FOR POULTRY FANCIERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 January 1930, Page 3

FOR POULTRY FANCIERS

PREPARING BIRDS FOR SHOW

(By J. A. Jackson).

Birds that you expect to score a fed bulls eyes at shows require different treatment from your laying stock. You' require a better class of house. If you have not already built a decent one, your best plan would be to take a run round and view several prominent fanciers’ yards. You could then learn for yourself by observation what 'style of building would be most suitable for your purpose. Show birds either young or old, to procure the best results should be kept by themselves, more especially the cock bird. If you go to a show, and by comparison, reckon your bird at home is just as good as tho winner, keep it to yourself, as all ignorant people have been saying for years that they have a bird at home that could knock spots off the winner. We are all inclined to think our geese are swans, and it would be poor for the poultry clubs as regard entries sometimes, if we did not. But if you think, after going to a show, that your bird has a chance, enter for the next show. It will only cost you 2/6 for being a member and 3/- for non-member as the case may be. For this you have your birds judged, a cage found, the bird watered and fed, other birds to compare with, prize cards if you are successful, also prize money and specials, to say nothing of the experience, and your name in all the papers as the winner. It is a cheap 2/6 or 3/- worth, and you have often spent money in a less profitable way. Do not bo too sanguine. Go ahead slowly, as no matter how good a bird may be, sooner or later he will go under. A man or woman who rushes away, right off the reel with three or four prizes generally feels the fall

severely when the tide of success turns. After a few reverses they may get crestfallen, as people have a nasty habit of asking how you got on, after a defeat, and some cannot stand the way it is said. With' another reverse or two they generally retire from the shows. Always send your birds expecting to get beaten, then you will not be disappointed. Some of the best wins I ever had were with birds I did not reckon had too good a chance. If you see a fault once in your intended show bird, everytime you afterwards looks at the bird, you cannot get past it, whereas the judge may miss it as the bird is only umjer bis eye for a minute or two. To prepare a bird of any breed

for show, yon will find it best to enclose it in a pen with just sufficient light to enable the bird to see to eat. Somo fanciers keep their show birds entirely in the dark only drawing up the blinds or opening the door to let them feed. I do not hold with this. The other method I have found to be the best. Place about three inches of fresh horse manure, not too damp, over the floor, which will be sufficient for the time you have your birds enclosed. If hard feathered birds such as Game, Minorcas, Leghorns, feed grain freely. To the looser feathered birds, you could give mash, being careful to place such food on a sack or in a wooden trough. If your Minorcas or Leghorns have not developed sufficient comb, you could in that case, give them soft food, also toast soaked in ale. Be careful, for it is easy to put comb on, but it generally means sacrificing the comb to take it off again. It is better to have too little than too much comb, as the excitement of a show will always extend a bird’s comb.

It will be close on three weeks before you notice any decided improvement, as birds fret a bit during the first ten days, and have a tendency to go off, but after that they improve rapidly. You cannot obtain the same sheen on a fowl running out, even if it is a Black Orpington, as if you shut it up. The colour improves wonderful, ly with Brown Leghorns, Game, Partridge or Golden Wyandottes. There is no comparison between birds shut up and .birds running out. All white varieties should be kept in as they are putting on their last feathers. Catch them while they are sappy or quilling in the feather, which then looks creamy, but becomes white as the sap leaves the feathers. You could let these varieties out each evening after sunset to give them a stretch. Do not forget grit and green feed. Handle the bird for lice, dusting with some insect destroyer, if they are found. At the end of- the- month the bird should be cherry ripe, fit to show, and at its best —providing it is old enough and has properly moulted. On tho day you despatch the bird to the show you should scan the legs to see if any down is on the sides. Remove it or any other objectionable matter, then -wash or clean the legs well, finishing off with a little vaseline. The head should also be cleaned and oiled with a little sweet oil, but do not leave the comb with a greasy look. Wipe off the oil with a little warm water.

Pen your birds as early as possible overnight, as this gives them time to accustom themselves to their surroundings and show off to advantage. If you have a decent bird and want him to be particularly noticed, enter three of the same variety. Take two ordinary specimens, and your good bird. Flace him in the middle pen with the poorer specimens on either side. To make the most of a Leghorn or Minorca, rub a stick gently along the hack once or twice daily, also stroke them under the chin. These birds are naturally wild and a wild shower often loses the ticket, so they should be handled and trained for the best results.

HOW TO WASH BIRDS • These are the days of keen competition, and unless you show your birds in tip. top order you will suffer. With two birds of equal merit, the bird shown in the best condition would romp home, and oftentimes a bird may not be so good as the other in points and then win on condition and washing. White fowls of every variety should be washed before a show. This should be undertaken about two days before, and then after drying before the fire in a coop, put in a pen with nice clean straw, throwing the grain 5n for the birds to scratch. This will help the feathers to web out properly and also keep the birds lively workingin the straw. Coloured fowls such as Game, Wyandottes, and Orpingtons should be washed seven days before the show as their feathers take longer to web out, and also for the sheen to come back on their feathers. The following is the method to be adopted in washing: First slice up some good soap that has plenty of lather, boil the soap in a saucepan or some suitable vessel, then have two baths ready about half filled with

' water; one fairly warm but not hot, tho other with the chill taken off. This one should also be blued. You will require to have a lady’s opinion as to how much blue is required, but if drying in the sun, allow more blue ' than when drying by a fire. Into the unbhied water pour the soap after it has melted properly and add about two tablespooniuls of ammonia. Secure your bird firmly in one hand, and give his or her legs a thorough- washing, cleaning the legs well under the scales, if they are dirty. Then place the bird in the water and rock it to and fro, forward and backward, also working the soapy water well into the feathers. It takes some time to wet properly a fowl all over, especially in the winter time, as there is more oil in the feathers, nature’s method for keeping the rain and cold off. Rub the feathers well with a sponge or flannel, being particularly sure that the tail and under tlie throat are also well washed. Rub the feathers all ways except direct up the quill until you are sure they are perfectly clean. Thou rinse as much of the soap out of the bird in the same water, rubbing the feathers straight from the neck to the tail. Place the bird in the blue bath, on its side, rocking it forward and backward, keeping the tail well under the water, then turn over and repeat. The object is to remove all tho soap out of the feathers, as any left in destroys the effect. In a properly washed, fowl, especially in the utility breeds, the feathers should, when dry, look like a sort of embossed work. Leghorns are a tight-feathered bird and are closer to the body. After lifting out of the bath, run your disengaged hand along the back and rinse out as much waler as possible. Have a clean towel handy and dry tho bird as much as possible. After this, balance the bird in some awkward position to try and induce it to flap its wings. If this is accomplished the bird will dry much quicker. Then have a fire going, but not in a draughty room. If it is, place a screen between the door and the fire. Do not place tho bird any nearer than three feet from the fire, and if very warm, five feet should be the distance. You will scorch the bird’s comb and lobe if you place it too near. Turn the coop round every quarter of an houi for the first two hours, after that they can generally look after themselves as they will start pluming. Thorough washing and rinsing are the two essential points to be observed. Tho following morning the birds can b 0 placed in the straw pen. Before sending to tho show rub the bird s legs with vaseline and clean well. Aiinoint the comb and wattles with a little sweet oil, only don’t leave it with a greasy appearance. Rub it off with a warm damp cloth. The rest is quietness and a clean box to travel to the show in. After that, the Judge s verdict and your reward.