Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-07-12

stick, knew its business and showed
its training by posing nicely, and won
/ the prize. Yet the foreign cockerel
was intrinsically by far the better
bird; il simply was not in proper con-
dition TO show its superior points
when the judge came around.
Therefore, it will be seen that it is
time well spent to tame and train the
birds.
Have the Birds Clean When Shown
White birds, it is held, are the
hardest classes to judge or exhibnt,
so conditioning is very important
factor. If the poultryman keeps his
premises clean and the floors OF the
houses well covered with clean straw,
there will be little if any necessity for
washing the fowls before they are
rubbing Of the feathers with a soft
cloth to remove any dust that may
be on them; the legs carefully oiled
and rubbed with sweet oil; and a little
vaseline rubbed on the comb and wat
ties, will be about all that will be
necessary.
Birds reserved for exhibition should
now be placed in different quarters,
breaking of feathers. Any broken or
off -colored feathers can be plucked,
and il done at once the possibility
i'm time for the show. False or off
colored feathers are not necessarily
sign of impurity. In many cases
they are caused by bruise or injury
to the feather when growing.
no, ~ aaf 10. 70. aff
to is to- examine the bird carefully
to ascertain if there is any vermin
present. A thorough busting with a
reliable insect powder tsuch as coal
tar product) is a good precaution,
sly and often hard to detect, so that
the busting will be advisable.
/ do not think it is just the right
thing to wash birds. If every ex-
hibitor would exercise great care to
keep his fowls clean, and then enter
them in their natural condition, it
would give better satisfaction all
around. If / was a poultry judge,
the one naturally white and the other
washedI should surely give the
award to the former.
How TO Wash the Fowls
But where good birds show drit on
their plumage, washing is the only
alternative. For this purpose CASTLE
soap or other white soap and warm
water are used. The work must be
done in warm room so the bird may
not take cold, and after it is through
with the operation the fowl should be
plced in a roomy coop near a good
A.. - IL
90 degrees In a few hours the bird
will start to plume itself and be per-
fectly dry.
In washing the fowl, two tubs are
filled half full of water just hot
enough for the hand TO feel comfort
able in it. Make lather and with a
sponge rub the feathers thoroughly,
rubbing with and not against the
feathers. Every part must receive
attention, care being taken to remove
every particle of dirt.
The bird is then placed in the sec
ond tub. and the plumage is rinsed
with sponge saturated with water,
to remove the suds. Too great care
cannot be taken in this particular, as
soap allowed to remain on the plum
age will make the latter blotchy. and
Ine leaJnefS VIII not take the Dlue-
ing water evenly.
A final rinsing is then given in a
tub of clean. cold water, to which a
little liquid blueing has been added.
Too much blueing must not be used,
as it will show next to the quilts in
the web of the feathers. and the judge
is ant to give the award to a more
careful exhibitor.
After rinsing the bird thoroughly
in this blueing water, squeeze the
water out of the plumage and dry
the feathers with towels. Then place
the bird in the coon, which should
have the ton and sides covered with
muslin. the front Slated. and the floor
Uttered with straw. This washing
process is followed by attention to
the comb. wattles and legs.
The Standard Of Perfection must
be used as the guide in the selection
of exhibition fowls. and special note
must be made of the disdualifying
clauses. Much encouragement has
been evinced through carelessness on
the part of the exhibitor. 1t REQUIRES
crit and MUCK to be a successful ex-
hibitor The man who cannot stand
M in the face Of defeat is not good
cY,ot.f