CHAPTER III 



PREPARING FOR THE BREEDING SEASON 



We will suppose that the breeding stock, 10 hens and 2 cocks, has 

 arrived and that the pen is ready to receive them. They should be shipped 

 with the primaries, the long feathers of one wing, clipped and if the person 

 ordering has neglected to specify this in giving his order, he should attend to 

 it before releasing the birds. For the beginner it is better that two attend 

 to this operation. Firmly secure both feet and wings, holding the latter 

 against the bird's body, before drawing the creature from the crate. Hold 

 the bird with his head toward you. Have your assistant ready with the 

 scissors. He should grasp the wing to be clipped firmly near the base as you 

 release it. Only the five or six longest feathers need be clipped and care 

 should be taken not to cut them off too closely. Do not in any circum- 

 stances squeeze your bird. The clipping keeps birds from injuring them- 

 selves by flying against the sides and top of the pen and makes capture 

 easier in the event any escape. Birds renew their flight feathers after 

 the summer moult and they are wing-clipped in March and September if 

 kept in open pens. Pinioning, cutting off the last joint of one wing and 

 thus removing permanently the ten primary wing feathers, is sometimes 

 practiced, but rarely by experienced breeders, who pretty generally decry 

 it, as it renders the bird practically defenseless for the rest of its life. 



RELEASING SHIPPED BIRDS. It is good practice to release birds 

 as soon as possible after they are received, daylight being preferred. Hav- 

 ing first provided scratch food, (mixed grain obtainable at any poultry 

 supply house) charcoal, grit, water, dusting facilities and cover of ever- 

 greens or brush, place the shipping crate within the pen and provide an 

 opening barely sufficient for the exit of the birds. Then, retire and keep 

 away from the pen as much as possible, allowing your birds to accustom 

 themselves to their new surroundings. 



The best practice is to keep cocks and hens separate until the laying 

 season arrives, and this is essential where large numbers of birds are being 

 reared. 



WINTER FEEDING. Bed your pen fairly deeply with leaves or 

 straw in one corner. Feed wheat, corn or any regular scratch food grain 

 mixture. R. D. Eaton, Norwich, New York, sells a scratch food of good 

 quality at prices considerably lower than those asked by most city dealers. 

 His brand is called "Climax." The greater variety of feed employed the 

 better. Throw feed on straw and leaves, thus making the birds work for 

 it. Two light grain feeds a day, morning and night are sufficient, many 



