FIRST LESSONS IN POULTRY KEEPING. 



143 



section connected with a disqualification pass without a careful examination, and paying special 

 attention to the common defects mentioned for the variety he is considering. It takes time, and 

 it is work ; but it is work that must be done if one would compete successfully in the exhibition 

 room, and is quite as necessary, if though never exhibiting he wishes to breed to Standard 

 requirements. Without this careful examination, and the thorough knowledge it gives both 

 of the variety and of the individuals handled, a breeder will soon find his stock more dis- 

 tinguished for its faults than for its excellencies. 



Fitting Fowls for Exhibition. 



Having selected such specimens suitable for exhibition as are required, the next thing in 

 order is to make or keep them fit for exhibition. Occasionally a specimen can be taken from 

 the yard and sent to a show without any preliminary fitting or handling, but most birds need 

 something done for them. 



Broken feathers should be removed that they may grow out again. Scaly legs should be 

 cleaned up. Specimens short in weight or out of condition should have special care and feed- 

 ing. For each variety, according to its necessities, provision must be made to get and keep the 

 specimens in perfect condition. Fowls with feathered legs must not be allowed to scratch and 

 break the feathers on the feet. White fowls especially must be kept clean. Males must be 

 kept where they cannot injure their combs, and the keeper must see that they roost where they 

 will not break the tail feathers. Often roosts too close to the wall completely ruin the feathers 

 in the tails of the male birds. 



For all this general preliminary fitting fowls should be kept in their usual quarters, these, 

 if necessary, being arranged to insure, as far as possible, freedom from liability to accidents 

 that might spoil their condition. 



As the time when they are to be exhibited approaches, the fowls should be confined to the 

 exhibition coops for a part of the time at least, that they may become accustomed to the coop, 

 and should be handled frequently. The handling should be gentle and careful. If possible 

 a novice fitting his fowls for exhibition should seek the personal advice of some more experi- 

 enced exhibitor at every stage, and in no one point is it more important to be " shown " than in 

 catching and handling the fowls. 



Many a novice finds that his way of handling fowls results in the case of wild, shy, and 

 nervous fowls in many feathers being pulled out or broken, and with such experiences the 

 birds do not rapidly become docile and easily handled. 



Unless the fowls are tame enough to be picked up readily almost anywhere they should be 



first caught from the roosts at night and put 

 into small coops, preferably exhibition coops, 

 something like that shown in the accompany- 

 ing illustration. 



To catch and handle them from such a coop 

 have the coop at such height that the bird in 

 it is easily reached. Then to catch the bird 

 reach in with the left hand and take it, with 

 its head toward you, by the legs at the hock 

 joints, your arm passing under the bird so 

 that as it is withdrawn from the coop its 

 weight rests on your forearm, and the palm 

 of your hand being upward. Don't catch by 

 the thighs, or the bird may struggle, and in 

 its struggles pull out feathers. If you take 

 hold right with the hock joints in the hand, 

 A Combined Exhibition and Shipping Coop. while the fingers grasp the shanks, the bird 



Dimensions-height so in.; width 30 in.; depth 24 in. f ee ls itself securely held, and is likely to sub- 

 mit at once, while such struggles as it may make cannot damage the plumage. 



If unable to get the bird in that way, catch it with the right hand by the wing close up to the 

 body, and drawing it toward you get the hold first described. Never attempt to hold the bird 

 unless you have a secure hold that will not hurt it. 



