64 Cooping the Brood. 



will herself soon teach the little ones how to drink. If 

 your chicks be very weakly, you may cram them with 

 crumbs of good white bread, steeped in milk or wine, but 

 at the same time recollect that their little craws are not 

 capable of holding more than the bulk of a pea ; so rather 

 under than over feed them. 



As soon as the hen leaves the nest, she should have as 

 much grain as she can eat, and a good supply of pure, 

 clean water. In winter, or settled wet weather, she should, 

 if possible, be kept on her nest for a day, and, when 

 removed, be cooped in a warm, dry shed or outhouse ; 

 but in summer, if the weather be fine, and the chickens 

 well upon their legs, they may be at once cooped out in 

 the sun, on dry gravel, or if possible on a nice grass-plot, 

 with food and water within her reach. The hen is cooped 

 to prevent her from wearying the brood by leading them 

 about until they are over-tired, besides being exposed to 

 danger from cats, hawks, and vermin, tumbling into ditche , 

 or getting wet in the high grass. They can pass in and 

 out between the bars of the coop, and will come when she 

 calls, or they wish to shelter under her wings. It is a 

 good plan to place the coop for the first day out upon 

 some dry sand, so that the hen can cleanse herself com- 

 fortably. The common basket coop should only be used 

 in fine weather, and some straw, kept down by a tone, 

 matting, or other covering, should be placed on the t p, to 

 shelter them from the midday sun ; otherwise a wooden 

 coop should be used, open in front only, about two and 

 a half or three feet square ; well-made of stout, sound 

 boards, with a gabled roof covered with felt ; and at night 

 a thick canvas or matting should be hung over the front, 

 sufficient space being left for proper ventilation, but ot to 

 admit cold draught, or to allow the chicks to get out. 

 Mr. Wright describes an excellent coop which is "very 

 common in some parts of France, and consists of two 

 compartments, separated by a partition of bars, one om- 

 partment being closed in front, the other fronted with bars 

 like the partition. Each set of bars should ha/e a sli ling 

 one to serve as a door, and the whole coop should be t'ght 



