28 COMMON FOWLS. 



SECTION V. 

 Choice and Treatment of llr ceding Stock. 



GALLIN \cr.ors rowi.s. By a reference to the 

 TiiiUD Section, which describes the (jualiiies of each 

 variety of this upccies, a choice may he made of the 

 most Miit.ihlr to the situation or fancy of the pro- 

 posed breeder. A breeding ?tock, of the common 

 kind, is eahily procurable, either in town or country, 

 from the market* or individual! : particular and fancy 

 breeds 11111-1 either be sought in tho.se parts where 

 they arc customarily bred, or at the shops of the 

 London dealers. 



It should be a general rule to breed from vorsc 

 STOCK: a two year old cock, or staj:, and pullets in 

 their second year. Pullets in their first year, if early 

 birds, will indeed, probably, lay as many eggs as 

 ever after, but the eggs arc small, and such young 

 hens arc unsteady sitters. Hens are in their prime 

 at three years of age, and decline after five, whence 

 generally, it is not advantageous to keep them be- 

 yond that period, with the exception of those of 

 capital qualifications. Hens with a large comb, 

 or which crow like the cock, are generally 

 deemed inferior; but I have had hens with large 

 rose combs, and also crowers, which were upon an 

 equality with the rest of the stock. Yellow-legged 

 fowls are often of a tender constitution, and always 



