66 



THE BANTAM FOWL. 



skin; wash them as if you wished to get every spot of dirt 

 off the skin. When satisfied that the under plumage aud skin 

 have been well cleaned by thoroughly washing every spot 

 with your fingers, then wash the surface plumage with your 

 ~ hands and plenty of soap. When satisfied that all has been 

 well washed dip the whole bird under water and with your 

 hauds wash the feathers thoroughly and free them as much 

 as possible from the soap. Then thoroughly rinse in a tub 

 or bucket of clean, warm water. When the feathers are per- 

 fectly free from all soap and dirt, then plunge the whole bird 

 into clean, cold water. When removed from this dry the 

 feathers as much as possible with cltfths or towels. Always 

 rub the proper way of the feathers. When as much water 

 as possible is worked from the feathers in this way, take the 

 fowl by the legs, allow its head to hang down and swing 

 gently so the wings will flap and plumage be loosened. 



The most important part of the operation is the proper 

 drying of the plumage. The best way to dry the plumage is 

 to place the bird in a very hot room; a room that is heated 

 with steam is the best. If the hot room is not convenient 

 place the bird in a coop close to a warm stove or open fire. 

 Great care must be used not to allow the face or comb to 

 blister before the hot fire. To properly dry the plumage the 

 fowl must be kept in a very warm place till perfectly dry. 

 The feathers must be all quite dry through and through, or 

 they will stick together and look very bad. If dried quickly 

 in a very warm room the feathei-s will web out nicely and 

 look beautiful and fresh. If poorly done they will look 

 worse than before. It is better to make the first attempt at 

 washing a fowl with one of little value. Do not experiment 

 with one of your best fowls. Learn the lesson first and then 

 work with the exhibition stock. Always put some blue in 

 the rinse water for white fowls, about as you would for 

 white clothes. 



When preparing birds for exhibition remember that fine 

 condition goes far towards their winning, and nothing helps 

 more than perfectly clean plumage, legs and feet; so in pre- 

 paring them use great care in washing any part that may 

 need cleansing, or, if necessary, the whole bird. 



In Judging Bantams, Type and Breed Characteristics Should Have 

 Preference Over Color. 



By far more quality should be demanded in Bantams 



, than seems to be the general rule throughout the country. 



Leniency seems to be the ruling passion in placing the 



awards in many sections of the country. Poor birds are 

 allowed to win oftentimes when it would be far better to 

 have passed the specimens by without notice. Whenever a 

 prize is wrongly placed it tends to mislead all who may se^ 

 the specimen, and in this way Injures the breed or variety. 

 A Bantam to win in Dakota should have equal quality with 

 those that win the same honor in Boston or New York. 

 Quality should be the same the world over, and should be 

 demanded by the judge at all times. No matter what the 

 breed may be, the rule for judging is just the same. If we 

 take the Cochin Bantam, for example, our rule should be, 

 first of all, shape, which must be true to the Cochin breed. 

 A thin, narrow, long legged specimen is not Cochin in shape, 

 and could not be regarded as a good Cochin Bantam. It must 

 have the Cochin type or it is not a Cochin Bantam. The 

 same is true of the Game, Rose Comb, or Sebright Bantam. 

 They must have the breed characteristics or they are not 

 of that breed. It is true that we cut for shape; but how 

 much will you discount a Cochin Bantam that is not Cochin 

 shape? It is not possible that it should win a prize of any 

 kind if it is properly judged. 



When you see a short, low set Game Bantam win a 

 prize, it is entirely wrong and out of place. A Bantam that 

 is shaped like a Homer Pigeon is not a true Game Bantam; 

 and no matter if it is as beatuiful in color as it is possible 

 for it to be, it is not a Game Bantam, and should not have 

 any notice in the list of awards. Shape, aJbove all things, 

 should take the lea>1 in Bantams; and whenever they lack 

 this they should not be classed with exhibition specimens. 

 A fowl that has the size and shape of a Cochin Bantam is 

 not a true Brahma Bantam, although it may have all the 

 colors and markings of a Light Brahma. It should have 

 both the shape and the colors of the Light Brahma as well 

 as Bantam size. 



In the selection of all Bantams, always remember that 

 "shape makes the breed, while color is the variety distinc- 

 tion." Both must be of the highest character to have the 

 required quality for a flrst-class exhibition Bantam. If we 

 could come within this rule with all breeds and varieties 

 whether large or small, we should have much better quality 

 all along the line. Do not imagine that good shape and 

 poor color will do, for it will not. Shape, color and size 

 must all be positively correct as per the wording of the 

 Standard to have a Bantam of any breed or variety come 

 withm the scope of a high class exhibition specimen. 



