76 Signs of Age. 



your own taste, pocket, and resources, as well as by the 

 suitability of the situation for the particular breed desired. 

 The advantages, disadvantages, and peculiarities of the 

 various breeds will be described under their respective 

 heads. 



In commencing poultry-keeping buy only young and 

 healthy birds. No one sign is infallible to the inexperienced. 

 In general, however, the legs of a young hen look delicate 

 and smooth, her comb and wattles are soft and fresh, and 

 her general outline, even in good condition (unless when 

 fattened for the table), rather light and graceful; whilst 

 an old one will have rather hard, horny-looking shanks ; 

 her comb and wattles look somewhat harder, drier, and 

 more " scurfy," and her figure is well filled out. But any 

 jf these signs may be deceptive, and the beginner should 

 use his own powers of observation, and try and catch the 

 " old look," which he will soon learn to know. 



All authorities agree that a cock is in his prime at two 

 years of age, though some birds show every sign of full 

 vigour when only four months old. It is agreed by nearly all 

 the greatest authorities that the ages of the cocks and hens 

 should be different; however, good birds may be bred from 

 parents of the same age, but they should not be less than a 

 year old. The strongest chickens are obtained from two- 

 year old hens by a cockerel of about a year old ; but such 

 broods contain a disproportion of cocks, and, therefore, 

 most poultry-keepers prefer to breed from well-grown 

 pullets of not less than nine months with a cock of two 

 years of age. The cock should not be related to the hens. 

 It is, therefore, not advisable to purchase him from the 

 same breeder of whom you procure the hens. Do not let 

 him be the parent of chickens from pullets that are his own 

 offspring. Breeding in-and-in causes degeneracy in fowls 

 as in all other animals. Some birds retain all their fire and 

 energy until five or even six years of age, but they are 

 beyond their prime after the third, or at the latest their 

 fourth year ; and should be replaced by younger birds of the 

 same breed, but from a different stock. 



Poultry-breeders differ with respect to the proper 



