THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



exhibited soon after, the stewed linseed for 

 giving gloss should not be forgotten. Gloss is 

 best promoted in moulting birds by keeping 

 them in pens not exposed to full light, and giv- 

 ing linseed judiciously with carbonate of iron 

 (unless given in the above tonic, which will 

 suffice) to all except white or buff fowls, and 

 sulphur as alreadj- mentioned. The effect of 

 partial shade upon gloss is not understood, 

 but is very real; and extreme green glos=, as 

 desired in Langshans, Black Hamburghi and 

 other breeds, cannot be attained without it. 



In spite of all, valuable birds may " hang " in 

 the moult, or have difficult}- in growing the new 

 plumage. A verj- usual cause of this is insect 

 vermin, which wide experience shows to take a 



larger and larger place as the real 

 Vermin and cause of many poultr\' ailments. 

 Moult Pains should therefore be taken to 



ensure that the birds are entirely 

 free before moulting and during the process. 

 The skin is naturally in an irritable and feverish 

 condition, and anj-thing of this sort is more felt 

 than at any other time, while the young feathers 

 are particularly liable to be attacked, and thus 

 prevented from growing out properly. This 

 cause of bad moulting was little known at one 

 time, when a drj- dust bath was freely allowed 

 to exhibition poultry ; but too often this is now 

 discarded — more's the pity — for insect powder, 

 petroleum washes, and other devices, and unless 

 these are sedulously kept up, the birds suffer. 

 Indeed, we have strong doubts whether they do 

 not suffer even then, the friction of the dust 

 bath being doubtless needed to cleanse the 

 scurf-skin, as well as to destroy the parasites. 

 Be tliis as it may, we do know that insect 

 vermin as a cause of bad moulting has greatly 

 increased since the new order of things. 



Where moult seems to delay unaccountably, 

 or to stand still after just a beginning, a change 

 of temperature is generallj- a remedy. If the 

 bird has been in a warm house, and it is not too 

 cold, it may be placed in a cool one for a week 

 or two ; or, more commonly, it may be taken up 

 and confined in a warm house. If with this 

 change of abode there be coupled some sun- 

 flower-seed — about half the last feed of grain 

 daily — the process will often be started satisfac- 

 torily. Hemp-seed has been used for the same 

 purpose, but sunflower-seed is much better and 

 more strengthening. 



The shanks also may need attention at 

 moulting time. Most fowls moult the scales on 

 the shanks as well as the feathers on their 

 bodies, and all are probably intended to do 

 so. There seem to be exceptions, however, 

 emd in cases where the appearance or colour 



suffers from the persistence of old, dr}-, and horny 

 scales, it is well to assist nature, which can usually 

 be done. If such an old scale be nipped be- 

 tween the thumb-nails, it can usually 

 Moulting t)e removed, and when the required 



of the action has been thus understood, 



Shanks. ^j^g breeder will find no diflficultv- in 



selecting at any surgical cutler's a 

 pair of tweezers or small forceps which will do 

 the work better and more quickly. Birds are 

 often seen in a pen in their old scales, which 

 might easily have been removed in this way, to 

 their great benefit in appearance. We also be- 

 lieve that leaving on these old and somewhat 

 loosened scales is a great predisposing cause to 

 the lodgment beneath of the little mite which 

 causes scaly leg. 



In regard to training and washing, nothing 

 need be added to what was said above. Experi- 

 enced old birds often need hardly any training 

 or penning at all, so far as their manners are 

 concerned ; they have gone through the mill 

 already, and know all about it ; but penning is 

 in most cases useful for cleaning purposes also, 

 as before indicated. Special care should however 

 be taken in feeding them up to the proper 

 degree, any extra feed being given steadily and 

 uniformly up to the desired point, not all piled 

 on during a week or two. Though given more, 

 appetite must still be carefully preserved. Large 

 Asiatics need peculiar care to guard against 

 over-fattening for exhibition, as they are wanted 

 to look large and massive, whilst any approach 

 to lazy torpiditj- must be eschewed. Here malt 

 dust and ample green food are valuable aids, 

 and an occasional lo grains of citrate of potash 

 will often clear the blood and pick a bird up if 

 he seems to be getting dull and laz}'. Underdone 

 meat chopped small, and a little toast soaked in 

 strong old ale, will also help to impart spirit 

 to an old bird. 



The final preparation before sending off will 

 be ver}- little, if the cleaning of the shanks and 

 heads was done, as it should be, when putting 

 into the pens. If not, it must of 

 The Final course be done now ; and in many 

 Preparation, cases where birds have been pre- 

 pared and already shown recently, 

 and have been refreshed betiveen by a small 

 grass run carefully kept, nothing more may be 

 needed than to take them up and again cleanse 

 the head and feet ; they will not have forgotten 

 their previous training. Where the birds have 

 been treated already, however, and then penned 

 upon a floor of grit and clean chaff, the shanks 

 will now only need wiping over, after which dark 

 legs may be greased with olive oil, but to be wiped 

 as free of it as possible. The face and comb, if 



