1208 Live Stock——Poultry-—Fowls—Modes of fattening of

‘month is a good feafon for the purpofe; as-the weather will be getting warm about

the time they are hatched. The period of fitting is ufually about twenty-one days.

In fetting the bens, the eggs fhould always be fuch as are new-laid and perfe&tly freth, and the number fhould not exceed a dozen. While fitting, the hens fhould conftantly have a fufficiency of food near them, in order that they need not be taken from their nefis too great a length of time. In the time of hatching, fome advife the removing the firft brought out chickens; but it is probably a better practice to let them remain, to be fupported by the natural warmth of the hen until the whole brood is out. At this time fome recommend their being put under a coop with the hen; but where the poultry-yards are well inclofed they may be fuffered to follow the mother. Where there are more broods than one, the coops thould not be placed too near each other, left the hens fhould defiroy each others" chickens. It is beft to feed the chickens firft with fteeped rice or fplit grits with boiled potatoes bruifed; but afterwards the refufe wheat or barley may be given them with propriety, after having been boiled or f{teeped fome time in water.

The proportions in which thefe forts of food are confumed by young chickens vary according to their fize; but in general it may be reckoned from:one to two ounces per day, while they are in the early part of their growth, as from halfa pound to two and a half pounds weight or more. In about ten or twelve wecks chickens imoftly become pretty fully grown. It is neccflary to prevent young chickens as much as poffible from picking up flugs, fnails, and other fimilar animals from the ground, and alfoto keep them as free as poffible from the wet, as by thefe means they are extremely liable to become difeafed.

Various directions have been given for the fattening of poultry; but the beft prac- tice is probably that of confining them for a few days in dry well-ventilated places, which are covered fo as in fome meafure to prevent the entrance of too much light, the fowls being previoufly kept in good condition in the poultry-yards. In thefe fituations they fhould be regularly fed three or four times in the courfe of the day with well-ftcamed potatoes, which are probably the cheapeft fort of food; as near Liverpool, in Mr. Wakefield’s practice, which is upon an extenfive feale, it has been attended with the moft complete fuccefs, the poultry thriving perfectly well. Buck-wheat is likewife an ufeful and cheap food for this purpofe, cither given whole or ground into flour. Barley-meal, ground malt, and alfo coarfe wheat-flour, when mixed up with milk, or, what is better, water, as milk runs guickly into a fiate of acidity, have been much recommended in this intention. From fome