WATER FOR CHICKENS. 59 



only be disappointment and loss. It may, however, be as 

 well to state that there is no place so bad as a greenhouse, 

 which almost always causes cramp, the great difficulty in 

 early chicken-rearing. Some loose dry material under foot 

 in the shed, and free run out, are what they require, and 

 with these requirements there will probably be little trouble 

 in any domestic operations. This subject of cramp will be 

 more fully dealt with in Chapter IV. 



There is a further important question as to what should 

 be allowed chickens in the way of drink. The usual plan 

 has been to let them have water by them ad libitum, the 

 fresher and cooler the better; and we have shared this 

 general practice with others. There have, however, always 

 been exceptions to ' this rule amongst country rearers, 

 especially some who have inherited traditions of Game-fowl 

 rearing ; and during the last few years there have been on 

 several occasions lengthy discussions in the poultry papers 

 as to whether it is not better, for about the first four weeks, 

 to withhold water altogether, where the chickens are fed 

 chiefly on soft food, except so far as fluid may be contained 

 in the latter. 



A careful and exhaustive analysis of all that we have 

 been able to meet with on both sides of this question has 

 led us to the conclusion that the preponderance of ex- 

 perience is upon the side of withholding water. It is to be 

 remarked that by far the greater part of what has been 

 said on this side consists of actual evidence as to extremely 

 good results from this mode of treatment, and in many 

 cases of very great improvement in results after its adop- 

 tion. On the other side, a very large proportion of what 

 has been said against it consisted of mere declamation 

 against the supposed " cruelty." It need hardly be pointed 

 out that there can be no real " cruelty " in any course of 

 treatment which rears more chickens, if the fact be so. 



