148 FIRST LESSONS IN POULTRY KEEPING. 



The cautious exhibitor will wash all drinking and feeding cups in as hot water as he can 

 procure. This is quite necessary to prevent roup, canker, and other contagious diseases, unless 

 you furnish your own cups, a thing it is not always convenient to do. Plenty of sawdust 

 should be placed in the bottom, as no chicken or fowl will stand in form upon a substance too 

 hard to catch the nails. Then if your birds are white the cage should be rubbed free from 

 dust and dirt. It is better to fill the drinking and feeding dishes before the birds are placed in 

 the cages, as they are much disturbed by the change, and it is well not to trouble them any 

 more than necessary until they become accustomed to the surroundings. 



" It is to be supposed that the birds have been in preparation for the show for some time, 

 that they are free from vermin ; that the plumage is clean, as well as head, legs, etc. If the legs 

 and feet have not been cleaned, they may be now by applying castile soapsuds with a nail or 

 tooth brush. These suds should be rinsed off, and the legs rubbed dry with a soft rag. To 

 bring the color of the legs out, a small quantity of cotton seed oil should be thoroughly rubbed 

 in. The rubbing should be thorough, as the oil will hold all the dust and dirt that strikes it. 

 The dirt that often collects under the scale may be easily removed after the washing by using a 

 common wooden toothpick. 



u Lotions are often applied to the face, comb, and wattles, to intensify the color. If the bird 

 is in the pink of condition it will scarcely be necessary to more than wash these parts with a 

 sponge dampened with tepid water. The effect of most of the washes used to brighten the head 

 parts depends upon the quantity of alcohol contained. Many use alcohol diluted with water; 

 vinegar is often used. The effect of this liquor is due to the acetic acid, which is part of its 

 composition. Acids and alcohols brighten the color only for a short time a few hours at the 

 most. After the action the reaction sets in, and these parts become paler instead of brighter. 

 These agents have but the effect of making the bird appear in perfect condition for a very short 

 time. After that they appear to less advantage than if they had been left to do their own color- 

 ing. It may be said without fear of contradiction that the application of these sharp acids and 

 hot lotions is not worth the trouble. It is my honest belief that their application has not 

 changed an award or misled an intelligent judge in the last ten years. About the best thing as 

 well as the simplest that can be used for this purpose is a very small quantity of vaseline well 

 rubbed Into the place of application. This will intensify the color, especially in a room of a 

 temperature as high as that which human beings usually inhabit. 



" The food furnished at the average poultry show is limited to hard grains of one or two 

 kinds. This is not sufficient variety, even for three or four days. It is highly important to 

 supply the bird with grit and oyster shells, as well as an allowance of green foods. It is a good 

 plan to furnish the regular warm morning mash. This will involve but little labor if all Its 

 ingredients are mixed dry, put in a bag, and taken with you. It should be the attendant's duty 

 to clean the coops in part twice a day at least, and put in a fresh supply of sawdust occasionally. 



"Of all the evils of the show room drafts work the greatest harm. In fighting them, a piece 

 of brown paper, or several folds of a newspaper, will be found very effective. Drafts come 

 from all directions, but those that come through a hole or crack in the bottom of the coop are 

 the most apt to escape notice. These cause many colds. They may be prevented by tacking a 

 piece of pasteboard over the opening. 



" In some show halls the temperature is allowed to fall many degrees at night. A change in 

 temperature of twenty to thirty degrees in a few hours does not agree with fowls as a rule. It 

 is advisable in such cases to cover the top and front of the coop at night, after the room becomes 

 somewhat cooler than it has been during the day, always having, of course, some ventilation. 

 Such a proceeding is also advisable when the hall is left lighted during the night, as the birds 

 rest better, and appear fresher if the coops are darkened during the night. 



"Getting the fowls home is fully as important as getting them to the show. As they have 

 been so closely confined for several days, they are less vigorous than when taken out of the 

 yards, and consequently more liable to disease. The care should not slacken for one minute 

 until the birds have been well established in their regular quarters for several days, and it 

 becomes certain whether or not they are the worse for their experience." 



