158 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



early shows chickens must often be shown younger, and for 

 such shows forward, "pretty" birds are often most success- 

 ful ; but such rarely make the finest fowls in the end. These, 

 and the most successful at the really great shows, are more 

 often found amongst the slowly-maturing, big, raw-looking 

 birds, especially those hatched late in March and early in 

 April. 



The greatest care should be taken of all selected chickens, 

 and of adult fowls as they get through the month. Every 

 night it is advisable to see that they are actually on the 

 perch, or on clean straw, not lying on dirty ground. Leg- 

 feather should be cared for by keeping grass-runs mown 

 short and tender. In wet weather the birds should be 

 confined. If a cockerel which promises well is backward in 

 making-up or furnishing, it generally brings him on a great 

 deal in these respects to put him with a couple of common 

 hens. 



Two or three weeks before a show, it is often well to give 

 a little special diet with a view to improve the gloss of the 

 plumage, This cannot be given continuously, since one 

 element of gloss is that the fowls be in what is called "close" 

 feather and the highest health. But if to thoroughly 

 healthy birds there be given linseed twice or thrice a week 

 for three weeks, velvety lustre will often be improved greatly. 

 The linseed is to be stewed into a thin jelly, and this jelly 

 (with seeds and all) used hot instead of water to mix the 

 meal with, taking enough for the proper friable consistency. 



We can remember when a cock and three hens were 

 shown together, and our own first exhibit was a cockerel and 

 two pullets, then known as a " pen of birds." Then the 

 cock was shown separately, and a pair of hens or pullets ; 

 now the rule is single birds. The pair or trio of hens was 

 a much better test of the real quality of a yard, and a 

 " matched pair " was worth much more than two single 



