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with a strange cockerel, but do not let any other hens be in the 
same pen, as, being broody, they are rather cramped, and not able 
to cope with them, but it is better to follow nature’s laws, and the 
hen will moult sooner and do better for having had the rest of sitting; 
so put some duck eggs under, and when hatched the ducklings can 
be removed, as they do as well, if not better, reared by hand. The 
hen is then released. and does not waste as much time as if she 
reared them. 
There is not much trouble in preparing Indian game for the 
show-pen. They only require their legs and faces well scrubbed with 
soap and water, then place them on the table and well rub them 
down with a silk handkerchief, to put the bloom on. If the birds 
are well bred, no breed stands showing to such an extent, but they 
must be done well. Too much confinement causes pale legs, and 
they should be of a good orange. To get the desired hardness of 
feather, canary seed—now and then hemp and peas—are a capital 
addition, and the soft food, mixed up with stewed linseed, brings 
out the sheen. 
Do not send young birds to the show straight from the pen, but 
put them in pens of your own. Give them a little meat, to entice 
them to the front, and handle them, to get them tame. A wild bird, 
no matter how good, is useless in the show-pen. Always put your 
bird in the pink of condition in the show-pen; they will be far 
more likely to catch the judge’s eye than another bird, though having 
better points being out of condition. 
