POULTRY EXHIBITIONS 543 



In pens the birds are judged collectively, a disqualification on one 

 bird throwing the whole pen out of competition. It is required that 

 the females match as closely as possible. The four females are 

 usually considered as representing half the value of the pen. A 

 bad practice, common in small shows, is to consider the best male 

 and the four best females of an exhibitor his " exhibition pen " 

 and award prizes on these, the pen being selected from the scores 

 after judging, and existing as a pen only on the score card. This 

 practice entirely loses sight of the object of giving prizes for pens 

 of matched birds, which is to put a high premium on uniformity 

 and stimulate breeders to work for it at every point. 



In general, competition in pens has been between birds of any 

 age. Wherever this is the case, it tends to exclude old cocks from 

 pen competitions, because a well-developed cockerel can, as a rule, 

 win over a superior cock by virtue of better condition. Many of 

 the finest old hens are also excluded for the same reason. The 

 tendency of the competition of birds of all ages in the same class in 

 pens is to bring into the exhibition-pen classes the most matured 

 young birds and those adults which show least signs of age, such 

 a combination having an advantage, in condition and uniformity of 

 appearance, over better birds either more or less mature in appear- 

 ance. On this account some shows are now making separate pen 

 classes for old and young birds. Another feature at some shows 

 is special classes for pens mated for breeding in varieties in which 

 special matings are used. While custom decrees that fowls shall 

 be shown only singly or in pens, it would be good policy in many 

 small shows to provide classes for specially mated pairs or trios as 

 well as of specially mated pens, or instead of the pens if the ex- 

 hibitor also has birds in the open and regular pen classes. The 

 stock and judgment of the exhibitor are shown and the principle 

 of mating illustrated as well with one female as with four. 



Arrangement of classes in the showroom. The order of the 

 arrangement of classes usually follows the order of descriptions in 

 the Standard, or places the classes systematically according to type. 

 The latter is the practice at New York and Boston, and at a num- 

 ber of the leading shows. The Standard arrangement is more gen- 

 erally used, not because it is better but because it is natural for 

 inexperienced managers to adopt that order of arrangement, and 



