MANAGING A TllOOP OF PLUCKING BIRDS. 69 



Four years old. — The birds have reached maturitv. 

 The breeding organs are fully developed ; the cocks in 

 season will have the back sinews of the leg pink, the 

 front of the leg and the bill scarlet, and much of the 

 fineness of the feet^ the leg^ and the lines of the body 

 will have gone. 



Five years old and upivards. — The only distinguishing 

 marks we know are a generally coarser look of the limbs 

 and body, and an increased coarseness of the scaling in 

 front of the legs and feet. 



Up to tw^elve months old the birds should be treated 

 as chicks, being herded and fed with one pound each of 

 either wheat, barley, or Kaffir corn^ shedded in wet 

 weather^ and green food cut up for them when the veldt 

 is dry. After this age they can be put in a large camp^ 

 of not less than ten acres to a bird, of ordinary South 

 African veldt, and left to shift for themselves ; but an 

 opportunity should be selected for doing this when the 

 veldt is in prime order, and even then they will be very 

 apt to take to hanging up and down the fence nearest 

 the homestead^ and will require to be partially herded 

 for a time in the camp. 



For the next two years they will require watching, 

 and, if the veldt should get dry, to be fed ; each year as 

 they get older they will get more robust, and better able 

 to stand hardship and scarcity of food. Up to three 



