146 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



look uncommonly fresh' and young, or a hen may be sold 

 for some vice. We knew of an uncommonly cheap purchase 

 of a fine Dorking hen, apparently worth many times her 

 price.; and it was only found after purchase that she was an 

 inveterate egg-eater, and unfit for that reason to be in any 

 breeding-yard. 



The strongest chickens -are bred from fully adult fowls in 

 their second season, j^t jt.is. difficult to get very early and 

 fertile eggs from such stock. ~ Next to this the strongest and 

 best chickens are produced from a cockerel nearly a year old 

 mated with hens twelve months older ; but, unfortunately, 

 the chickens of such parents have a large proportion of 

 cocks. Some breeders therefore prefer a two-year-old cock 

 with well-grown pullets not less than nine months in age. 

 Such a cock is, however, very often, not fertile extremely 

 early in the season, and it may be needful to depend upon 

 cockerels for early chickens. It must not be supposed that 

 good chickens are not to be expected from such birds. In 

 this case, however, it is advisable that all the fowls should be 

 early hatched ; if not, the chickens are usually backward in 

 fledging. It is the very early chickens which most need 

 strength of constitution, hence every effort should be made 

 to get the two-year-old hens laying early. To do this they 

 must be hatched early and moulted early, and if they 

 belong to sitting breeds, much can be done to influence 

 early laying by letting them sit for some weeks late in the 

 season, which gives them a rest and brings them on 

 again. 



Much also can be done to promote due vigour and 

 fertility of second-year male birds, by giving them a fair 

 portion of animal food and a little cayenne, avoiding too 

 much starchy food. Liverine is found to have a direct 

 influence upon the sexual vigour. Brood cocks should 

 often be felt upon the perch. A really gallant bird will 



