63 



GHAPTEE IX. 



EXHIBITING. 



I HEN the amateur thinks he has a bird or birds good enough 

 to make a creditable appearance at a show, he should take 

 care that the show where he enters them is one where a 

 competent judge is officiating. The birds will probably require no 

 preparation, if on a good run, until the day before the show, when 

 the legs, feet, beak and face should be washed ; the legs and feet 

 well scrubbed clean with soap and water, a piece of flannel with 

 " just a suspicion of vaseline " or olive oil, rubbed over and wiped 

 off again with a clean handkerchief. The face may be just touched 

 with vinegar and a little oil, and wiped clean, which will brighten 

 the red, and the bird put into a well lined hamper with plenty of 

 straw at the bottom, and dispatched by a train that will take them 

 to the show as quickly as possible. 



In bad weather they sometimes require shutting in a clean room 

 or shed with clean straw for them to scratch in for a few days 

 previous to the show. Oatmeal, and Indian corn boiled together to 

 a jelly, with a little linseed, a feed of split peas at night, and grit, 

 green food and clean water with a little sulphate of iron in it, will 

 keep them in good condition and spirit. On returning from the 

 show a feed of soft food should be given, after which they can be 

 returned to their usual runs. It is allowable to remove the feathers 

 standing up on each side of the cock's comb ; further than that no 

 trimming is permissible. 



