Show Preparation
By Nathan Quayle
With show season underway I am going to show step by step how we prepare our Pekins for a show. Everyone has their own way of doing this, this is just how I do it. Before beginning I get everything out and ready that we need. I always try to wash my Pekins at least a week before so they have time to preen themselves and get the oils back into their feathers.
Equipment Required:
- Cages on the grass for holding and drying
- 3 buckets (1st for woolwash, 2nd for rinse, 3rd final rinse with glycerine)
- Woolwash
- Glycerine
- Towels
- Hairdryer
- Scissors
- Jojoba Oil
1. Choose the Pekin we want and put her in a cage on the grass until we need her
2. Get the laundry ready with 3 buckets of lukewarm water prepared as above
3. Wash the Pekin in the woolwash making sure to thoroughly clean around the vent and the feet feathers. Rinse in the second bucket getting rid of soapy water, then rinse again in the third bucket with glycerine in it.
4. Towel dry the wet Pekin carefully, trying to get rid of all the dripping water.
5. Put the towel dried Pekin into the cage outside on the grass (out of the wind)
6. I let them dry for about half an hour and then I finish drying them with the hairdryer. Once dry I then trim the toe nails and eyebrows and file the beak if it needs it. Finally, I put the Jojoba oil on her face.
So when I enter around 20 Pekins in a show it takes me a long time to prepare. Pekins take a long time to prepare due to the amount of feather they have, including their feet, but it is all worth it in the end.