Breeding. 



many cocks together, without much danger, if there 

 are no hens with them. Most varieties lay early in 

 the spring. The Elliot is the earliest 'as far as my 

 experience goes; mine laid on i6th March, 1885, in 

 deep snow. 



Laying Hens. The very first thing to be observed 

 is to disturb and worry the laying birds as little as 

 possible. If they are timid and shy, always wear the 

 same dress when you visit them; and, especially when 

 entering the avia-ries to collect eggs, do not talk loudly, 

 or allow strangers to bring in dogs or to poke at the 

 birds with sticks ; be as gentle and quiet as possible. 

 The aviaries should be kept clean, the w r ater fresh 

 and good (spring), with a little iron tonic (Douglas' 

 mixture) used in it at least once each week, and the 

 birds supplied with abundance of green food; the 

 best, by far, is lettuce, but they will eat watercress, 

 chickweed, cabbage leaves, and broccoli. Do not 

 over-feed, or the birds will produce soft eggs. The 

 bottom of the pens should be clear of large, rough 

 stones ; it is best to have sand over fine gravel. 



Supposing, now, that you have birds commencing 

 to lay, you will probably have formed some hiding- 

 place in a corner for them. I have used bushes, 

 faggots, natural shrubs, and all sorts of devices, but, 

 in spite of everything, I find the hens lay in the open 

 as often as under cover. A good shelter can be 

 formed by nailing two nin. boards on to strips of 

 wood, 36in. long, one board just meeting or over- 

 lapping the other. The boards may run the whole 



C 



