100 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
capsule, containing 4 grains of cayenne pepper daily ; two daily for the next fortnight, three daily for the next 
month, four daily the following month. After this the dose may safely be increased to six capsules per day. 
Sunflower oil is also an excellent colour-feed, given in the same manner ; and great improvements will be 
noticeable in the appearance of the birds if linseed, rape-seed, poppy-seed, cotton-seed, saffron, marigold, or 
beetroot well boiled, is mixed with the soft food three times per week, in the proportion of a teaspoonful to 
each bird's feed. For Bantams half the quantity will be sufficient. One or other of the various items 
mentioned are used by nearly all of our successful Exhibitors, and it is positively astonishing what a marked 
difference may be brought about by a judicious and systematic method of feeding for colour aud glossiness of 
plumage, even after the birds have passed through the moult, tliongh the correct time to feed for ric/niess of 
colour is just as the bird is entering the moult, continuing until the whole of the plumage is fully developed. 
DuRBiNG Game Fowls and Game Bantams. 
The cockerels of the major portion of the Game and Game Bantam race require to be dubbed, or, in 
other words, their combs, wattles, and ear-lobes removed. Much has been written about the barbarity of the 
practice ; and the Poultry Club of Great Britain, at time of writing, have the question under serious 
consideration.* With the Indian Game or Indian Game Bantam, or even the Australian Game cockerels, 
this operation could no doubt be dispensed with. As a rule, the combs and wattles of those varieties rarely 
grow large enough to become cumbrous; and, moreover, the combs being of triple or pea conformation, are a 
decided ornament to the bird. Dubbing is considered by other than Game Fanciers as an extremely difficult, 
delicate operation to perform, and also a cruel one. With those persons we d^ not agree. We have dubbed 
many hundreds in our time. A'^crcr 011 one single orcasioii did one succumh ; and, almost without exception, 
the bird, after being performed upon, ivonid imnicdiatelv pick food up greedilv, at the same time never 
exhibiting syniptonis of pain. When unskilfully dubbed there is naturally more suffering caused, but this is 
grossly exaggerated, which, no doubt, has led to a crusade against the practice, and from the present outlook 
the dubbing of Game cockerels will shortly be tabooed. We would regret this step being taken, as the 
difference in the appearance between a dubbed and an undubbed specimen is decidedly in favour of the 
former. Again, in defence of the practice we would mention the exceeding pugnacity of all Ciame cockereLs, 
and especially the hereditary tendency to fight anything and everything which the cocks posse.ss during the 
breeding season, a trait udiich no breeder has vet been able to eradicate, and the merest novice can well 
understand how much greater are the sufferings of an undubbed bird during and after a battle than that of 
one whose comb and wattles have been removed. To dub a bird properly the operator must possess a steady 
hand and unflinching nerve, also a pair of sma'I, sharp scissors. Those with curved blades are best ; these 
are made specially for the purpose. A basin of cold water and a sponge at hand are also necessary. The 
bird should first have his legs tied together at the shanks with a piece of stout tape, then wrapping up the 
whole body in a bag or towel, leaving the head and legs exposed. The bird's legs should be placed between 
the legs of the operator, the latter placing one leg across the other ; this secures the bird, and prevents him 
from struggling. The operator then places the fingers of the left hand under the bird's throat, the thumb 
being pressed against the back of the head, then with one sharp cut removing the ear-lobe, with another cut 
removing the wattle, following this up with the removal of the ear-lobe and wattle on the other side, then 
turning the bird's head towards him, inserting the thumb between the beak, the fingers at the back of the 
head, cutting off the comb from front to back ; two little snips (one on each side of the nostrils), then the 
face and head well sponged with cold water, will complete the operation. The following day the application 
of a little lard or vaseline to the wounds will assist them to heal quickly, and it will be found that in about 
ten days to a fortnight the scabs will have fallen off. A still further application of vaseline at this stage will 
be beneficial, and in a few weeks at most the skin will have regained its natural hue. Cockerels should not 
* At a Committee Meeting held by the English Poultry Club on October 8th. 1897, the resolution was carried (with two dissentients)—" Tnat after 
December 31st, 1898, no bird be eligible to compete for Poultry Club (Eng.) Special if it be dubbed, oc otherwise mutilated " Now that the decision 
:\rrived at by the English Poultry Club on the anti-dubbing question is likely to be upheld, we would suggest that they should proceed further, anc| 
issue an edict against Caponising, thelatter, to our mind, being a far more cruel and barbarous custom than Dubbing. 
