478 EXHIBITING AND JUDGING 



hens, which are not to be exhibited. Under no circumstances 

 should two males be placed in the same conditioning pen. Dur- 

 ing this training period the birds should be kept free from lice, 

 and not be allowed to tear their combs, wattles, or ear lobes. 



The floors of the training coops should be covered about 

 four to six inches deep with clean straw litter. Hard grain 

 should be fed exclusively, except when the putting on of 

 flesh is desired, and then considerable corn and a wet mash 

 may be fed. If during the show the birds are to be fed on 

 some special commercial ration, it is well to accustom them 

 to it by feeding it as part of their ration for the two weeks 

 preceding the show. 



Success at the show will depend largely upon the behavior 

 of the birds in the pens. Of two birds that fully come up to the 

 standard, the one that is easy to handle, that is gentle, that does 

 not tear around the cage when the judge is inspecting, but takes a 

 characteristic pose and holds it, is sure to get the highest award. 

 These qualities in show birds are almost wholly due to training, 

 and they will often make an inferior bird come out ahead of one 

 with a higher score that lacks these traits. 



Conditioning and Selection. Opinions differ widely as to the 

 extent to which an exhibitor can rightly go in preparing his bird 

 for exhibition. Conditioning is an artificial process; therefore it 

 is hard to say where the line shall be drawn. Of course, if the 

 poultryman is going to the trouble of exhibiting, he should use 

 all legitimate means to put his birds into fine condition. Obvi- 

 ously it is perfectly proper for the poultryman to remove dead 

 or broken feathers so that new ones may grow before the show, 

 to wash birds, to clean the shanks and legs, or to cram for heavier 

 weight; in fact, to do anything which will naturally put the bird 

 in the best possible condition for exhibition. 



But some obviously improper procedures are in vogue. Illus- 

 trations are: Performing surgical operations to alter the shape 

 of the comb and wattles, removing the feathers from the shanks 

 of clean-legged breeds, trimming the feathers, dyeing the plu- 

 mage, or bleaching white plumage with bleaching powder. 



Some of the debatable questions excuse for which depends 

 largely upon the moral code of the exhibitor are the removal 

 of defective feathers in soft plumage and the removal of stubs. 



Birds selected for possible exhibition must be free from any 

 blemish, and in shape of body, color, and pattern must conform 



