CHAPTER XXVIII 

 FITTING AND EXHIBITING POULTRY 



Selecting specimens for exhibition. The selection and the prep- 

 aration of poultry for exhibition are practically simultaneous proc- 

 esses. Special attention to the condition of the bird usually follows 

 its tentative selection as one of those to be exhibited, but final selec- 

 tion depends on whether the specimen will be in show condition 

 at the required time or can be kept in such condition if it reaches 

 that stage of development too early for the show at which the 

 owner wishes to exhibit it. A novice in showing poultry usually 

 begins to select and prepare his birds for exhibition a few days, or 

 at most a few weeks, before he intends to exhibit them. Almost 

 invariably he finds then many faults of condition — as lack of 

 weight, dead and broken feathers, scaly legs, etc. — which might 

 have been corrected had they been taken in time, but which now 

 make it inadvisable to show the birds. One of the most important 

 points in working up a new local show is to direct the attention of 

 prospective amateur exhibitors to this matter in time. This can 

 only be done effectively by going to their yards and looking over 

 their stock with them. 



An expert exhibitor is selecting and preparing his exhibition 

 birds from the time they are hatched. He notes certain birds as 

 suitable for exhibition as young birds, and certain others as not 

 qualified to compete as young birds but likely to be in good 

 exhibition form as old birds. As nearly all birds fade somewhat 

 with age, in cases where strength of color is a fault in the young 

 bird the natural fading with age may make the bird of the Standard 

 color in its second or third year, and so give it a great advantage over 

 birds of the same age which were of the Standard color when young. 

 Thus females of the ermine type, with so much black in the backs 

 that as pullets they would be disqualified if exhibited, often molt 

 this out and make the finest exhibition hens. Such birds, when 

 they come free from disqualifications late in life, are peculiarly 



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