186 THE POULTRY-BOOK. 



Bradly, in his Farmer's Director, advises one cock to be left 

 with seven or eight hens, and hints that if a greater number be 

 allowed him, the eggs will not prove fertile. The author of 

 the Complete Farmer, and the writer of the article on poultry 

 in Rees' Encyclopedia, recommend the same number. 



M. Parmentier, a very eminent French writer, says, that one 

 cock is much more than sufficient for fifteen, or even twenty 

 hens, provided he be a young, vigorous, and healthy bird. 



Those who breed game fowl for combat, and whose object is, 

 of course, the production of strong chickens, limit the number 

 to four, or at most five. Mr. Mowbray says, that in winter, 

 or cold and damp weather, a cock should only have four hens. 

 M. Bosc (Encyclopedia Methodique) says, that in spring alone 

 should any cock have fewer than twenty hens. Mr. Dickson 

 says, that the number of hens allowed to one cock should vary 

 with the object you have in view. 



If you look for profit to the production of eggs alone, 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 him to at most five. 

 If your object be the improvement of a worn-out or degenerate 

 breed, the fewer hens you allow to one cock the better, and 

 you should not, at any rate, allow him more than three. 



SELECTION OF A GOOD COCK. 



On this subject, Mr. Dickson may be safely followed, as pre- 

 senting sound counsel, doubtless the result of faithful study, 

 and long experience. He says : 



The old writers were very particular in giving the good 

 properties of cocks, as much so as our cattle-breeders at present, 

 in similar circumstances. According to Columella, who is so 

 frequently copied without acknowledgment, " It is not good to 

 keep a cocke, if he be not stout, hot, and knavishe, and of the 



