The Skyland Post

Chickens Should Be Laundered For Fair Display

"Send your chickens to the laundry if you expect to show them at the community, county, district or State fair," advises C. F. Parrish, poultry specialist of the State College Extension Service.

Not literally, of course, but the birds should be laundered at home if they are dirty, Parrish says. Wash the chicken with soap and water, being sure to rub with the feathers and not against them. Afterward, all soap should be thoroughly rinsed from the feathers.

The Extension specialist mentioned other items in connection with the fitting of birds for the show ring: Show birds should be selected for type and color. They should be placed in wire coops a part of each day to get them tame and 'coop wise.'

All birds should be examined carefully for defects. If they are too light in weight, a little corn meal added to the mash will help to fatten them.

Parti-colored birds should be conditioned in the shade. The adding of 5 per cent O. P. linseed oil meal to the mash will give luster to the feathers. Show birds should be placed in deep straw as a part of the fitting process.

After the laundry job is done, the shanks, comb, wattles and beak should also be cleaned and shined. A little olive oil, mineral oil, or vaseline on a cloth will serve as the cleanser and polisher.

Parrish also offered another interesting bit of advice to poultry owners. He suggested that a "lengthening of the day" will help to hold old hens in production through the fall months.

"Turn on the lights in the poultry house about 4 o'clock in the morning and thereby increase the laying day to 13 hours, and the old hens usually will respond," he said.