Silver-Spangled and Penciled birds gain by their darkened quarters a clear and distinct appearance in their markings, as it makes the ground-color a beautiful white, furnishing a desirable background for the colored feathers.
There is no help for a bad comb or a white face. The best way is never to allow a bird with these defects to see the inside of a show room. Birds with a tendency to scaly legs should have them rubbed with Stoddard’s Poultry Ointment, beginning at least two weeks before the show. If breeders would only attend to this repulsive appearance of the legs in time, or whenever it makes its appearance, and treat it as above, these remarks would be unnecessary. It is an eye-sore in any bird, but particularly disgusting on the neat, slender legs of the Hamburgs.
In fitting birds for show they should have a wholesome variety of food, wheat and buckwheat being the staples. A little sunflower seed, fed at judicious intervals for the six weeks previous to the show, has a very desirable effect in giving them the gloss and finish so desirable, and which is always observed in prize birds.
When the time arrives to coop the birds and start them off for the show, great care should be taken that they are in proper trim. As each bird is cooped it should be carefully examined to see that there are no symptoms of disease, or any foul feathers in the plumage. Then take a sponge and carefully wash the comb, wattles, face and legs with a mixture of equal parts of sweet oil and alcohol, applying as little as is possible to procure the desired effect—which is, by the way, a remarkable brightening of the comb, wattles and face, giving them a rich, healthy and bright appearance, and imparting to the legs a beautiful gloss, which brings out their color with good effect.
If these instructions are carefully followed, you will hardly recognize in the smart, clean-looking bird that graces the exhibition coop, the soiled and dull appearing fowl you began fitting three weeks before. It may require a certain amount of time to attend to these details properly, but will you not feel amply repaid by beholding the prize card on your coop, and having your brother fanciers comment upon the fine condition of your birds?
HINTS TO JUDGES.
Very few of the leading and popular judges at our exhibitions are Hamburg breeders, and realizing this, it should not be difficult to imagine the chagrin and disappointment of an experienced breeder of these varieties when he stands by at a show and sees the judge award the premiums to birds with many and glaring faults, to his eyes, but which are never noticed by this oracle of the show room, who makes his figures with a business-like alacrity, strongly savoring of ignorance to the close observer, and appears thoroughly satisfied that he is “up to snuff,” when in reality he has been absurdly unjust in his awards.
There is no breed which needs so careful examination from the judge as the Hamburg, in each variety, not only on account of the many points to be considered, but because there is no breed so subject to the manipulations of unprincipled exhibitors, or where there is more lynx-eyed vigilance required from the judge to guard him against the impositions of those pests of the show room—trimmers.
The points to which a judge should devote his attention in judging Hamburgs may be divided into four divisions, namely: 1, head; 2, plumage; 3, symmetry; 4, condition. Beginning with the first of these, we find included under this topic—comb, wattles, ear-lobes and face. There is no point in which Hamburgs are subject to such extensive manipulation as in the comb, and some of the practices which have been detected are of the most cruel nature. Cases where needles and pins have been inserted lengthwise of the comb to keep it from lapping while the judge is making his rounds, have been of common occurrence, although we are pleased to note that as more good and small-sized combs are being bred yearly, this practice seems to be falling into disuse. These instruments of torture are usually inserted just before the judges examine the birds, and withdrawn by means of pinchers immediately after the awards have been made, so that they are really difficult to discover. Where these needles are left in the comb, the most intense suffering ensues, and Mr. Hewitt has drawn a most harrowing picture of the tortures the poor bird is obliged to undergo. He says: “On the second day, the comb becomes most intolerably inflamed, and I have seen a fowl in its agony bend the head down, raise its foot, as with the intention of relieving the comb by scratching it, stop the movement midway without touching the comb at all, and then tremble like an aspen-leaf.” When cases of such barbarity are detected, the exhibitor should be remorselessly drummed out of the exhibition and the fraternity. A very common fault in combs is a hollow or depression in the center; and this is usually treated by cutting a wedge-shaped piece out of the middle, and stitching the outside portions tightly till joined and healed. Stitches put in for one purpose or other are often found, and, we regret to add, are employed far oftener than found. Small irregularities in shape and points are simply shaved off. Such mutilations are quickly discerned by a practiced eye in the smooth appearance of the comb when it has been cut, but as frequently this appearance is due to a past accident, judges should not act hastily upon suspicion.
Particular attention should be paid to the “work” or fine points of the comb; the more numerous they are, the better. Hollows in the front of the comb, above the beak, are common and objectionable, and should be severely cut. Pullets should have small and well-shaped combs. We recommend cutting large combs in pullets, as they are almost certain to fall over with age.