112 POULTRY BREEDING IN 



do not agree with poultry ; therefore, were it not for some 

 novelties I observed in the rearing, to which I shall allude 

 presently, I might well have said that their system is no 

 better than our own ; in fact, they show an utter disregard 

 of all sanitary considerations ; and without wishing to 

 particularize any establishment, whether public or private, 

 I may state that even the best conducted left room for 

 great improvement in this respect. In some parts of 

 France, where poultry breeding is carried on as a trade, 

 they seldom allow a hen to lead the chickens after being 

 hatched, as the hen is more valuable for laying eggs ; but 

 they intrust this office either to capons or turkeys, who 

 are said to be far better protectors to the chickens than a 

 hen : they require, however, a certain amount of schooling 

 preparatory to being intrusted with their charge, and 

 which consists in this : When a turkey has been hatching 

 for some months, and shows a disposition to leave off, a 

 glassful of wine is given her in the evening, and a num- 

 ber of chickens are substituted for the eggs ; on waking 

 in the morning, she kindly takes to them, and leads them 

 about, strutting amidst a troop of seventy to one hundred 

 chickens with the dignity of a drum-major. When, how- 

 ever, a troop leader is required that has not been hatching, 

 such as a capon or a turkey, then it is usual -to pluck 

 some of their feathers from the breasts, and to give them 

 a glass of wine, and, whilst in a state of inebriation, to 

 place some chickens under them : on getting sober the 

 next morning, they feel that some sudden change has 

 come over them ; and as the denuded part is kept warm 

 by the chickens, they take also kindly to them. 



Another important matter in rearing poultry is their 



