1^2 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



attending to one brood and laying tlie 



I'oundation lor a second : and we want 



the cock also to he in two places at once 



• — that is. with the nest oT youngsters 



as well as with the hen. The only way 



to effect a coni])roniise is by ruiniing liini 



in with his hen for a short time, night 



and morning. For once a hen has gone 



to nest, and had a clutch of eggs and a 



young brood, she will continue to lay at 



regular intervals, so si^on as the broods 



can do for themselves or nearly so, if a 



nest is allowed her. This is the case 



whether the cock be with her onlv at 



intervals or permanently. i\Iany hens, in 



fact, would continue to lay at regular 



intervals right through the senson, when 



once they have started, without seeing 



the cock, but of course the eggs would 



tlien be unfertile. 



If the cock is run into the hen's cage 



night and morning as advised, her eggs 



will be fertile ; half an 

 CocKs and j^,,,,,. j.,,^,,^ ^j,,,^. ^^.j,, ^,^^_ 



Young Birds. 



or even less, and then 



he can spend tiic rest of the day with his 

 young family in another cage, attending 

 to their wants until they can ])ick up food 

 foi' thcmscl\"cs. Where a hen goes to 

 nest a second time before the young can 

 thus fend for themselves, some cocks, 

 unless so shut olT witli the youngsters, 

 though the very best of feeders while the 

 lien assists to Iced, sto]) doing so when 

 ilic hen docs, and frolic nbout willi her. 

 building the nest insfi:id of attending to 

 the hungry bniod. 



J{y this method both cages can he kepi 

 going successfully, and the hen can gisc 

 all her attention to her new nest without 

 ha\ing the care of the young brood. This, 

 of course, refci's to where a cock is running 

 with one hen only, and renianis with her 

 while she is rearing (he young. When 

 she has laid the third egg of her new 

 clnlch lie can be I'cnioved altogether, and 

 jiul in constant charge of the young birds, 

 which, by the lime the hen is irad\' lo 

 hatch hci' new brood, will be (piite able 

 to do without him altogel hi-l'. and he 

 can be allowed to return to the hen. 



This is, perhaps, the best place for a 

 few hints on the common and sometimes 



necessary plan of running 



One CocK — , , \ ±. s. \ fii 



„ „ one cock to two hens, lo 



1 wo Mens. 



do this some breeders use 

 a three-compartment breeding cage, of 

 which the end compartments are IS or 

 20 inches long, the centre one 11 inches: 

 height, the usual 1.5 or 10 inches, and 

 depth from front to back 10 or 11 inches. 

 The two wood partitions which separate 

 the comjiartments are movable, and ha\e 

 two smaller slides or ])artitious cut in 

 them at the front, just above the level of 

 the perches, which can be closed with 

 a small wooden slide or have a small wire 

 partition inserted as occasion necessitates. 

 These cages are otherwise put together as 

 was described in the chapter on cage- 

 making. 



The object of having these two small 

 partitions cut in the large ones, and fitted 

 with small wire as well as wooden partitions, 

 is, that when running a cock with two 

 hens the cock at the commencement of 

 the season can be put in the centre com- 

 ])artment, with a hen in each of the end 

 ct)ni|)artmcnts. l?y this means the cock 

 can see both hens thai he is intended to 

 I'un with through the wires on cither 

 side of him. and so get familiar with 

 both at the same time, before being ))laccd 

 with cither. Aftc'r a week or so of this 

 separation he is lei Ihroiigh to the most 

 forward hen ol' the two. The small wire 

 partition is remoxcd that separates the 

 other hen. and the wooden one inserted 

 in its ]ilaee. so that hen No. 2 is shut 

 olT entirely from the sight of the cock. 

 'I'hiis his whole attention is devoted to 

 the hen willi which he is running until 

 she has gone to iiest. 



\Mien \(i. 1 hen has laid, and com- 

 menced to sit. the cock is then run into 

 the centre comparlmenl for a day, and 

 the sinall wii-c j)artition inserted between 

 him and lieu \o. '2. so that he may again 

 l)ecome familiar with her. lie is. of coui'sc, 

 now shut olT entirely from hen \o. 1, 

 and on the following tlay is let through 

 to his new kne. 



