Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-10
FITTING FOWLS TO
WIN BLUE RIBBONS
Conditioning Birds For the
Show Room Is Painstak-
ing Work
How the Veteran Exhibitor
Molts, Trains and Grooms
His Specimens
BY NJ. Il. Longfield
Author and Practical Poultryms


Author and Practical Poultryman
Persons who admire the glistening
plumage, brilliant color and perfect
condition of the fowls whose cages are
the center of attention at the leading
shows rarely understand the continu-
Gus labor necessary to transform the
everyday bird of the flock into this
beautiful creature. Let them observe
the following hints.
There is no better advertisement
for the poultryman than the winning
of blue ribbons at poultry shows. The
larger the show and the hotter the
competition, the better standing the
successful winner obtains, and the
higher prices he can command for his
products. But if you decide to COM
pete for these cherished awards, prop
erly prepare your best birds.
Conditioning a string of fowls for
the show is more than a weeks work.
The males must be separated from
the females from the time the new
feathers appear in summer until the
close of the show season, to prevent
the plumage of the females being soil
ed and broken.
In order to have the mature fowls
in condition for the Fall and early
winter shows, it is necessary to gradu-
ally remove all the old feathers in
July and August. Pull the wing and
tail feathers first, then pluck the
neck, back and body feathers. a few
handfuls every day until the old
feathers are gone.
During this forced development of
new feathers the fowls must receive
special food to hasten the growth of
attractive plumage. A whole grain
mixture fed literally twice daily, con-
sisting of equal parts wheat oats,
buckwheat and COW peas is admirably
suited to all breeds. Whole yellow
corn should be fed to buff and red
varieties, but not to white or black
fowls, since it has a tendency to i'm
part a yellowish tint to the plumage
A daily supply of buttermilk or sour
milk is preferable to feeding dry or
wet mash, but in the absence of the
milk product, q dry mash containing
about 20 per cent. prime beef scraps
is essential
Bright Sunlight Ruins the PIumage
1t is advisable to keep mature
fowls out of the bright sun from the
commencement of the mott. 1t is
impossible to obtain a uniform sur
face color on buff or red fowls when
they are thus exposed. The feathers
that mature first will fade and when
these are scattered through the darker
feathers that mature later, the plum
age takes on a mottled appearance.
Even white, black and parti- -colored
varieties are improved in surface color
by a system of sun shading.
Successful exhibitors provide n row
of little houses with inclosed runs in
a grove of shade trees for their ex-
htbftion males, each male being kept
in separate inclosure. The exhib-
ition females are not separated like
the males, but live in groups of from
ten to twenty-five. Their house and
run is also under shade. Where nat
ural shade cannot be obtained, artt-
fetal shade is provided by covering the
tops of the wired runs with building
paper, old boards or sacks or straw
During the time that the fowls are
molting, 1t is important to keep them
in dustless houses and to prevent
dust baths. The best floor is rather
moist earth, SO that the fowls will not
raise dust when scratching in the
litter Change the litter frequently.
Training the Show Bird
Build row of training coops
around the walls of a house to ac-
custom exhibition birds to the con-
finement and excitement of the show
The coop should be feet square and
30 inches high for each bird, with
the floor made of 1-inch mesh wire
netting. The use of the netting floor
insures sanitary coop, and keeps the
fowls feet clean.
The youngsters, especially, will be
wild when first confined, so do not
frighten them more than necessary
Have vessels in the coop for feed and
water. Go to the coops several times
day and endeavor to tempt the
chickens with dainties to eat: When