i6o The Illustrated Book op Poultry. 



that when the judge comes round he passes them by as out of form ; but if he could see them next 

 day very hkely they would have a better fate. Get men who understand the management of 

 poultry, and all this would be saved. 



■' In the first place, on the birds arriving at the show let them have but very little water, 

 with a small lump of the best oatmeal. The birds should be rather underfed the whole of the show 

 than overdone. I often see food enough in the pen to last them the whole of the show. There is 

 nothing better for the bottom of the pens than some dry grit, with some chaff over this. Let the 

 birds be fed on meal morning and evening, with a litt/c corn in the day : this last thrown amongst 

 the chaff will give the birds amusement in looking after it, and keep them lively. The fowls require 

 different treatment at different times of year, and some buildings where shows are held are not so 

 well adapted for exhibitions as others : at such the birds require extra care and different treatment. 

 At some places you will see birds, after they have been there a day or two, scouring all through the 

 show, through the place being too long lit up with gas, and overheated : such, an experienced 

 manager would have avoided. Other places are too cold, and the birds need different treatment ; 

 so that it would not be easy to lay down rules for feeding, &c., suitable to all shows and all seasons : 

 but the pens should be icvll cleaned out every day, with a fresh supply of grit and chaff, the watei- 

 cans washed out clean, and supplied with clean water. The meat and corn should be of the htst 

 quality, and they should not be overdone with it ; and if all is not eaten directly after, let it be 

 taken away. Each pen should have a small bit of turf or a slice of mangel-wurzel put in it daily." 



We can fully subscribe to these remarks, having over and over again witnessed the evil effects 

 of the unchecked drinking here spoken of On the evening of arrival, the water-tins for single fowls 

 should be only one-quarter, and for pairs one-half full, and no more be given till the birds have 

 eaten something. The meal is almost invariably mixed " clammy ;" and as the easiest to mix 

 properly friable, we can recommend a mixture of two-thirds coarse oatmeal with one-third of 

 Indian meal. Another fault we have observed, even at first-class shows, and which needs specially 

 to be guarded against, is the giving similar rations to all the pens. We have seen at one of the 

 great shows of the year precisely similar lumps of dough dealt out ta cocks on one side of an 

 alley, and pairs of hens on the other ; the consequence being that while the cocks had more than 

 they would eat, the pullets had not nearly enough. Of the value of grit and chaff combined for 

 the bottom of a pen we have already spoken ; and the great importance of a little fresh vegetable 

 food of sof>ie kind in all shows extending over two days can hardly be exaggerated. We would 

 only add that the infusion of a little tonic bitter (such as quassia) in the water, will not only 

 tend to prevent the fowls drinking too much, but to remedy any tendency to looseness of the 

 digestive system. 



Respecting the propriety of allowing the servants of exhibitors to pen their own birds, as 

 Mr. Martin suggests, we fear there will be a great difference of opinion. When such permission has 

 been given, it has often occasioned bitter complaints, caused by the suspicion of unfairness ; but this 

 no doubt has arisen partly from the unauthorised nature of the permission. Were it distinctly 

 understood that any one would be allowed, under charge of some authorised person, to pen his 

 birds and do what he liked to them on the spot, being then conducted out of the building, and not 

 allowed to remain in it or engage in any other proceeding, we imagine few would object : but we 

 fear the trouble of the supervision needful to satisfy other parties that no unfair advantage was 

 taken would be practically a fatal objection ; and without it any such permission would be 

 flagrantly unjust, and has, in fact, led to notorious and serious evils. The engagement of really 

 competent men by committees, or the doing of the work by experienced committee-men them- 



