52 CENTRAL MANAGEMENT OP POULTRY. 



beyond one after breakfast, and possibly a few sips, and no more, 

 at night, will be found far the best regimen. 



The only actual evidence we have seen of any evil from 

 this course, has been when the writers have adopted it with 

 chickens a few days or more old. This is natural : such 

 changes should not be made with young things of any kind. 

 Those once accustomed to drink ad libitum can only suffer by 

 deprivation; and if any change is made, it should be very 

 gradually, and not carried to the extreme. The very worst effects 

 of all are produced by allowing young birds to drink to reple- 

 tion after prolonged thirst. But it has heen noticed that chickens 

 reared on the dry system are much less prone to this in after life. 



At the age of four months the chickens, if of the larger 

 breeds, should be grown enough for the table ; and if they 

 have been well fed, and come of good stock, they will be. For 

 home use we say let them be eaten as they are they will be 

 quite fat enough ; and fattening is a rather delicate process, 

 success in which it takes some experience to acquire. For 

 market, however, a fatted fowl is more valuable ; and the birds 

 should be penned up for a further fortnight or three weeks, 

 which ought to add one to two pounds to their weight. For 

 a limited number of chickens it will be sufficient to provide a 

 small number of simply-constructed pens. Each compartment 

 should measure about nine by eighteen inches, by about 

 eighteen inches high ; and the bottom should not consist of 

 board, but be formed of bars two inches wide placed two 

 inches apart, the top corners being rounded off. The partitions, 

 top and back, are board, as the birds should not see each other. 

 These pens ought to be placed about two inches from the 

 ground, in a darkish, but not cold or draughty place, and a 

 shallow tray be introduced underneath, filled with fresh dry 

 earth every day, to catch the droppings. This is the best and 

 least troublesome method of keeping the birds clean and in 

 good health. As fast as each occupant of a pen is withdrawn 



