Rearing:, 1 05 



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meat, and they from natural instinct follow- 

 ed the noise readily and eagerly. Th-:y 

 were soon taught to drink also, but with 

 some difficulty to prevent them in their 

 eagerness, from wetting their feet and plu- 

 mage. It should be here observ^ed, that 

 we had set three hens on the same day we 

 commenced the process by artificial heat, 

 and one of these producing a small number 

 of chicks we contrived to deceive, and make 

 her foster-mother to a part of those artifi- 

 cially hatched ; and acting the same part 

 with the other two, we had few more than 

 twenty to bring up by hand. 



Here commenced the grand difficulty. 

 The nurse chickens soon became weary of 

 their basket, feeling their natural desire of 

 almost perpetual action, and the want of 

 a mother to lead and brood them. A ca- 

 pon is best calculated for this business, as 

 from size being capable of covering such 

 a number : but much discipline is required 

 to bring the capon to this habit. I have 

 never made trial of the capon for this em- 

 ploy, but am assm-ed, that the discipline 



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