NOTES FOR JUNE

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 35

NOTES FOR JUNE

By Lanqshan.

This month is an important one with fanciers, being the firsts of the show months. To the fancier the time immediately preceding the first show of the season- is one of greab anxiety *nd much speculation. To those, outside the pale, ths amount of time the fancier spends , 'coking over his young stock, selecting the ' fiwbftWes," and fluall-j tha v 4 possibJfli.*' Kwmk

r j incredible. Days and weeks ace epenb in this ( manner conuing the. birds 1 over, until the aspirants'for show, honours are, ultimately selected. | For the benefit, of the younger fanciers I will | here quote the well-knoton authoriby Lewis Wright in. regard to washing and preparing for exhibition : — ( "Alargetubor pan must be provided, and half filled with wsrm water. The very> first etep | is to clean* thoroughly the feet and legs, which \ always are of a colour to neecL this- in lightcoloured fowls.; and i£ they are dirty the water '. ia which they ace washed should be thrown ! away and clean substituted. A hardish brush , will generally ba useful in scrubbing thoshank?. , The head is washed next, using a sofb nail- [ brush on the comb if needful. ; after thab ths ( first step is to thoroughly soaU. bher plumage by , the use of a spoage. Then ib is bo be thoroughly | washed with a sponge, good 1 yellow soap, \ the great point Being to ensura that it I'aally is quite clean, and' rubbing, freely almost every ; way, except up or nearly up the feather, w hichi must be avoided. Being-sure the fowl 1 is quite . eleaD, the next; greab point is to be sure, by change of waters, that' every particle of soap is washed oub of bhe plumage-. If any io< left in, the feather*, will clojr or look ragged ; bat if sll is. got oat,, the bird, being partially dried" with. a \ towel' firs r,, should be -left in a lined' basket in front of a fire to dry gradually. Some dry , almost in the-hand, turning the fowl round! and round, occasionally on straw. It is' a good plan to give the last rinse with cold water to praveni? catching cold,' and) also to prevent any, debili- '. tatiug; c ffect from the- hot water used'in wftsbiii^. . Id must always be done if the bfcd appears fajut. " Many exhibitors recom\nend the giving of , linseed for a week befoceiexhibition. A preferable plan, however, and one whichragrees betier : with the'healih of the fowl's, J& to let the even- . ing, repast of grain for the lasb forbnjghb consist of wheat and hempseed in equal portions, ' j which will be equally effective, and vs greedily i" devoured by the birds; adding' also fo'the-coJou* ■ of the combs and wattles-. In regard to, bhab , beaut-fuL bright red of the comb and; wabble so • desirable-, this cannot be given< to a fowl which is not naburAlly ia- high' health. But. when a [ bird i 3 healthy the scrubbing helps to bring ib | oub, and- if finally a- very little fresh bubter is , tubbediin and then wiped> as- thoroughly off as [ possible with a dump cloth, ; aboufc the best is t j made-of it. "Of course when the birds are of dark , plumage ib is not necessary, to,, wash the plu- !' mage;, only, the head;, feet, and legs will require 1 attention. The washing should, bake , place at least, three days before bhe show, ', taking care to keep- the birds clean in the inj bcrim. The- best time to wash birds is- in the , evening giving- them t'ae< wilole nighb in fronfc . of the fire- to web out.." i