34 TWENTY LESSONS ON POULTRY KEEPING 



son, fowls are usnallv judged by comparison ; that is, the 

 judges carefully comjiare the competing birds section by 

 section, and award the prizes to the best fowls. 



There are some defects which are so serious as to dis- 

 qualify a fowl and prevent it from winning a prize. There 

 is not space to list all of these disqualifications here, but the 

 following list will give some idea of the kinds of defects 

 which make a chicken unfit for exhibition. 



lu all breeds required to have unfeathered shanks, any 

 feathers or stubs or down on shanks, feet, or toes, or unmis- 

 takable indications of feathers having been plucked from 

 same. 



A wing showing clipped flights or secondaries, or both, 

 except in water fowls. 



Lopped combs, except in J\Iediterranean and Dorking 

 females ; rose combs falling over to one side or so large as 

 to obstruct the sight; combs foreign to the breed; split or 

 fish-tail com])s; side sprig on all single-comb varieties; 

 decidedly wry tails ; crooked backs ; plucked hocks ; de- 

 formed beaks; absence of spike in all rose-comb varieties, 

 except Silkies, Malays and Malay Bantams; decidedly 

 squirrel tail in isll breeds exce])t Japanese Bantams. 



In four-toed lireeds, more or less than four toes on either 

 foot. 



