82 THE REARING AND 



" I was told the other day of a gentleman at Highgate, who, 

 knowing that salt was beneficial to Pigeons, gave some to his 

 Hens, in consequence of which they all died. I have found a 

 little hemp-seed efficacious for making them lay, and a little 

 good ale) I give them x all that is left at table) will have that 

 effect not bread soaked in ale ; for it is a golden rule to know 

 that all moist food is injurious to Fowls, unless they are in- 

 tended shortly for the table. All cooked vegetables, except 

 potatoes, I have found bad for them/' L. J3. 



An abundant supply of lime in some form should not be 

 omitted ; either chopped bones, old mortar, or a lump of chalky 

 marl. The shell of every egg used in the house should be 

 roughly crushed and thrown down to the Hens, which will 

 greedily eat them. A green living turf, like those given to 

 larks, only larger, will be of service, both for its grass, and 

 the insects it may contain. A dusting-place, wherein to get 

 rid of vermin is indispensable. A daily hot meal of potatoes, 

 boiled as carefully as for the family table, then chopped and 

 sprinkled or mixed with pollard, will be comfortable and stim- 

 ulating. The French plan, namely bread soaked in hot vin 

 ordinaire, beer, or cider, appears from experience to be better 

 suited to fattening than to laying Fowls. After every meal of 

 the household, the bones and all other scraps should be col- 

 lected and thrown out. Hens are great pickers of bones ; I 

 have seen a Hen devouring the flesh and cleaning the skeleton 

 of her dead husband, doubtless on the native Australian prin- 

 ciple of respect and affection for the deceased. 



It is a singular fact, that pullets hatched very late in Autumn, 

 and therefore of stunted growth, will lay nearly as early as 

 those hatched in spring. The checking of their growth seems 

 to have a tendency to produce eggs; of course very tiny ones 

 at first. 



Fowls that are kept in close confinement will greatly miss 

 the opportunity of basking in the sun : warmth is almost as 



