50 COCKER S MANUAL. 



Give him drink and exercise and it will soon go off. Reducing the 

 weight of the cock depends entirely on the size and order when they 

 are put up. Large, fat cocks should lose from ten to sixteen ounces, 

 a* cock in medium order should lose from six to ten ounces^ smaller ones 

 in proportion. Lean cocks will lose one or two ounces but will nearly 

 gain it in feeding, and every cock when fought should be rather in 

 the rise in weight.- If the weather is warm they should be trimmed 

 the day before the iight, but must be kept warm that night. Be care- 

 ful and not cut their wings and tail too short. 



Care should be taken to keep the cocks clean; shift the straw at: 

 least once in two davs in their coops. Every evening, three days be- 

 fore the fight, wash the head, legs and feet in chamber lye, and in 

 the morning in water not too cold, and wipe dry ; this will heal the 

 bruises about their heads and the cracks in their toes. 



Stags ought to be put the ninth day before they are to fight, and 

 ought to have but one sparring afid one purge. They are to be treat- 

 ed in other respects as an old cock. 



Sulphur water is made by a pint of boiling water on half an ounce 

 of sulphur and pouring off as it cools. 



The scalded barley is prepared by pouring on scalding water and 

 not letting it stand more than ten minutes, then pour it off and spread 

 the barley on a table to dry. The water that is poured off serves for 

 their drink, which ought to be made fresh every morning. It is best 

 weak, a slight taste of the barley being sufficient ; otherwise it is rath- 

 er heating. In mixing milk and water for their drink, observe not to 

 put more than one-fourth skimmed milk to three-fourths spring water; 

 a greater proportion of milk is not so cooling. The different sorts of 

 bread for feed, sush as oat, barley or corn-meal, must be heated and 

 ought to be baked the day before they are used. They are made in 

 the following manner : take equal measure of the white of eggs and 

 milk, beat well together, then add as much meal as will make up for 

 bread, which must be well worked up and baked, care being used to 

 prevent the crust from burning. In no instance must sour milk be 

 used, for it will cause them to purge, which is very hurtful. Whea 

 raw beef is recommended, if it should be found to purge discontinue 

 its use. 



