484 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



often recommended of sprinkling them daily under all circumstances. I hatch a great number 

 every year, and only sprinkle the eggs in very dry hot weather; yet my average hatching is very 

 good indeed. 



" The chickens will not require food for the first twenty-four hours after hatching, but then 

 should have custard made of eggs and milk, with a few bread-crumbs added. After three 

 days give also a little canary-seed. After the fourteenth day give also the ordinary meal-dough 

 made of equal parts of oatmeal and barley-meal, or ' fine sharps,' sometimes known as ' thirds.' 

 The meal should be mixed into a crumbling consistency with good milk, and only sufficient made 

 at once for half a day's feeding. A little at a time, frequently given, is the best rule for feeding 

 chickens. The custard and canary-seed should be continued daily until the chicks are five weeks 

 old ; afterwards wheat may be substituted for canary-seed, and the meal-dough should be continued 

 as usual. The hen may, with advantage in most cases, be confined under a coop until the chicks 

 are six weeks old, to prevent her rambling too far, and so losing her brood. The chickens should 

 be able easily to pass in qnd out of the croop between the front bars, and should have constant 

 access to grass, fresh earth, and fresh water. 



" When the chickens are three months old, it is a good plan to remove the cockerels from the 

 pullets, keeping each sex separately. This prevents a good deal of fighting, and preserves the 

 pullets' feathers from being spoiled by breaking, &c. Cockerels should not be dubbed until they 

 have acquired full feather, which is usually at six or seven months old. To perform this operation 

 properly, a steady hand and sharp, short-bladed scissors are necessary. An assistant should hold 

 the bird firmly with its legs tied. The operator, having at hand a sponge and cold water, should 

 commence by cutting off each ear-lobe, leaving no loose skin ; then cut off the wattles, each one 

 separately, and being careful not to remove the skin of the face between the ear-lobes and the 

 wattles, nor to cut away the skin from the tliroat between the wattles. This is often done, but is 

 quite unnecessary, and indeed a decided disadvantage, as it often spoils the bird's hackle by bringing 

 it too forward, and the bird takes double the time to get ready for showing. Next and last, cut off 

 the comb close to the head from back to front, By now sponging the bird's head any little bits 

 left on may be seen and removed, and nothing more is required than to touch the scars with fresh 

 lard the day following the cutting. 



" When the hens' ear-lobes are white, it is usual to cut them off if the birds are intended for 

 exhibition ; but it is far better to breed them with small, perfectly red ear-lobes, and this may be 

 done by care in selecting the brood stock, and for puUet-breeding using only birds with small, 

 fine, straight combs, and smooth, red ear-lobes. These remarks apply equally to the brood cock 

 and the hens. 



" I will now describe the proper selection of brood stock very carefully in detail, for the 

 production of exhibition birds. 



"To breed Black-breasted Red cocks, choose a Black-breasted Red cock about two years 

 old, having all the points you require in the cockerels, particularly long head, neck, and legs, short 

 body and wings, broad chest, fine tail, perfect colour, hard feather. Also two hens of the same 

 age, of the Red Wheaten colour. In shape and hardness of feather these are generally superior to 

 the Partridge-feathered hens. Look especially for fine long heads and necks, clear full eyes, sound 

 feet, good feather, broad shoulders and chests, fine sterns, hard wiry tails, well carried back. 



" For Black-breasted Red pullets, select a cock about two years old, one shade darker in 

 colour than the bird used for cock breeding, and slightly striped with black in the hackles ; perfect 

 in shape and style. If possible, choose one that has not been dubbed, and see that you have in him 

 a very small, straight, erect comb, finely serrated, also very small and perfectly red ear-lobes. If 



