BOOK THE SEVENTH. 



ON THE BREEDING, REARING, AND MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY. 



CHAPTER I. 



DOMESTIC FOWLS. 



SINCE the days when the noted author of this work first made it 

 the expression of his knowledge and his ideals, a great change has 

 taken place in respect to Domestic Fowls. The habits and means of the 

 people have been much modified, and a new factor has entered into our 

 life which was then practically unknown. It is true that cock-fighting 

 has been suppressed, but the breeders of game-cocks for this, as Youatt 

 termed it, " abominable species of gambling," have been replaced a 

 hundred times over by the modern fancier, who, even if his interest is 

 not directly connected with farming, annually produces a large amount 

 of nutritious food. With the fancier as such we have nothing to do, 

 but this much must be said for him, that during the dark days of neglect 

 of poultry by agriculturists he preserved many breeds, and introduced 

 others, which are amongst our most valuable fowls to-day. Happily 

 these days seem to be fast passing away, and an amount of attention 

 is being given to the production of eggs and poultry, such as would 

 have been undreamt of a few years ago. Still, the words written early 

 last century apply equally to-day, though the development of inter- 

 communication throughout the country has placed all parts more on an 

 equality than in olden times, and we find the poultry-keepers of Devon- 

 shire supplying eggs to the tables of residents in the Midlands, and the 

 peasantry of County Mayo sending vast quantities to Lancashire and 

 Scotland. 



But we must look chiefly to the farmer on a small scale, as it is he 

 who can easily and advantageously occupy himself in this pursuit ; whilst 

 the cottager may frequently contrive to add not a little to his savings, or 

 his comforts, by the rearing of chickens, or the production of eggs. In 

 the neighbourhood of large towns, where the sale is ready and ex- 

 tensive, the rearing and fattening of poultry for the market should 

 become a regular business, and be as scientifically conducted as any 

 portion of the employment of a grazier. For poultry, if properly 



