SELECTION OF STOCK AND PAIRING. 189 



age of twenty years. At three years old, a cock begins to lose 

 the sprightly gait and bright color which distinguished him at 

 two. The length of his feathers increases, and his hackles 

 become of too loose a texture, and dangle over his throat. He 

 then becomes lazy, languid, and inactive, and is fonder of 

 sunning himself, and of pulverizing in the dust, than of attend- 

 ing to the hens. 



As soon as the marks of declining vigor are perceived, the 

 cock must be displaced, to make way for a successor, which 

 should be chosen among the finest and bravest of the super- 

 numerary young cocks, that ought to be reared for this special 

 purpose. In making a choice between two cocks, which 

 appear equally fine and vigorous, try them by making them 

 fight together, and select the conqueror ; for, as M. Parmentier 

 well remarks, hens, like other females, always prefer the male 

 who shows most courage and spirit. 



The change of cocks is of much importance, and is frequently 

 very troublesome to manage ; for peace does not last long 

 between them when they hold a divided dominion in the 

 poultry-yard, since they are all actuated by a restless, jealous, 

 hasty, fiery, ardent disposition, and hence their quarrels 

 become no less frequent than sanguinary. A battle soon suc- 

 ceeds to provocation or affront. The two opponents face each 

 other, their feathers bristling up, their necks stretched out, 

 their heads low, and their beaks ready for the onslaught. 

 They observe each other in silence, with fixed and sparkling 

 eyes. On the least motion of either, they stand stiffly up, and 

 rush furiously forward, dashing at each other with beak and 

 spur in repeated sallies, till the more powerful or the more 

 adroit has grievously torn the comb and wattles of his adver- 

 sary, has thrown him down by the heavy stroke of his wings, 

 or has stabbed him with his spurs. 



This pugnacious character arises wholly from the jealous 



