142 CALIFORNIA POULTRY PRACTICE 



a lantern and draw them to the front of the coop by lamp light. After 

 they get used to being called to the front of the coop and get recon- 

 ciled to their surroundings, take a light stick and pass it along the 

 back, as if smoothing the feathers. At first they will jump back, but 

 perseverance on your part will win out. 



When they get so they don't mind the stick any more, put your 

 hand in the coop and stroke them with one or two fingers. Then 

 pass the hand around and stroke under the throat. Nearly all birds 

 can be tamed thus, they give in when you get around the throat. 

 Occasionally take a hen under your arms and go in front of the coop 

 where a male bird is being trained. He will then be looking for the 

 hen and will learn to expect either food or hen and be on good 

 behavior. 



The Show Bird's Diet. Always feed a variety of feed and often, 

 never giving too much of anything at once. I prefer good grain to 

 mashes, though a little moist mash once in awhile is good as an ap- 

 petizer. But grain makes firm flesh without fat, and a fat bird is not, 

 nor never can be called in good condition. A little, very little, raw 

 meat or fresh ground bone will help keep the appetite on edge, but 

 too much makes soft, beefy combs. 



The Show Bird's Washing Preparations. Use only soft water in 

 the washing of white birds and never use laundry soap. The genuine 

 French castile soap is the best all around soap for toilet purposes for 

 poultry. 



Dissolve one and one-half bar of castile soap, two teaspoonfuls 

 of oxalic acid, two teaspoonfuls of pulverized chloride of lime, two 

 and one-half ounces of powdered borax and one ounce of ammonia in 

 two quarts of boiling water. Keep air tight and use as a washing 

 solution. Put enough in the first tub to bring out the dirt, then a 

 less amount in the second tub and none in the third. 



After the birds have been thoroughly rinsed in two tubs of clean 

 water, prepare the blueing water. It is almost impossible to tell 

 anyone just the amount of bluing to use, because the blue varies in 

 strength so much, but the water should be about the same as one 

 would make it for fine white clothes. It is best to experiment first 

 with one or two birds that are not going to be exhibited, the bath 

 will do them good anyway. 



The Method Of Washing The Birds. You will need three or four 

 tubs to make a success of washing the birds, four is better than three. 

 By having plenty of tubs you can have the water all fixed beforehand 

 and go straight on with the operation. After experimenting with the 

 blueing, and having gotten the right shade, if the water is not per- 

 fectly soft, put in a tablespoonful of powdered borax to prevent the 

 bluing from clouding. 



