CHICKENS. 73 



but must here impress on my readers the necessity 

 of the flock being scattered. 



Young stock cannot thrive if crowded. Think 

 over the room you have for it, when the chick- 

 ens approach adolescence. A good plan is to 

 have a number of small houses erected in the 

 woods and shrubberies, and in each of these 

 establish a sufficient number of chickens, of one 

 sex, old enough to forage for themselves. 



These detachments being drafted off, your 

 coops will be ready for a fresh supply of young 

 broods, and so on all the year round ; in winter 

 the coops must be under shelter, and covered 

 up with matting at night-faU the chickens, 

 getting their last meal by candle-light, about 

 eight o'clock. 



Pullets continue to grow until they begin to 

 lay. I therefore advise their being kept by 

 themselves, (if a great size is desired), tUl they 

 are required to be matched in pens for exH- 



bition. 



Cockerels will not fight, if the female sex is 

 absent, and unable to incite and witness their 

 gallantry, and prowess in the lists:— 



