,
soft or rain water colored the proper
shade to rinse and blue white goods.
Use bar of good white or CASTLE
brush. Have the temperature of the
room 80 or S5 degrees. and bring the
birds in clean exhibition coops, the
| floors of which should be covered with
fresh, dry shavings Wash the males
first. Clean the shanks and feet with
the nail brush, soap and water. Insert
the bird in tub % and push it down
under the water several times until the
plumage is wet through: make heavy
lather with the sponge and soap and
| thoroughly wash the plumage with the
sponge: open the wings and sponge
them in the direction of the feathers;
| in fact. always wash the length of the
feather, from the quill to the tip and
| not across it. Keep the birds head out
| of the soapy water, if possible; sponge
the soap off the bird and remove to
tub (2). Press it under the water sew
eral times. allow it to stand and drip
for few seconds, and then dip it twice
in tub go containing the bluing water.
| Remove the bird from the water, mold
its legs firmly and raise it up and down
quickly, SO that it will flap and expand
I its wings and tail and shake out the
water. Do not use a towel to dry a
white bird.
Drying and Grooming.
Move the exhibition coop near the
fire or some heat, so that the bird will
dry. Lifting up the plumage of the
| breast and opening the feathers of the
| fluff while drying has tendency to in
crease the apparent size of these sec
| tions. 1t is necessary to examine the
| white birds frequently if the GOODS are
near stove to guard against overheat-
| ing them or scorching or curling their
feathers.
The shanks and feet of exhibition
fowls must be absolutely clean and
well polished. To overcome rough
scales rub the legs twice daily with a
| cloth dipped in kerosine, and a short
| time before the show wash them thor
oughly. Use a good securing SOAP.
| woolen cloth, and warm rain water
| Remove any old or rough scales and
| also the dirt between the scales The
latter can be taken out with tooth
picks. Dry the shanks and apply So
luton of equal parts of sweet oil and
alcohol. Then warm a wooden cloth
aand scrape little beeswax on II. The
warmth will melt the wax, and the
shanks should then be polished with
| the waxed cloth.
| Before shipping the birds to the ex-
hibition apply the sweet oil and alcohol
solution to the face and comb If YOU
are showing white birds. fill their plu-
mage. after washing and when thor
| oughly dry. with equal parts of bran
! and rice -four. Some exhibitors use
cornstarch. which is equally satisfac-
| tory This prevents the plumage be-
| coming soiled, and when the starch is
shaken out at the show and the fowls
are groomed they apparently take a
higher polish. However, the GOODS must
| have wooden muslin tops and sides
! to prevent rain coming in contact with
| the starched plumage. The final groom
ing is accomplished with silk hand
| kerchief, rubbing and polishing the
feathers until the plumage has a high
luster.
LOGIC.