BREEDING AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT 37 



go to nest, and hatch about the first week in April. This 

 gives plenty of time for three nests during the season, and 

 more should never be taken. Quality, not quantity, 

 should be the breeder's motto, and three nests of strong, 

 healthy, well-reared young are better than four nests 

 of weakly, dehcate youngsters. 



A prolonged breeding season means that the energy 

 and vigour of the parent birds is used up, and that the 

 moult often intervenes to further sap their vitahty. 

 When breeding is prolonged it only means a few seasons 

 for the stamina of the stock to be broken down, and 

 then for a succession of failures to be encountered. Late 

 breeding means badly-developed youngsters and a slow, 

 unhealthy moult for both parents and the late bred 

 young birds. There is nothing to be said in favour of 

 late breeding, but much can be said against it. 



Temperament Must Be Considered. 



Very important is it that the temperament of birds 

 to be used for breeding should be considered. If it is not 

 the best results cannot be attained. Some cocks are 

 ardent, fiery, passionate. This sort sometimes fight with 

 their mates and even kill their own offspring. At times 

 so ardent and nervous are they in their love-making that 

 they woo and annoy the hen when she is sitting, and often 

 smash the eggs. Then you have the moody, melancholy, 

 phlegmatic bird that takes Uttle notice of his mate, and 

 does Uttle to help in the rearing of his family. The hens, 

 too, have varied temperaments : some are flighty 

 and impatient, they forsake their nests and young, 

 and make advances to their mates before they should, 

 often neglecting their babes in their ardent love-making ; 

 some are clumsy and awkward, and break the eggs and 

 smother their young, some are " cannibals " and bite 

 the toes of their young, also pluck their feathers, some 

 are fat and lazy and lay badly. All these things must be 

 watched for, and birds known to be abnormal in any respect 

 should not be bred with. 



Selecting the Individual Pairs. 



I have mentioned about the birds being matched upon 

 paper. It is a wise proceeding, because in the long winter 



