BBEEDING.] 



POULTRY. 



[beeedino. 



have then six pages on the food of chickens, 

 succeeded by a number of separate sections, 

 with which we have here little to do, but 

 which remind us that what we have indicated 

 in this brief review, is introductory to a large 

 portion of the subject of this chapter. 



Eeturning to Columella, we find that he 

 allots twelve hens to one cock. Since his day, 

 however, polygamy, even in the poultry world, 

 has been less fashionable. In the Farmer's 

 Director, by Bradley, one cock is to be satis- 

 fied with seven or eight hens. The same num- 

 ber is recommended by other breeders, of 

 equally abstinent principles. These, however, 

 are English breeders. On the other hand, 

 Parmentier, a French writer, assigns fifteen, 

 or even twenty hens to one cock, provided he 

 be young, vigorous, and healthy, which, in our 

 humble opinion, he would need to be. Bose, 

 another French writer, says that it is only in 

 spring that a cock should have fewer than 

 twenty hens ; but as the Gallic bird may have 

 more vigour in him than the Saxon, we will 

 not stay to dispute his opinion. Our own 

 Dixon sensibly says, that the hens allowed to 

 one cock, should vary in accordance with the 

 object in view ; but it is the opinion of Mr. 

 Nolan that in order to secure a prime breed, 

 a cock two years old should not have more 

 than five hens. Breeders of game fowl for 

 combat limit the number to four, or, at most^ 

 five ; their objecfc, of course, being the produc- 

 tion of strong chickens. In winter, or in cold 

 or damp weather, Mowbray says, a cock should 

 only have four hens. 



Even from these high authorities there are 

 dissentients, who say, that if fowls are kept 

 chiefly for the sake of the eggs, for domestic 

 purposes, ten hens, or even more, may run 

 with one cock; and some of our best judges 

 affirm, that it makes no difference in the num- 

 ber of eggs produced, whether a cock is kept 

 at all or not. If, therefore, it is thought ad- 

 visable to avoid the expense of keeping a gen- 

 tleman, a few eggs for setting can be bought, 

 begged, or exchanged. In the case of the 

 cottager, the keep of one hearty fowl, to be set 

 off" against the produce of the sale of eggs at a 

 penny or twopence each, may be worth con- 

 sideration. When fowls are kept with a view 

 to rearing chickens, we think no more than 

 four hens should run with the cock. If a fine 

 84.8 ' 



healthy, well-fed bird is allowed to run with 

 four fair ladies only, the owner may fairly 

 expect every e^g to prove productive ; that is 

 to say, after the danger of the chills of the 

 early season is past. 



It is impossible to be too careful in keeping 

 choice hens from the intrusion of any male 

 bird except the one which it is wished to have 

 as sire to the chickens. "We know so little of 

 the intricate rules of good breeding, that we 

 entertain a prejudice against brood hens mixing 

 even with hens of different kinds, especially 

 with fowls of colours which would be objec- 

 tionable in their chickens. Authorities too 

 high to be doubted, affirm, that one stallion will 

 influence not only the one foal, but those which 

 the mare may have in after years. We would 

 therefore keep choice pullets away from other 

 fowls from chickenliood, and never, at any 

 season, allow them to mix with either cocks or 

 hens of a different breed. In assorting the 

 fowls, care should be taken that both cock and 

 hen have not the same fault or deficiency. 

 Too many beauties and perfections they cannot 

 have. 



" If you look to the production of eggs 

 alone," says Mr. Hichardson, "one cock — if a 

 stout, young, and lively bird — may have as 

 many as twenty-four hens. If, however, you 

 want to obtain strong and thriving chickens, 

 you must restrict them to six at most. If 

 your object be the improvement of a worn-out 

 and degenerate breed, the fewer hens you 

 allow to one cock the better ; and you should 

 not, under these circumstances, allow him 

 more than three. But whatever the breed 

 selected, or the object in view, the cock should 

 be in perfect health.'''' 



Having, we hope, got over this difficulty as 

 to the number of ladies to be assigned to the 

 Spanish gentleman in black, or any other gen- 

 tleman, however gaudy may be his colouring, 

 we trust we shall be able to pursue our subject 

 without much interruption from the diverse 

 opinions of opposite parties. 



In reference to breeding, if the object in 

 view be strength of constitution, it is a maxim 

 with many, that there is nothing like breeding 

 from two-year- old fowls on both sides ; but if 

 great weight is given to beauty and points, it 

 is doubted whether it is not better to pair a 

 one-year-old hen with an old bird. Without 



