¶ The Order of Columella for the hennehouse. Cap. 1.

FYrst it shall bee good to make and pre­pare you a henhouse to saue and keepe your poultrye in, and so to set it if ye can at the east end of your house, made close, & to closed beneth with stone, or other wayes [...]ade strong, that no vermyne may breake [...] to them by night: made wyth perch and neastes within for them to lay and sitte in when breeding time shall bee: or at other times to laye in, and to place your hennes aboue from your other poultry, and your Duckes and Geese beneath, each by them selues, that they may not fight one with another, for they will not so well loue the house, but laye and sitte in corners, and [...]edges and out places abroad, and there­by they are often kilde.

Againe ye shal make the like nestes be­neath for your duckes and geese, as aboue for your hennes, and your duckes placed [Page]by themselfe, and your Geese themselue [...] and to see that your henhouse bee close [...] thed round about aboue, for feare of Kn [...] ­ues by night, and other daungers, and [...] that ye make places for them all abou [...] the sides of the henhouse to sit, and to lay in, with separations eche by himselfe, all ye shall vse to feede them before the he [...] house doore morninges and eueninges whiche will cause the yong poullets th [...] better to loue the hennehouse, and to v [...] them so nightlye, will cause them and th [...] olde hennes to seeke no other place to [...] or rooste in. Thus much of Colu­mella for the henne­house.

¶ Stephanus Opinion. Cap. 2.

Our Henne house ought to be built on the orient or east part of your house, by [...]me smoke house or kitchin, that y^t smoke (whiche is very good for poultry) may [...]me vnto them. And your henne house [...] be made of one length and one roome of [...]eyght, turning towardes the oryent or [...]ast part of the house, and ye shall make o­ther in the side or end, one narrow entring [...]or them to laye, & come to roost at night, [...]e shall also make a pertitiō aboue for the [...]ennes to sitte, with perches thereon, no [...] [...]ette very hye from that floure, & placed [...]ne perche a foote from another, and also halfe a foote one perch aboue another, and set so wide as they may be vii foote square within the perches, and on the middest ye shall make two entryes, one on the right side, & another on the left side, which shall be good to goe and come to the other two [...]houses. This entres shall be made at the endes ioyning to the walles, whiche is to be made eache against other in comming into the house, against which wall shalbe made such moderate fire, in such sort their entring be not let, and also looke that the [Page]smoke do not annoy y^e other house of your fowle, the roome for your hennes to sit & lay in, must be sette vii. foote high, and to bee made as large as halfe the height or more.

Also ye shall make in eache separation, a small window against the east fide of your house, that the poultry maye see daye to come forth amornings into y^e court to feed, and lykewise ye must haue a care to shut the dore of their entring when they bee come in to rooste at night, to be the more assured of them, and to leaue those wyn­dowes open, which are made with lathes, so made that no vermine may come in to deuoure thē by night, for they must haue some cleare light to see the better when they go to roost, and those persons that do keepe them, ought to see specially to those that do sitte, and ready to hatche, or haue new hached, for else there will be soone some losse of them. Your Separations within, ought to be made close and strong: that one do not trouble another of them that do sitte, or hatche their young. Some do take it to be a very good waye to sticke poles before in dyuers places of your hen house walles, and thereon to hang panny­ers [Page]or baskets for your hennes to laye & breed in. Also ye must put in each nest a nest egge, which will cause the hennes to laye therin the sooner: & ye must so place your perches acrosse, that your hennes may come and flye easily vnto their nests from tyme to tyme, and ye muste alwayes see that your henhouse be kept cleane: for when it lyeth foule, it will cause the poul­ [...]ry to forsake the house, & to seeke abroad some other cleaner place to roost in: for it it not good for them to roost where muche of their dung is, because it will cleaue vn­to their feete, whiche will cause them to haue the goute in their feet, for this cause they cutte theyr perches square for them [...] roost on, for if they be round they can­ [...]ot so well sit thereon. These perches be­ing made square, they make two holes in [...]he walles of each side of the henne house, and puts the perches therein, so that they [...]e not in height from the floure two foot, and the one to bee set as farre from the o­ther, so that the poultrye shall not stryue one with the other for theyr places: and after this s [...]rte is the best waye to make a [...]heune house for your poultry to rooste in. [Page]Also ye shall make some place in theyre corte, to haue alwaies redy water for thē, when they haue sedde. It is not good to haue water for them but in one place, to drinke in, and that the water be kept al­waies cleane: for if the water be foule and salt, it wil make thē haue the rye or rume, and it will increase also the pippe on their tungs. Therefore ye must not keepe them from water, whiche water would be sette in vessels after this manner. Some pre­pare troughes of leade to put their water & meat in: but it is most certain, those that are made of wood or burnt earth, are most wholesome and best for them, the whiche vessels (for water) ought to bee couered aboue, the one halfe of the vessell whereas the water is, & therein to haue holes halfe a foote asunder, wherein the poultry may put their heads & drinke when they haue eaten: for if ye couer not their water, they will sone marre it with theyr feet. Some do make vessels with holes in the couer a­boue, whiche waye is not so good: for the poultry when they are aboue theron, they will dung into it, whiche will defile and marre theyr water. And see that no lathes [Page]or holes be broken, and that theyr perches be straight and euen set for them to sit on. Also in some places assoone as the poultry is gone forth in y^e morning, they do clense the henhouse once or twyse aweeke, and puts theire dung aparte for to helpe the garden, and also medowes, & theyr pennes [...] nests must be often refreshed with cleane strawe, and the henne house windowes or dore ought to bee shut vppe assoone as the sunne is downe, and opened againe in the morning with the rising of the sun. Their troughes also in winter twise a day to be [...]lensed, & thrise a day in sommer, so that alwayes theire water maye be freshe and [...]leane. It shall be good also to caste some [...]esh straw often beside the Dunghill, and also before the henhouse, whereas the pul­lets do vse to scrape, and to mixe it with some sand, ashes, or duste: to giue them a pleasure to scrape & to baske them in the sunne, which they will doo to clense their fethers: and looke ye cast farre from your bouse your pomes of fruite or wyne when as ye streyne them, for the eating thereof doth coole your hennes, & do let them from laying. Also let there be no bright yron [Page]set vp in the henhouse: for the brightnesse thereof will make them to gaze thereat, & so feare them, that they will go nye to for­sake the house: ye must see also to auoyde the danger of Owles, Cats, Foxes, We­sils, and Polecats, with such lyke, which will nightly deuoure all that they maye come by: and likewyse on the daye, wyth Buzardes, and Puttockes, Kites, Pyes & Crowes, whiche often destroyeth theire egges abroad, and also in their henhouses, if places therin be open: they will also de­uoure yong Chickens, Duclings, & Gos­linges vnder theire dammes, or if theire dammes be not nigh them, or for lacke of good tendaunce. Also whereas the henne oft times wil depart from hir chickens (& sodaine loseth one) as to fly on walles, or pales, or such like: ye shal therfore clippe the endes of her great fethers of one of her wings, and not once to suffer them to en­ter into your garden, for if they catche once your Garden when they are yong, & by long custome being there brought vp, they will commonly after loue the same place where they are so brought vp in, & by that meanes ye shall haue your Gar­den [Page]spilt, & it will hinder them from lay­ing: as for the Cockes and Capons, it is thought good not to shortē or clippe their wings: therefore yee must vse to binde or sette thornes, or, lay bushes of thorne on your walles, toppes of pales, or lowe hed­ges: or else with lath nailde to the toppes of your pale postes, and then put thorow your laths pacthred, brest high of a Cock, from the toppes of your pales, & that will let thē from comming in: for the pacthred will hit them on the brestes, when they would light on the toppe of the pale, and so it will put them downe againe. And see also to other of your poultry, if they vse to fly or mount on walles or houses, to cutte their wings for feare of loosing of them, and to vse for their meate and drinke as is fore mentioned.

¶ Signes in a good Cocke Cap. 3.

STephanus Saith, the signes in a good Cocke are these: his body large & deepe withall, well and right irested, his combe iagged and redde, his eyes round, & great [Page]gray or whitishe, his byll crooked wyth some red and yellow or after an azure co­lour, his beard or chekes, of the colour of roses drawing towardes a white and red, his necke fethers faire and long of a gol­den colour somwhat changing, his legges blacke and well stalled, great and shorte, his clawes short & strong, his hinder claw wrincled and sharpe, his taile fayre and straight, great and heauy. Also Columel­la sayth, it is not good to keepe a cocke, if he be not stout, hot, and knauishe, and to be of the same coloure as the hennes are, in hauing as many clawes.

But in his body to be more hier raised, his combe to be hye and red as blood, and straight withall, his eyes blacke, or azure colour, his beke short and crooked, with a gray crest shyning like red on white, and all his fethers from the head to the brest, to be of a changeable colour varying like gold or yellow, his brest large and bigge, his muskels on his wings bigge like ones armes, with long wings, his taile faire & long with two rankes of crooked rising fethers, and to be oft crowing, is a signe of a lusty corage, the red colour is thought [Page]to be the best Cocke, his legges short and [...]tong, his thyes greate and thicke, and well couered with feathers, and armed well with long spurs rough and poynted, [...] it is not meete for fighting cocks to be without fayre spores, notwithstanding if [...]y doe foewe fayre, strayghte of body, light, fyerce, eager in battayle, vigilante, [...]dye, and often trowing, and not easily [...]rde: These are the signes of a good [...]ck, for oft times he must resist to defend [...] hennes, and to kill Serpentes which [...]ll bragge agaynste him, or other vene­ [...]us beastes, and for these Cockes to [...]e but fiue hennes shal be best, for these Cockes which are so hardie to fight with [...]er Cockes which treade their hennes, they are hore of nature and so lasciuious, [...]hough they cannot treade themselues [...] more, yet they will not suffer other [...]ckes to serue their hennes, now for to [...]ke that heate of iealousie, ye shall slitte [...]o peeces of thicke leather, and then put [...]em on his legges, and those wil hang o­ [...]er his fecte which will correct the vehe­ [...]ēt heat of his iealonzy, which is in him. Thus much here for your Cock.

¶ The signes and properties of a good Henne. Cap. 4.

THe signes of a good Henne are these to be of a tawnye colour, or of a russet which are counted the cheefest coloures and those hennes nexte, which hath y^e pen [...] of their winges blackishe, not all blacke but parte: as for the graye & white hens are nothing so profitable, the Henne with a tufte of feathers on her head is reason [...] ­ble good, and the low featherde henne al­so: their heads not to be great, and the [...] tayles oughte to bee in a meane, and he brest large, her body deepe and long, f [...] the greatest hennes of body are not the a [...] test hennes to lay, nor yet for that purpo [...] so naturall, or if a henne haue v. clawes as the Cocke, they are then more apte t [...] be troden, and taketh leaste: as for tho [...] hennes which hath hinder clawes, the will commonly breake their egges in sit­ting thereon, and they sit not so surely a [...] others, and will oft times eate their egs [...] also those y^t are very fat, or hath the flux [...] of the bellye, they lay the egge then with oute a shell: as for your yong hennes a [...] [Page]first they knowe not how to couer nor go­ [...]erne their yong chickens, wherefore it were better to fat thē or put thē, to some other purpose for your profit. As for those hennes whiche doe call or crowe lyke the corke, or doth creke and scrape, to help the same, ye shall pluck of the greatest fethers of [...]er wyngs, & giue her of millet wheat to [...]kte, and also of barley, and barley past [...]in sinale inorsels, & crummes of bread tem [...]pred in water with some barly meale, [...] ye shall keepe her in a close place for a [...]. Ye shall also plucke the fethers of [...] head, thies and brest, and to eate those [...] in February is the best: & for hens [...] fatte, for they will not lay so well, wherefore yee shall put chalke into their [...]ter, and mixe also their meat therwith, [...] at will make them more leane: or tem­ [...] their meat with the pouder of bricke, [...] it will do the like. If any henne haue [...] fluxe of the belly, ye shall giue her for [...] first meate, the whites of egges hard [...]ed, and beaten with two parts of boyld [...]sons: and for those hennes which vse to [...]ake, & is in a rage with heat, They will [...]mmonly hide their eggs, and eate them. [Page]Therefore ye must vse to plaister an egge shell with plaister, or paste vppon pappe, & anoynte it all ouer with the yelke of ano­ther egge, and if she do breake it and find nothing within, so she wil at length leaue that vse. Or lay in y^e nest a peece of chalke like an egge, and it will serue as well for that purpose, and ye shall neuer leaue but a nest egge in the nest after she haue layd, also when a yong hen do begin to clocke, then she would sit, if yee will not haue he [...] fit, put a small pen thorow her nostrils, for yong hennes are more meeter to laye then to sit, and the elder hennes are better for to sit and bring vp yong chickens then to laye. Some do vse when they would haue a hen to sit, they rub her all vnder the bel­ly wyth strong nettles, & some Farmers wiues are so presise, which do wette their bellies in the cold water, to quench they heate, and some do vse to make them faste from meat foure daies, & shuts them vp i [...] a penne. But then if ye will they shall no [...] sitte, ye must within two dayes after tha [...] she is once coold of her heate, and haue so fasted, then put her in the morning vnto the cocke to make her forget her sitting, [Page] [...]d so she will begin againe to lay. And if [...] will haue a Capon to leade your chyc­ [...]ns, it is best for to take a great fethered [...]pon, and rubbe his belly with nettels as ye do the henne, and if the capon be yong, hee will the better giue hymselfe to loue the chickens the sooner, and he will brood and gouerne them as well as the henne: when you take your capon for that pur­p [...]se, ye must take him towarde nyght, for then it shal be best, & put the chickens vn­ [...] him, if he will not then couer them, net­ [...]e his belly well againe with sharpe net­ [...]s, and so keepe him in the coope or pen, the space of two or three dayes: or so long vntill ye see him haue a loue vnto the chic­kens.

¶ When to set your hennes. Cap. 5.

[...]E shall sette your hens in the increase of the Moone from the tenth day to the [...]teenth is best, so that they may hatch in the increase of the next new Moone. The day in sieting that doe giue life and forme vnto the chickens are xxi, and of Peacoks, [Page]Geese, and Duckes, & other water fowle, are nine dayes more. Therefore when ye set your egges with other, ye muste gyue their egges to the henne ten dayes before her owne egges, and then giue her foure egges of hers, or fyue, not aboue, and let them be of the fayrest and greatest egges ye can haue, for little egges will bring small chickens. Also if the henne be negli­gent to turne her egges, & do not sit close or euen on them, it were good sometymes (when she is gone abroad) gently to turne them, & there be some women that thinke it long whē the hen doth sit, not to let her abide the end of her hatching, but within fourteene days that she haue sit, she takes forth al the egs one after another, & lokes them in the sunne beames, and if she can­not see no blody streks within, she throws those egges away, and takes others. And likewise after the xxi. daye, if she see they remayne vnclosed, she takes & rayses the henne from the neste, but the good sitting hen will no more returne to sit after that she is so raysed and touched.

Yee may chose your egges in the sunne­betwixt your hands, & put them vnder the [Page] [...]en again, & those egges which ye doubt are not good, and will not hatche in due time thorow the hardnes of the shell, yee shall bathe them in a vessell of wood, with luke warme water about the xxviii. daye, and those that doe swim aboue, caste them away, and put the other vnder her again, [...]t ye must not constrayne the hen to rise from her neste: when yee do this, also ye [...]aye do great good & saue some chickens when ye heare them begin to piepe in the shell, and cannot come foorth by hardnesse thereof. Then must ye helpe the hen and break the toppe of the shell or picke it soft­ly with your finger, although it be the na­turall office of the henne to do it: ye must fulbreak it that the head of the chicke may come foorth, so shall ye vse all those that haue hard shels, to helpe the henne in the [...]e of hatching.

¶ The time best to set your yong hens. Cap. 6.

IF ye wyll haue your yong hens & pul­ [...] lets to sit, it shall be best to set them in [...]e Second yeare of their laying: vntyll [Page]the third and fourth yeere: also yee maye fette many hennes at one time together, & it shall be good afore ye set your heune, to lay vnder eache neste a peece of some yron: for as they say, it is good against thunder to preserue the chickens: and also good a­gainst the breding of the pyppe, or increa­sing of a monstrous nature in the egges, or to lay of bay leaues about the nests, is good against the thunder, or to put therin the heads of Garlicke, or of grening wede as some say is good agaynst the pyppe: or increasing of monstrous fruite in the egs, ye may haue of xx eggs, xxi chickens: for some egge will haue two yeolkes, & those will bring two chickens.

They do vse also to set the hen in the be­ginning of the Moone, from the seconde daye to the fourteenth, (as sayth Floren­tine) & Columella sayth, it is good set­ting hens frō the tenth vnto the fifteenth, to the end the hennes may hatche and vn­close in the increase of the next new mone, for there is no more necessarye hatching daies for the hen to bring forth chickens, but xxi. and for other water fowle xxviii. vaies: also when the henne is gone of her [Page]nest, ye shall come and searche the bottom of hir nestes & stirre the straw a little, that nothing bee growen or fallen therein to wet and rusty the nest: some do vse to per­fume the neastes with Brimstone, before they set the egges vnder the hen, for they say, it will keepe the egges from ill in the sitting, as often it chaunceth some chicke will be dead in the shell. Ye shall also set hir with marked egges, to see when she hath turned them, ye must chose to set the most fairest and newest egges of hir owne if ye can possibly haue them, and they vse commonly to set their hennes all the som­mer, from the seuenth of February vnto the xxii. of September. As for other times it auaileth little or nothing, much like the first setting, because the time then is com­monly cold as a part of winter, & in No­uember, December, & Ianuary nothing auaileth to sit: In February they vse to set a hen with xv. egges, in March with xix. and in Aprill with xxi. for the moste greatest number to sette is not to be recei­ued aboue xxiii. egges, & from the second of October they vse to set no more, nor they ought not to set no more, if they haue [Page]not Duens to set their Egges in, as they haue at Malte and at Beauceron, & those Chickens and Pullets are verye euill to bring vp in Winter, and so likewise the common opinyon of them is, that from mid Iune the Chickens profite but smal­lie, because they do not grow nor increase in the heate of Sommer, but very little, if ye will not be to curious (as some be) in giuing your henne other egges to sitte on as well as her owne, as the Goose Egge, Pecocke, Turquie and Ducke, if ye sette these with hirs, ye shall putte them to the henne seuen or nyne dayes before hir own egges: and the common order to set egs in number is od, as to set seuen, nyne, ele­uen and thirteene, &c. whiche is to make them lye rounde in the neast, and to haue the odde egge in the middest: if ye sette Fezante egges with your Henne egges, ye neede not doubte to sette them altoge­ther, for they aske all one time to hatche and vnclofe, then if ye will haue them to be Females, take the roundest wrincled egges and also to haue them all males take the long rough egges, as they saye they will be males, also some doe chuse [Page]the egge wich the hollow croune in the side of the coppe for the Females, and also the croune in the toppe vnder the shell for the males: agayne some doe saye to haue males, sette your henne on the masculyne day in the forenoone, as on Tewesdayes and Thursedayes, Saturdaye and Sun­daye: and for the females, set your henne in the afternoone on the Feminine dayes as munday and Fryday, and some doe ob­serue this ceremonie in setting a henne, which is, not to put one Eg after another into the neast with her hande, but layes them fyrst in a wooden platter, thē gently puts them altogether in the neast, and yee must take heede that the Coeke or other hennes doe not sitte in hir neast when she is risen, for the Cocke with his spores wil breake the egges, and the other hennes in sitting therin, wil make her forsake her neaste, ye shall therefore sette meate and water by her twise a day, that shee maye haue no occasion to rise & seeke her meate, and her egges to coole in the meane tyme, for if a Henne haue greate hunger, and tarrye long in seeking her meate, some hennes will hardlye returne agayne, if [Page]that shee bee not of a franke and a free na­ture.

Of Chickens newly hatched. Cap. 7.

THe Chickens whiche are newlye hat­ched shoulde be put into a siue and per­fumed a little with rosemary, whiche is good to saue thē from the pippe: ye must not of two dayes giue them any meate, if one hatche before an other, but keepe them vnder a henne that hath but few, till the rest be vnclosed, and yet the henne hir self will keepe them tender ynough vnder her winges without hurting, the firste and se­conde daye being past, ye shall take them oute and crum them some tender breade, or otemele soked in milke, or sodde wheat, Curdes, or barlye meale, mixte and soked in Wine and water, with a fewe Leeke blades hacked small and then a little boi­led.

This order will saue them from the ca­tarre, the rye, and the pippe, and from the seconde day to the sixte day, ye shall keepe them with the henne in the house. Then [Page]at the ende of sixe dayes, ye maye let them goe abroade with the damme, and then giue them of the foresayde meate, and if ye haue many other sitting at the same time, if they doe hatche, put them vnto a more elder Chickins, and to feede them with the other, or ye m [...]y putte them to a Capon, and vse them as is aforesayde, and then lette the youg hennes be put agayne to the Cocke, but giue not a henne aboue xxv. chickens for to feede, for they cannot be all well couered, also ye must see to the henne that keepes them, that she bee not hote and defirous of the cocke, for then as often as she couers them, she will hurte them and scrat them, in putting them ofte in a heat, nor she wil not labour nor scrape for their meate, nor yet take regard of the place, that y^• yong may follow hir, where­fore it were better (being so hote) not to let her departe the courte, or to put her in some penne, or tye her by the legge with some string the space of one moneth or sixe weekes, vntill they bee more stronger to guide and helpe themselues with some o­ther.

Also there is a cur iositie of those persons [Page]which will hatche chickens withoute the henne, which thing may be done, but it is not so sure nor so commodyous, whiche is: they set the egges an ende in an Ouen, al­wayes of a temperate heate, vpon henne dongue, and they lay bagges of feathers vnder and aboue, and tournes them often. Then on the eyghteenth daye they doe hathe them in luke warme water, and on the one and twentith daye, they helpe to breake the shelles, and so takes them forth, and doth nourish them as other chic­kens.

Agayne they may do this another way whiche is, they marke the daye as they set them in the ouen, (as they doe another henne) and then they take so many egges as they thinke good to set, and settes them an ende in the ouen, on bagges of sifted henne dongue, in compassing them round therewith, like a neaste, and then they make a bedde of henne dongue, and layes it ouer the bagges, on the which bed they set their egges an ende, as before is decla­red, and then they couer them with other henne dongue, and layes bagges thereon agayne, so that there doe no other thing [Page]touche them, then after the fourth and fift daye they turne the Egges gently once a daye, and sets them so that one Egge doe not knock another, and at the fifteenth day the chickins will beginne to picke in the shels, then ye muste helpe them forth, and breake the toppes of the shelles, and sette them vnto another Henne that hath but a fewe chickens, and these chickens are in all thinges of theire owne proper na­ture.

¶ How to keepe egges long. Cap. 8.

THe houswife that woulde profite by keeping and selling of egges, she must (as some saye) keepe them in a warme place in Winter, as in strawe and suche lyke, well couered therein, and in the spring towarde sommer, in freshe branne, or meale according to the auncient coun­sell, which vnder correction I beleeue the contrary, for the straw is fresh and warme and the branue or meale is hote, it follow­eth then that egges kepte hote, will not endure nor last good so long as those that [Page]are kepte colde, as those whiche are kepte in drie salte, or to sleke them in salie wa­ter it doth deminish, but ye shall not doubt those egges, to take any euill caste there­by, a sweete selld is also good for to keepe them in both in winter and also in Som­mer.

Againe, Columella sayth, the manuer to keepe egges long tyme, is, in the win­ter in straw, and in sommer in branne or meale, some doe put them fyrst fiue or sixe houres in fine beaten fault, and then they wash them and lay them in straw or bran, and some keepes them among beanes, and others keepe them in beane meale, and some doe lette them remayne in vnbeaten faulte, and other some doe soke them in brine or salte water, but like as chese doe keepe them from rotting, yet therby they will diminishe and waste, and they wil not be so full of meate as those whiche are newly layde: wherefore the best is, if they trouble you, to sell them, because those which are put in brine, cannot so long be kepte full, but will waste: hennes, duckes and others will laye without the Cocke, but will not be yong.

Egges to gather and keepe. Cap. 9.

THese kinde of poultrie hennes are ac­customed to lay egges all the yere but specially in the spring they doe commonly begin (in could countreys) to laye firste in Iaunarie, about the fifteenth daye, but if ye feede and nourishe them well, they wil lay souer, wherfore it shalbe good in brin­ging them forwarde to giue them barlye halfe sodde, for that will make them hote, and to lay more sooner and more oftner, and also greater Egges then others, but ye shall mixe with this Barlye, of Millet Wheate sodde which will also heate, and encrease more courage in the hennes, and also to giue them of the other meate afore­sayde, which oughte to be giuen to the go­ers abrode, and to giue to eache henne 4. ounces of Barly, mixt with millet wheat: if so be you haue not fetches, giue them of the Wheate calde myl.

Ye shall see also to so many as doe laye abrode, to haue from time to time of clean straw in their neastes, and often chaunged [Page]with fresh straw, for a laying henne doeth like that well, for it will keepe them from fleas and other like vermine, which often they bring with them when they come to their neastes to laye: ye shall marke also those hens when they lay, although moste hens doe giue a warning when they haue layde, in, cackling, and yet some Hennes wil hold their peace when they haue laid, and some hennes wil (whē they haue laid) but clock, wherefore ye must looke and vi­stte their Neastes when they haue layde, and then gather their egges together, and all those hannes that haue layde that daye, for those egges are best to bee putte vnder a henne that clocks, as for the other egges ye may sell: the cheefest egges to hatche are those whiche are newest layde, and yet ye may sette other egs also which are older layd, so they be not aboue tenne dayes olde.

¶ Egges to haue all Winter. Cap. 10.

HEnnes commonly begins to laye be­twixt Februarie and marche, & then [Page]yong hennes lay a yere and halfe wel, and at the two yeres ende they are then better then at the first, and then must ye see that they be well fedde, as sometime with good Ores mixte with Fenicreeke, to make them more hoter, and if ye will then haue them to laye greate egges, your Hennes must not be to fatte, for commonly pullets and fatte hennes will laye small Egges, pullets because they are but yong, and olde hennes because they are so fat, there­fore ye must mixe their meate with chalke & put of beaten bricke into their troughes with some wine and water mixte, and so let them haue it daylye for a space, or to giue them of Barlye halfe sodde and mixt with tares, or the grayne calde millet. Wheate. Hennes doe commonlye seace laying about the third of Nouember, whē the colde beginnes to come, and then fee­ding on blackbriers, elder, & other fruite, but for being troubled, ye might choose of the fairest hennes for to lay egges all the Winter, as well as at other times, which order is, ye must nourish them with tosted bread, and then soked ale or small Wine, mixte with some water: Some doe take [Page]of Water and milke, and sokes the tostes therein, from the euening to the morning and so giues it them on the morrowe to their breakefast, and at night they giue them some otes, or barlye, and for y^e tyme ye must not let them be troden of the cock, and after the firste laying also, lette them be kepte from the Cocke, and so they will long continue good, and when your hens are past three yeres it shall be best to sell or to eate them, for after those yeres they will hardly lay but waxe barren, therefore it shall be good to change them for youger hennes if ye can: & againe, some do marke the places of those hennes which are giuē to lay mute, or make no noyse, those hens must not bee lette go abrode to seeke their neastes (for else ye shall haue small profite of them) but only to bath them in the sun, when the day is faire, and thē to fee them had in againe. If a henne be troden of a crow, as some be, she either dieth or waxeth barren, or prospe­reth not af­ter.

¶ Chickens of a later broode. Cap. 11.

THose Chickens that come of a later brood, some good huswiues doth hold opynion, that they will be better layers, then those y^t come in the spring, the other saith they are best for that purpose, if they may bee norished and well fed in the first wynter, but yet by your leaue, they wilbe more tender in cold times, then the other that are bred in the spring: because they are all winter brought vppe in the house, wherefore they are calde house chickens: but those hennes that brings vppe their chickens abroad, and neuer comes in the house all sommer, are the best, and they will bee muche fayrer and harder to lyue then the other brought vp in the house: & also more profitable if she can keepe them from spoyling till they be great.

How to feed Chickens from the damme. Cap. 12.

TO feed & nourishe Chickens from the damme, ye must vse to giue them meat [Page]thrise a day, in the morning, noone, and at night, and also to giue fresh water, and al­waies sette by their meate, so shall yee alwaies keepe them fayre and from the pippe: for when they haue eaten any meat they will desire to drinke therevnto, and if they haue not alwayes freshe water by them, they will seeke & drinke of the next puddle and foule water they find, and that will soone breed in them the pippe, by the which it causeth a mortall poysō in them, and it will make them droope, and hang their wings, & at length dye thereof. And yee must clense out all the tares and dar­nell, from the barley and other meate ye giue them, and so feed them with the fore­saide meate till they waxe more stronger: ye must also perfume them with penneri­all, and rosemary, and to perfume your o­ther poultrie, ye shall take Isope, Linseed or flaxe, and burne it, and hold the heads of your poultrie with their mouths open, ouer the said fume, & this will pre­serue them also from the pippe.

¶ The pippe, and the cause, to helpe also. Cap. 13.

AL Poultrie are subiect to the pyppe on the tongue, which will grow on the end thereof like a thin scale, and it will let them to feed. One occasion there is when they lacke drinke, or else when they haue dronke trobled or filthy water, or haue eaten of filthy and stinking meate out of the chanell, donghill, or other dur­tye place, whereas lyes the garbage of some filthy fleshe, or such like, or any e­uyll sauoure will breed the pippe. There­fore if ye fume your poultrie sometimes with Sauine, Bayes, Rosemarye, or Gynnsper, it wyll saue them from the pippe.

Also they saye the pippe will be a hard scale on the tip of their tongues & to helpe the same, (some takes it of with his naile) and some do steepe a cloue of Garlicke in oile oliue, wherwith they chafe & rub his bill, & they do make thē to eate of staues­aker among their meat, also Dioscorides saith, the beries & leaues of Priuet to bee [Page]giuen them, will preserue both Cockes and capons from the pippe: againe, some doe vse to giue them Garlike cut in pee­ces with butter, and giuen them when the pippe is take of, & then with your mouth to spurt a little Ale, Wine, or Beare into their mouthes: Againe, other some doe raise the pippe softely with their nayle, or the point of a Knife, & so takes it off gent­ly, and wash it then with ale or beare, and so let him go, or to rubbe it with salte and Vinigere, or laye thereto of beaten Gar­lic whiche is counted good agaynste the pippe: agayne others doe keepe the pippe whē it is taken off, & giues it him to drink with ale or beare, and they saye it will helpe, wherof they haue a prouerbe which sayth, if he eate not the pippe, the pip will eate him: and also to saue them from the piype, some doe put into their throtes the blades of Garlick stieped in warme oyle, and doe sprinckle their billes with mens brine warme, and then holdes them close together along time after, so that by the bitternesse of the vrine, makes thē to caste the pippe, and fleame at their nose. Wilde grapes mixte with other meate, is good [Page]for them or beaten and stampte and so gi­uen to drinke with water. These are good remedies for poultrie that are sieldome sicke, if fleame haue already take their eyes, they will not then eate, then must ye slit their iawes to cause y^e matter to come forth that is gathered vnder their eyes, then rubbe it with a little beaton salt and parcelie, this greefe breedes commonlye when they abyde much colde, weate and hunger, or in sommer when they drinke of a standing puddle, or foule water, as is be­fore sayde: agayne, Chickins when they waxe olde, are subiect to haue the Rie in their heade and eyes, catarres, rumes, and distillations, at their nostrils: thorowe the colde and numnesse of their feete, and to drinke the water of yse, or frosen water, or too much colde taken thorow the faulte of the henhouse, being to open in the night or sitting abrode on Trees, or vnder the eaues of houses when it raynes, and suche extreame colde, causes them to be more founded in their feete, which in some poul­trie breedes the goute, specially in tender byrdes, as yong Turquies and suche, and also the goute may come by the drinking [Page]of ice water, all these doe breede the like diseases aforesaide, whereby many dyes thereof.

¶ To helpe the Catarre or rewme in poultrie. Cap. 14.

THey teache to put a penne crosse tho­row their nostrils, and then they doe bathe them with luke warme water, and some tyme they do warme their feete, spe­cially of such as are yet yong and tender: and some doe vse to lappe them in woollen clothes, wool, and in feathers, & so keepes them in a vessel by the fyre side, or in some warme ouen, or such like place, then if the Catarre doe still continue on the eyes and towardes the beake, ye must then gentlye cut it, and launce the impostume, and put that matter forth that is conieiled ther­in and so put thereon a little beaten salt.

¶ How many hens to a Cock. Cap. 15.

COlumella sayth xii. hennes shall bee sufficient for one good cock which will cause them the rather to be of one coloure, and yet sayth he, our auncestors did vse to giue but fiue hennes to one cocke, whiche caused thē rather to be of diuers coloures some white, some gray, some reddish, and some taunye, some blacke, and some of a speckled colour, whiche are not thoughte to be so good as the red & graye speckled: and to haue hens all of one colour is best, and the hennes all of one colour (saue the white) are counted the best laiers. Again, Stephanus saith that twelue hens to one good Cock is sufficient, and yet (sayth he) our auncetours did giue but fiue Hens to a Cocke, whiche being so fewe (as some iudge) it did cause thē to be neyther white nor gray, but part reddish tawnye, and blacke, which are (among the rest) not counted the beste Hennes to lay or breede.

¶ Of Hennes that hatches abroad, as in bushes. Cap. 16.

HEnnes that sit abroad or other poul­trye, yee shall take hir and blindfilde hir softly in the euening, & take vp all hir egs, with so much of the nest as ye can, & then set her where ye shall seeme good, & lay therein hir egs as they were before, and then set the henne softly thereon, and decke the nest with greene boughes like the place she came from, and so shut hyr in all that night, on the next daye giue hyr meate and water: but let hir not forth the space of three dayes, but giue her meate and water in the place, & so she will sone forget the other place. Thus ye may haue hir & hir chickens in more safty then to let hir sit abroad: ye must not rashly set all sort of hens, but first learne & knowe their natures, for some will sit wel, & sone forget hir chickens: others wil bring vp & nourish chickens better then sit, & some in sitting will breake their egs as aforesaide which are better to sel thē sit: also assoone as a henne haue ended her fyrste laye, shee [Page]will then couet to sitte, wherein you must haue reason, and see that ye sette her with no more egs then she maye well couer, the number of egges that ye ought to sette a henne, may not be aboue twentie & three, and they ought to be all of one sorte, as of one henne, and yet not always of one hens laying, for ye must giue thē according to the time in Ianuarie they giue vnto a hen xv. egges, in March xix. and in Aprill xxi. and so all the sommer vnto the fyrste daye of October xxi. and after that time no more, for if ye breede Chickins in the cold winter they are like to dye.

¶ Cause of Fluxe in poultrie. Cap. 17.

ALso the flux of the bellye in Poultry which thing doth make them weake it commeth oft times to poultry by eating of moyste meate, or else they haue eaten of some laxatiue hearbes, or if their hen­house haue bene left open all nighte, or ta­ken some colde sitting vpon trees abrode, or in open places a nights, or else by ea­ting of some fruite, these and such like wil cause them to haue the fluxe, whiche doth [Page]much weaken them, whereby they will not lay so soone nor desire the Cock.

¶ Remedies against the fluxe. Cap. 18,

THe Remedies are these, ye shall take and make powder of the huskes of A­cornes, then mixe it with barlye meale, & with redde wine, so make a paste thereof and giue it them, or cast it vnto them cut in smale pieces, or giue vnto them the whites of egges hard rosted, & then beatē with two partes of the curnels of great reysons beate to fine powder, and so made in paste as the other and cast vnto them. Another, they make paste of beaten barly, with chalk, & mixt with the water where­in Poungarnets or Quinces haue heene sod in, and so do ye giue it vnto them.

¶ Against stopping of the belly in Poultrie. Cap. 19.

YF your Poultrie be stopt in the vent & closed vp, specially oft times in young chickens. They do take and open the vent with a strawe or such like, and then clippe awaye all the fethers about the vent or [Page]tuell, and also on the insides of both their thies, to the end their dung thereby bee not holden or kept long, which oft times is the cause of the stopping of the tuell, or vent, and for the stopping of the greater poultrie, they vse to put a quantitie of ho­ny among their water, & also their meate, and that will helpe them againe.

¶ Against lice and vermine in Poultrie. Cap. 20.

WHereas lyce, fleas, hoggelice, sowe wormes & suche like, do trouble and hurt poultry, so that they cannot quietly feede nor rest a nights, whereby they will wexe poore, whiche increaseth when they cannot bathe in dust, Sand, or ashes, they get them also in scraping abroad among foule strawe, or on dunghils, or gotten when they fit in nests not made cleane, or in the henhouse by their dung lying long there, which corruptes their vodyes, and breedes lice and fleas, the remedy, ye shall take y^e pouder of pepper mixt with warme water, and therewith bathe them, or take fine pouder of stauesaker, and mixe it with [Page]lye, and so washe them therewith, or to bathe them in sope water, whiche is good to kill lyce, or the fine pouder of pryuer, mixte with viniger, and so washe them therewith, againe some doe washe them with Wyne wherein Commen is sodde, and Stauesaker, or with the Water that wilde fetches or tares hath bene sodde in, all these are good to kill lice and Fleas in poultrie.

¶ Of Vermine that bytes and stinges poultrie. Cap. 21.

YE muste also from tyme to tyme looke vnto your poultrie for stinging or by­ting with venemous worms, by haunting their houses, and breeding in the dongue or olde walles, as spyders, Eftes, snakes, shroue mice which is venemous of nature and house mice or fielde mice, whiche will trouble poultrie, or Todes which will co­uet to sit on warme egges: also agaynste byting, ye shal annoint the venomed place with oyle of Scorpyon, or put thereon of Methridate, also giue them a little Tria­cle with ale or beare, moreouer agaynste [Page]Vermine that deuoures poultrie and egs in the henhouse in the night, the auncy­ents did counsell to strew and set poses of rew in the open holes or dore, and like­wise they councell to cast of Bryne all a­bout on the walles and sides of the henne-house, the dores and windows, and to em­broy or annoynt the walles, and the dores and windowes of the henhouse, with the gall of a Cat, dog, or Foxe.

¶ Of sitting hennes that rise in weat and raynie dayes. Cap. 22.

WHen as your hennes do sit, after they haue sate a day or two, yea three days or more somtimes, not rising to eate, then hungar will constrayne them to rise, and when they go abroade to seeke their meat and water, if the day be then weat, ye shal not suffer thē to go abrode and weat their feete, for when as they returne vnto their neaste, and touch their warme egges with their weat feete, the egges thereby maye soone chill, and thereby come to small proofe, therefore in weat tymes and ray­nie [Page]dayes let not your hennes that fit goe abrode to seeke their meate, but set meate and water by them, so long as it is weate abrode: so shal their egges come to good, otherwise they shal be in daunger of chil­ling by hir weat feete, and therby come to naught, as those egges whiche doe chill, whereas the henne in seeking meate a­broade, is long absent from her neaste, in meane tyme they coole, and for those hens that will breake their egs and eate them, ye shall make a neast egge, and playster him all ouer with whytes of Egges bea­ten with plaister and chalke, and layde thereon and dride in the ayre, and when it is harde it will be like the shell of an Eg, and make that the neast egge, ye maye make neaste Egges of plaister and chalke, and vse them as is before decla­red.

¶ What time to carue yong Cock chic­kins. Cap. 23.

TO cut yong Cockrels to make them Capons, the time thereof is best to cut or carue them soone after their dam haue left them, or whē they cry or pule no more after her, as when they begin to crow and waxe hote to treade the pullets.

The gelding or caruing of them is, to take away in thē the hote desire they haue to treade the pullets, and to make them chaste, wherein there is two manner of wayes, which is not onelye to loose their stones, but also when their spores is seard with a hote yron and so consumed. Then after if any spur doe swell or rancle, yee shal couer it with potters earth or clay til it be hole. This way is more difficult, and yet vsed among the Greekes at Delose.

The common waye of cutting or car­uing is not to be dispraysed, and is moste knowne as this waye: they take them in the morning commonly (the signe being good, and on the wane of the Moone) and layes the cock in hir lappe vpon his back, [Page]in trussing vp his legges by his sides, thē the caruer pluckes firste awaye the Fea­thers aboue the vent, and takes vp the vp­per skinne with the poynt of the Needle, and slits it ouertwart an inche long, and then takes vp the vnder thin skinne, nexte the guts and slits that likewise, then the Earuer annoyntes her forefinger of her righte hande, with Oyle or butter, & puts it gently to the raines of the cocke on the lefte side, and with her finger brings forth the stone. Then she annoyntes the forefin­ger of her left hande, and puts it vnto the stone on the right side of the Cocke, and with her finger bringes it forth, so done, she placeth the guts and sowes the skinne vp agayne with a threede, and then an­noyntes that place with some freshe but­ter, and lets him go, but if the day then be colde or weate, keepe them in the house warme for a day or two after their Car­uing, but if it be fayre, let them go abrode and when they are a yeare and a halfe old, there is no more disposition or rankenesse in them, then ye may choose and take the moste fairest and greatest Capon to go­uerne and leade your Chickins, although [Page]there is not so great stoutnesse in him, as in a cock.

¶ Against the inflaming of the eyes and the hawe. Cap. 24.

AGaynst the inflaming of the eyes in poultrie, ye shall boyle in water so­thernewood, and wheaten bread, and ther­with bath their eyes, also ye maye bathe them with the distilled Water of pource­layne and Womans milke, or with the iuice of Pourceleine mixte with a little hony, or the iuice of Sheapheardes purce mixte with Womans milke. And agaynst the hawe in the eye, ye must rubbe the eye with bole Armoniac, Comyn and honey, beaten all well together, as much of the one as the other, and so lay it too, or if yee haue the practise to lift it vp warilye and lightly with the poynt of a needle, and so take it away, also the iuice of ground iuie with the Berries or leaues stampte with water or wine is better, and plaister wise lay it too, and remoue it once in 24. hours and it will helpe.

¶ Cramming and fatting of Capons. Cap. 25.

WHen as ye take vppe your Capons to make them fatte, ye muste prepare of wheaten meale, or barlye meale mixte with two partes of branne. Then ye shall heate ale or beare, but ale is the better, or luke warme Worte, and therewith tem­per your meale and branne. Some do put therevnto fresh hogs greace, or of sheepe, or oyle Oliue, and when it is all tempe­red together, they take a small peece, and make and roll it betwixt their handes, of two inches long or more, and smal at both the endes, like this figure [...], then they dippe it in milke, ale, or oyle, and giue a Capon so many thereof as ye shall thinke good, to a great Capon xx. roles, & to the other as ye shall see cause: thus ye muste feede them twise a daye at morning and euening, and so yee shall make them fatte in a moneth or lesse, but alwayes ye muste see that their meate is digested before yee giue them any more, for some be of a slow digestion, and if ye giue meate vpon meat [Page]they will loath it: Againe, they doe fatte Capons in some countreis, as in Mauce, and in Britaine (as they saye) when they woulde fatte them, they siele vppe their eyes, as they doe other byrdes, and so giues them meate to eate, as Corne halfe sodde, and then made in paste, and so into pellets like y^t other, or made in small morsels, and feedes them therwith, and so they are made sault in sixe or ten dayes at the most, but ye must keepe thē from Ver­mine, and filing themselues with their owne dongue.

¶ Meate for hennes and other poultrie, and where and when to feede them. Cap. 26.

THe best meate and feeding for, youre hennes is brused Barlye, or Fetches, or brused pease, likewise of wheate calde Millet, or the wheate panicke, these are the cheefest for them to eate, for these doe both heate and drie them, wherefore they vse to siste out the coursest of the wheate, and mixe it with the other, and to giue them all wheate it were to costlye, in ma­ny [Page]places, ye maye therefore giue them the seedes of cockle, with branne and o­ther meale not much sifted, but if there be not some meale with it mixte, it will not then giue them so good an appetite.

And for those hens that are leane, they doe giue them the leaues and seedes of Mellilot hearbe, for that is very good to make thē haue an appetite to their meate, and whereas ye cannot haue that, then ye may giue thē the pomes of straind grapes (if they laye not) or raisons stampte with Barlye meale, for that will make them more giuen to lay, or if ye giue them the seedes of Raye, it will cause them also to laye, but after Autumne they lay then sil­dome, because they straye abroade and eat berries and cold fruite not ripe, whiche makes them not disposed to laye: then must ye giue them store of meate twise a day in your court, morning and euening, to cause them to tarry that strayes abrode then lette them not go farre from the hen­house at night, not to tarrye long a mor­ninges for their meate, for straying a­brode, and haue no care of that place, and euery night for to tell them if ye haue all [Page]or not, for soone ye may be deceiued, also yee must sayc Sande or Ashes along the wall sides for them to bathe in, for there­by they clense their feathers from vermin and filth: if ye will beleetie Heracleus an Ephesian which sayeth, that Hogges doe clense them in the myre and durte, & poul­trie doe clense them in sande, ashes, and dust.

To fatte hennes best. Cap. 27.

BIcause it is the common office of the Councreyutan or woman to fat hens, and poultrie, so likewise it is for y^e crafts­man to buy keepe and se [...] them, and be­cause it shall not be vinn [...] ete for both sorts to feede them, ye shall hunderstand ye must doe this: ye [...] prepare a warme place and darke, and put each henne by her selfe in a penne; made so narrowe that she can­not almost turnt her ther [...], and those pennes in u [...] haue on [...] sides two holes the one [...]pu [...] forth her head, and the other her tag [...] and & [...]pe, and so to giue her meate [...] she hath disgrested that in her [Page]craw, and to clense her penne ofte, that her dongue doe not hinder her fatting, ye must also put cleane strawe vnder her, or softe haye of the later season, for if they stande harde in the penne, they will scant­ly fatte, yee must place all the feathers on her heade and vnder her winges, and on hir thies, those of her head and wings be­cause there shall come no Lice to trouble her, the other feathers on her thighes, be­cause the dongue shal not annoy and cum­ber her tuell, her meate shall bee Barlye meale made in past with water, and fashi­oned in pellets long wayes, after this fi­gure [...] or as it is afore declares, for the feeding or cramming the Capon, and so to make hir to swallow them, the first daye it shall bee beste to giue hir but little meate, vntil she be accustomed to di­gest it, for aboue all yee must see that shee digest her meate well, and giue her no more so long as she hath any meate in her croppe, and when she is filde, let her go a little without the penne, so that she go not farre, then if any thing pricke or bite her she will complaine, and so yee maye helpe her, and thus ye may see the generall rule [Page]how to fatte hennes, and if ye will haue them fatte and tender withall, yee muste kneade your barly meale with water and hony, and that will fatte them, and make them tender meate: some doe put into 3. parts of water, one part of wyne, or strōg Ale, and stiepes wheaton breade therein, and that will also fat thē well, if ye begin to fatte them in the new of the Moone, as it is counted best, ye shall haue her fatte a­bout the twencith daye after, also in the meane time if she doe refuse her meate, ye must then diminishe or giue her lesse, so many dayes as ye haue fedde her, the full time that ye shoulde fatte her, is but xxv. dayes, thus much for their meate, and fat­ting of hens.

¶ The feeding of bigge Chickins. Cap. 28.

THe feeding or fatting of bigge Chic­kens in the Coope or penne: They doe commonlye giue them steeped breade in Ale, sometimes of drye breade, and their drinke milke and water, or of soked bran in milke, and somtimes ye must giue them [Page]barly, and to feele them one after another, if there be any thing in their crops, for if that which they haue eaten is not gone or consumed, nor their craw yet emptie, that signifieth vndigested and like not y^t meat, then giue them no more till they haue di­gested that, and for yonger Chickins that go yet with the damme, ye must not lette them go farre abrode, till they be strong, but lette them remayne with the henne in the house, or pen, and giue them otemeale or Barly meale, till they be more stronger and keepe them as much as ye may from venemous wormes, as Adders, Suakes, Todes, and suche, for if they breathe and blow on them it is a poyson come to them as euill as the pestilence whiche killeth them, agaynst such venemous wormes the remedie is: ye shall burne in that place the horne of a Stagge in pouder, or of Gallamum or Womans heare, or hogges Dog, or Cats heare, for the smoke therof will cause the Snake or Adder to flie, and voyde, ye must see to haue them in tempe­rate places, not to here nor to colde, for they may not (being yong) endure muche heate [...] much colde, wherefore it were [Page]good to keepe them temperate in the pen with the dam fortye dayes, till they bee more able to go abrode, ye must also clip the downe betweene their theyes, and vn­der their rumpe, that their dongue waxe not harde, and stop the naturall Conduite, therefore yee must see ofte vnto them that their ventes may haue issue.

¶ To feede or cramme yong pul­lets. Cap. 29.

FOr the feeding and cramming of yong pullets a verye good way is this, to make them fat and tender to eate, ye shall keepe them in a darke place as aforesayde or blindfield them: then take ground bar­lye small, and sifte our all the branne ther­of, then they doe vse to moysten the sayde barlye meale with warme milke, & some takes ale, and some beare, and so they cramm [...] and feede them as aforesaid, mor­ning and euening, in giuing to them so muche at once as they maye well digest and to helpe their digestion: some doe mixe with their meate of Mustarde seede, or annie seedes: thus ye may fatte them in [Page]short space.

¶ Ordring and letting forth Poultrie amorninges. Cap. 30.

YOu that haue henhouses, your hennes and poultrie ought to be lette forth a morninges with rising of the sunne, or within halfe an houre after, and to rooste at night halfe an hower before sunne set, this hath bene the cōmon vse among far­mers houses in most countreyes, and in Autumne some will not let them forth of the henhouse a dayes for a certaine time, but giues them meate and water there thrise a day, or oftener then others, for they giue vnto each henne eight ounces of grayne a day, and those that goes abroad but foure or sixe ounces a daye, and those that be kept in pennes to feede, to vse thē as is before declared, and they oughte to haue on the Sunne side, a long windowe made with lath, that the sunne maye shine on them, which will make them to picke and clense their feathers, and thereby wil like the better, and those that shall looke [Page]vnto them must be painefull, clenlye and trustie, otherwise there is small profite or gaynes to be had by the breeding of them but trauell and datly charge, therefore ye must looke well vnto them alwayes, spe­ciallye, when they are yong and tender, for else there is no gains but losse, and time spent in vayne.

¶ The order in caruing Poultrie of some here in Englande. Cap. 31.

SOme do vse to carue or cut yong cock­rels when they bee nye a quarter olde or more, as being hatched in marche, they carue them in August following, or when they doe growe in a heate, and wax proud and crowe often, or doe offer to treade the yong pullets, and rooste before the hens, then it shall be best to carue them, and suf­fer them not to go to long (for as some do say) if they tread before they are cut, their fleshe will not be so tender, and the older they waxe the more danger it shall bee to cutte them, wherefore to carue them be­times shalbe alwayes best.

The order of caruing here in England of some is thus: they take them vp in the morning, then the caruer sits downe on a low stoole, and another person holdes the body of the Cockrel in her lappe, bowing his feete close by his sides, & holding them downe with his handes fast on his bellye, and laying him on his back, and turning his tayle towardes the Caruer. Then the Caruer shall pluck away with her righte hand all the feathers and downe cleane from his pannell, the breadth of a shilling or more to make the skinne bare, then the Caruer takes a steele needle, and prickes thorow a part of the vpper skinne, and so takes it vp and cuttes it ouerthwarte his pannell, an inche and a halfe, and next his guts ye shal haue another thin skinne and take vp a part of that warily for pricking his guts, nor let him striue as little as ye may, for if he do, he is in more daunger to prosper after, then the Caruer with the forefinger of the right hande shall spit or annoynt it with oyle, and with her finger lifte vp softly his guts, in putting softlye downe her forefinger vnto his raynes (on his lefte side) of his rompe, & there plucks [Page]awaye his stone with her forefinger to the cut place, and so take it out with her fore­finger and thombe, then the Caruer spits or annoyntes the forefinger of her lefte hand, and then puts it softly downe to the raynes on the right side of the Cocke, and there takes vp the other Stone with her forefinger, as in the other side, if there be any, for some will haue but one stone, then put in his guttes and place them agayne, thē with a needle and threed sow vp close the skinne againe, that no winde enter in­to the waund, and beware in stitching his guts with the skinne, then annoynte it al ouer with fresh greace, and so let him or them go, but then if the time or daye bee colde, weat, or windie, the best is to keepe them in the house a day or two after, and giue them meate and wa­ter, and they will bee nothing the worse.

¶ Other thinges necessarye to knowe for the keeping of Poultrie Cap. 32.

THose that will gayne and followe my counsell they must firste consider howe many hennes they may keepe, and then be ginne to nourishe them accordingly, fyrste to know what time one oughte to gather egs to vse and keepe: then after to hatche and howe they shoulde be sette to the hen well, some in setting egges within xxiiii. houres, will take eche egge, and looke on them agaynste a Candle or sunne, if there appeare red strekes in the egges, those she settes, and those whith hath none, takes them awaye and eates them, & when your heune hath hatcht, looke to the nourishing of your Chickens well, till they be able to do some pleasure: in doing this, they shal gaine in gouerning well all your poultry about your house, y^t number that hee must haue, he must consider off: Manye Far­mers may well haue two hundred head of poultrie: to nourishe and gouerne this nū ­ber well, it shall be ynough for one person [Page]to feede and saue them from daungers, al­so take heede of being a white henne, for she is counted no good layer, & she is seene farre of, whereby shee is in more daunger then others: and the blacke henne is no good layer, nor good to keepe, for she is in daunger to be trodden of the fleshe Crow, and then shee will neuer prosper after: therefore keepe suche hennes as are of a good colour breeders and layers, as the gray, the broune, and red feathered, & such and their bodies to be big and large, then they will lay the greater egges, their breast full and square with a great head, her creastes redde and straighte, and hir clawes to be indifferent greate, which is a good sign in them, and those which haue fiue clawes so they haue no spores grow­ing on the insides of their legges for those with spores, is a signe of males or male kynde, and they will sieldome laye nor abide the treading of the cocke, and when they sit they will breake their egges with their spurs, therefore chuse to keepe those that are best to nourish and laye, and sell the rest. Chickins after their hatching will lay within seuen moneths after, as [Page]being hatchte at Lammas, will laye at Marche nexte after, and in Autumne: be­cause they seace laying by eating of fruit abroade, some doe thinke it good then to keepe a lesse number, and sell all aboue 3. yeres olde, and those that sieldome laye, & not good to breede, or marre their egs in sitting, and those that crow like the cocke, or treade on other hennes, these sortes of poultrie are not profitable, nor yet good to keepe, nor those Chickens which are of a later broode, as hatched after the fifteenth day of September, for the time then will waxe colde, and they will smallye growe and encrease of bodye, but to keepe your Cocke chickins till they tread the hennes it shall be best, and then to chuse the fay­rest, the reason is: for ye shall hardly find a good cock, til ye haue seene their proofe, then to chuse and take those ye lyke amōg other, the red cocke is counted one of the best, and when your hennes doe seace lay­ing by eating fruite in Autumue, some do keepe so many hennes in the house, as bee layers all the time of Autumne, and there giues them meate and water for a season, and thereby they haue had plentie of egs, [Page]so that you kepe their house cleane, and for them that goeth abrode in Autumne, to geue them Corne it is but lost, but let them shift for themselues for that time, and those ye kepe in the house, make their pearches and neastes, so that one sitte not ouer another, for filing those vnder, nor their pearches set nigh together, for by­ting or fighting one with another of them whiche will cause them to haue lesse loue to the house, and when yee haue boughte straunge poultrie and yong, put them first in your henne house at nighte, straude afore with some meate, which will make them after to loue the house, and so vse them with meate two or three eue­ninges after, till they be acquainted with the henhouse. Thus muche necessarye so knowe of the nature and gouernmente of poultrie. Also, if ye set Geese together in pennes, if one hatch before an other, those that since will rise from their egges and let them coole, and go with the other that hatched therefore let not one Goose see an other hatch before hen own be come forth: Barlye halfe so [...] and fedde, will make henne or ducke to laye greate Egges: if [Page]ye mixe it with the seede of Citisus so cal­led in frenche.

¶ The nature and gouernmente of Geese. Cap. 33.

GEese among other foule are most pro­fitable for husbandmen and also for o­thers, because their bodyes is a common meate, they doe pleasure to the Geutlemā and yeoman, and the greace profitable o­ther wayes, and among other water fowle those which the Greekes doe call Amphi­bia fowles of two kinde of liues, because they feede as muche on the water, as on y^e lande. Among all other the Goose is most profitable for the buier, and also the seller and to the husbandman, because they neede not haue to great a charge and care for their meat as other must haue, for they do keepe as good a watche alwaye as the Crane or Dogge, all water Fowle muste haue water, wherefore the Goose cannot liue or be kepte long withoute water and Grasse, it shall not be good to keepe them where there is low brousing hearbes, for they will croppe, kneble, and eate so farre [Page]and so hye as they may reache, but if yee haue any boyde grounde or place by some poude or lake where they may haue gresse or corne to feede them, there it shalbe best for thē to be, I am of this opinyon, not by any great proofe, but because I see they are kepte with small payne and trauell, wherefore we may with smal charge haue both the Geese and their feathers, whiche feathers in some places they take not as ye take Corne in the fielde once a yeare, but fethers som takes twise a yere, which is, they elippe in Aprill, and pluck in Au­gust, for then they will come off lightlye, Geese where as they come they will stain the ground, and for that cause if the coun­trey or place will not beare them, they ought to haue but certayne, as euery hus­band man to haue one Gander, and three geese, because they are a poison to groūds but to keepe in your seuerall Courte or houses and yeardes ye may haue so many as ye shall seeme good.

¶ Of places and houses for or­dering of Geese. Cap. 34.

Columella sayth, those whiche hath a desire to haue a number of Geese, or other water Foule, they oughte to make places and houses for them to breede or fatte, and to bee vsed after this sorte it would doe well, which is: ye must haue a large courte close palde or walde of nyne foote hye, that no Vermine may enter in­to them, and all about within the same, to make allies and galleries with partitiōs, and such chambers for one alone to sleepe in, and ouer the same to set your house for them made strong with Stone or Bricke 4. foote square, plaste about your courte, and to eche house a close dore for them to come in and out to lay, and also to shutte them in when yee shall haue cause, then if there be not a ponde or riuer nye vnto thē, and to the house, yee must then make one else to seeke their water farre off, whiche is not good, for Geese that sitte must haue water to bathe them, when they rise from [Page]their neast, or else (as some say) their egs will not prosper, if there be no water, you must make a ponde, and clay it in the bot­tome, for the water to remayne, and made somewhat deepe, that they maye plunge therein, for a saying is, a Goose will not like withoute bathing and washing her often, no more then a Beast withoute Pa­sture.

¶ A ground and pasture best. Cap. 35.

THe grounde and pasture to nourishe Geese best, is that which is like a ma­rishe or moyste grounde replenished with grasse and other hearbes, also ye must sow other kinde of feeding for them, as Fet­ches, mellilot, the three leaued grasse and fenigreke, and specially of Citory, which the Greekes call Cerys, also it shall bee good to sow of Lettise, for that is a tender hearbe for the Goslings, and Geese doeth loue them well, al other poulse is meate for them.

¶ To choose Ganders and Geese with all white Feathers. Cap. 36.

STephanus sayeth, yee must prouide to haue of the greatest Ganders & Geese that ye can get, and those which are white feathered, yet ye shal haue many do breede blacke Geese, and haue them as tame as the other, but they come of the wild kinde and are skant so fruiteful as the other, nor so good to haue, wherfore nourishe as few of y^e black Geese as ye may, because their fleshe is not so good, for it is more dryer, nor their feathers so holesome for beds as the other. The goose is very profitable for the husbandman and others, and also they are great marrers of groundes, of profite, because there is no greate charge or care in breeding them, and they yielde mauye Egges, and bring forth manye yong, to greate profite, for their Feathers serues many wayes, for beds, for Arrowes, and quils for writers: and they are also hurt­full vnto groundes, in stayning and mar­ring Medowes, and Fieldes with theire [Page]dongue, if they be not kepte oute, they bruse hearbes in gardens and spoile corne in Fields, their dongue stayne al grounds where they come, so that no Beast will scant feede after them, the wylde hurte common fieldes, a number of them in half a day will destroy a great peece of wheat, if it be but lowe, and the house Geese is more hurtfull, for they in feeding will pluck vp the rootes of Corne, with the blades, & where they dongue there comes nothing after, but euill weedes: the Gan­ders are louing to all the yong Goslings: they are better to be all white then gray, or mixte with two coloures, and the black coloure is worste of all, and of leaste good­nesse.

¶ The laying and setting of Geese, and feeding the yong Goslings. Cap. 37,

THe Goose doth laye at three times in the spring, if she doe not sitte, at fyrste she will lay fiue Egges, then foure, and then but three, and some will lay at eache time twelue egges, and some more, which [Page]time is from the fyrste of March, vnto the ende of Iune, and then no more, wherfore ye shall not forget her fyrste laye, but set them, for they will prooue best, and y^e time best to set your Geese, is after winter is gone, as from the firste of Marche vnto Iune, and not after, and when they haue layde their later laye, they will couet to sitte, all the rest of the yeare they lay not, yee muste also looke well to their laying, that they laye not abrode, for when they are enclinde to laye, they will take vppe strawes as they goe, and will cast them a­side here and there, on eache side of them, and soone after then they will laye, wher­fore towarde night ye must take them vp, and feele how many be ready to lay, which ye shall perceiue if shee be nye laying, yee shall feele the ende of hev egge harde at her vent, then shut her vp, and putte her a­lone in a neast till she haue layd, so she wil seeke that place agayne to lay, where shee haue bene before, and when you sette her take heede of her egges, for ye must sette her of her owne egges, for a Goose loues not to sitte but of her owne egges, if yee set her of others, ye must haue part of hirs [Page]withall, and then marke al the other egs, or else hers with ynke or suche like, for they saye, a Goose will not hatche the egs of another, if she sitte not of her own with­all. They set the Goose on her egges, as the pehenne on her egs, with fiue or more vnder her, but at least they sette her with three egges, ye maye set a Goose with se­uen or nyne egges, and the moste doe set a Goose but with fifteene Egges, ye muste also remember when yee sette her, to laye in y^e straw vnder hir of strong nette rootes, which will (in hatching) preserue y^e gos­linges & is speciall good againste the stin­ging with nettles, for thereby (they saye) they shall take lesse hurt by stinging, and if there chaunce any to be stong, they dye thereof commonly soone after.

To hatch in colde times the Goose wil haue then thirtie dayes, and in temperate tymes she will hatche (being well vsed) in xxv. dayes at the moste, and when they are hatched they must not then go abrode, or forth of the penne, house, or courte, the space of tenne dayes till they waxe more stronger, but feede them in the house with the Dam, and giue them Barly meale, or [Page]ote meale, or stieped wheate, some do giue them Garden cresse chopte small there­with, whiche will make them to haue an appetite, they giue them sometime of stie­ped barlye, or mault, or meale, chopt with Hemtockes and so giuen, or else with bar­lye meale stieped, and mixed with honyed water, it shal be good to keepe them in the house with the damme, and there to feede them with meate and water, till they may flie the daunger of Crowes and Kites, for when they are small, the fleshe crowe will fette them away, if any remayne behynde the damme: and when they are able to a­uoyde the crowe, then ye may let them go abrode with the damme, or in a fayre daye being yong, yee maye put them abroade with the dam, hauing one to keepe them, and setting a Bason of water and meat by them, or else not put abrode, and yee must looke they be not stung with nettles, or scrat with briers and thornes, nor when they haue great hunger to let them go a­brode, but to giue them Succorye small chope, or the tender leaues of Lettise, if ye then let them go abrode to feede in pa­stures being yong and hungrie, they will [Page]force themselues to plucke at hearbes, which grow fast, and so falles backe, and lye sprauling on their backes, are so taken with Kytes and Crowes. Therefore it shall be more sure to keepe them with the Damme in the house till they are more of strength, and giue them of mill wheat, or other wheate steept in water and sette by them, & when they are more stronger, yee may put them in houses with others to fat as heereafter shall appeare. Stephanus saith, at the months end ye may then chose your yong geese & fatte them, then take the fairest and put them vp into a court or penne, and fatte them, for the yonger sort of geese ye may fatte them in xxx. dayes, & the elder sorte in two moneths, yee must giue thē meate thrise aday, of barly mele and whay, or to giue them steeped wheate in water and honey. The barly doth make their fleshe white, and the whaye doth no­rishe and fatte them. Some do take figges new dride, and thereof makes a paste and giues them, and their drinke must be bran and water: and some when they doe fatte them, do pluck their fethers of their heds and bellies, and the great fethers of their [Page]winges, and then sieles vp the eyes of the old Geese when they fat them, and giues them beanes and pease and fayre water, which is a good fatting meate for y^e coun­trey Goose, and also they feede them with all sorts of poulse, first soked in warm wa­ter and branne which doe feede them wel, and manye doe giue them branne alone, made somewhat fatte, and doth also giue them of lettise, of Succorye, or Cressis to make them haue an appetite, and feedes them so thrise a day.

¶ The fatting of yong Geese. Cap. 38.

COlumella sayeth, when yong Geese are foure moneths olde, then they take the greatest and fayrest to fatte them, for while they are yet but yong, it is the bet­ter fatting of them, then when they are more older, and these neede not to haue no other thing but Barlye meale, and the flower of meale, and to be fedde therewith thrise a daye, and they must haue drinke continually with their meate, ye must al­so keepe them in a close house or dark pen, [Page]and kepte warme withall, which serueth much to make them forwarde to fatte, and thus in two moneths ye may fat thē well, or in sixe weekes, the sooner when they are yong and tender, then when they are tough and olde, and some will chaunge their meate often, and they will feede the better, and be the sooner fatte.

¶ How manye Geese to one Gander, with other gouernment. Cap. 39.

OUr Aunceters did giue but 3. Geese to one gander, and we giue sixe, but for marring & staining of medowes, pastures, and fields, they are profitable for the hus­band and keeper of house, as anye other fowle, and they require a small tending, but when they are yong, for the space of 3 weekes, or a moneth, and so long to haue a keeper till they be oute of daunger of the Crow and Rite, and to keepe them from eating euill weedes, as henbane which is calde the death of Geese, and Hemlocke which is not good for them to eate muche thereof, for it will make them sleepe so [Page]much, that they may be soone taken, and are in daunger (as some say) to dye there­of, to haue manye in a flocke is not good, they vse not aboue thirtie Geese in one flocke, and our Aunceters did vse but xx. in a flocke, for the bigger will beate, and be mayster alwayes of the lesser, both a­brode and in houses, therefore it shall bee good to part eche breeding houses by thē ­selues, whiche houses muste be alwayes kept dry, for they loue to sit drie a nights, and to be strewd with fresh and soft straw, or with softe hay, and oft to be clensed for breeding of Vermine, because that Geese are more subiect therevnto, then the hens are, the rest of their gouernement & meate is like vnto other fowle, and take heede of bryers, nettles, Snakes, and other vene­mous wormes, while they are yong, for a small thing killes them soone after their hatching.

¶ Of the feathers of Geese, whiche are best, and what time to pluck them. Cap. 40.

THe profite that manye good huswittes doe finde by Geese feathers and others is this: they vse in many places yearely to take a fleece of their Geese, as men doe of their sheepe, whiche feathers commonlye they take in Iuly and August, and in some places they take their Geese feathers twise a yeare, in marche they clip all saue their bellies, to couer their yong, & they plucke in August, and some doe plucke in Marche, and sayeth their feathers will come the sooner or rather then when they are clipte, for in clipping the quilles re­mayne still till melting time, wherefore plucking them is rather counted better (then clipping) to haue two fleeses a yere. Thus yee maye vse them as ye shall see cause, to haue their fethers for a more pro­fite to furnish yearely your beddes which are occupied dayly, as in Innes and such, [Page]but whereas there are greate pondes or riuers nye your house, it is great danger to pluck the feathers of their bellies, for whereas such cold waters are, it is a dan­ger to kill them, as experience hath shew­ed in some places of this realme, therfore if ye plucke their bellies, to keepe them from such places for a time it shal do best. Of all feathers the swanne is the cheefest, and the feathers of the white Goose next, the black or gray Goose feather next him and the Capon and pullet next, likewise al other lande fowle, then Ducke, Wegin, Teale, and such water fowle are next, and are best to be rather put in cushions then in beds, because they are more hotter, and a greater soker of men in beds, then the o­ther, and the Pigion worste feather of all, for they soke too muche to be put in beds, and are vnwholesome, for they say if a sick persō lye on a pillow of pigions feathers, he shall long continue so without depar­ting, which thing I hardly beleeue, and likewise all sick feathers or bloodye Fea­thers are not good to be put in beds, nor Coshions, because they doe commonlye breede wormes, therefore it is not good [Page]to put any in beds or coshions: thus much concearning the nature and goodnesse of the Gose feather and others.

¶ Of Duckes, Teales, Sheldrakes, and such like, Cap. 41.
Columella.

TAme Duckes (among the rest of wa­ter fowle) is moste profitable for the husband mans house, and for once a yeere they are layers of many egges, and bree­ders also of many young, with a small at­tendaunce as the goose, saue in the time while they are young, and to haue the like places conuenient to nourishe them in as the goose, but somwhat more chargeable, because they are great feeders, and for all other sorts of water foule, as wilde ducks sheldrakes, wigions, morehennes, cootes, and such fowle of the ponds: ye shal hard­lye make them tame being olde, and lyke­wise all other byrdes that vseth to feede in waters and marreshes, which are calde of our auncientes, byrdes of double liuing or nourishment, to nourish and keepe such [Page]which are accustomed so to feed, and keepe them in house, ye must chuse a playn place closed about with hye walles of xv. foote and couered aboue with railes, wyar, or nets of big corde, to the end they flye not out, nor eagles, Rites, bozards, or crowes, shall come in, and all the walles without and within ought to be polished smooth, to the end that cattes, or other venemous wormes may not catch hold and climbe to come in, and in the midst of the same court yee must make a ponde of two foote deepe, So long & wyde as the place will serue, and that the water there may run ful con­tinually to the brinime thereof, that the bankes may not be marde, and also made with plaister, and cimmond in the bottom, and all about the sides, paued with smooth stone, that no weeds do grow therein, but that the fowle may haue cleere water still run thorow, and in the midst ye shal make a mount of earth, & thereon sowe beanes of Egip, and such other greene herbes as cōmonly comes in waters, to couer & hide those fowle therin: for some of them loues to be hid in tuftes of grasse, roses, sedge, and such: notwithanding ye muste not co­uer [Page]their holes, for (as I haue saide) the water must be all the day without weeds, to this end, that in the heate of the daye, when they would come forth to bathe and picke them they maye then swimme and plunge in the cleere water at pleasure, for so it is best agreing to their nature, wher­as they may enter into water at their wil to take pleasure and watch for small fishe therein, or flies vppon the water. There­fore ye shall do them great wrong, to put them where they cannot come to the wa­ter when they woulde, and all about be­neath at the bottom of the walles, ye shall make holes xx. foote from the water, and all the sides couered with berbes, and by the wall sides to make holes of stone, a foote square, then couer thē to make their nestes therein, and garnished all aboute with boughes and braunches which they will like the better, and yee must make a channell for to conuay the running water. & vse to feed your fowle in the saide water as other fowle, & to giue them myll wheat or pannicke wheat, or other grayne, and feed them in the saide water, or with bar­ly, ground cornes, and pomes of reasons, [Page]which is also good for fishe, which ye shall put in the water (to feede them) of Creuis shrimpes, loches, Menues, bansticles, and such riuer or brooke fishe, whiche will ne­uer waxe bigge, all these they will take pleasure to hunt after in the water. The wylde Ducke when she layes, the Drake shall not know, for if he might knowe, hee woulde sucke all her egges, they treade in the time of the spring, as other wylde Fowle doe, in Marche or after, in whiche time ye must cast vnto them of rushes, or ventes, and small twigs into their court, which they will gather, and make their neastes withall. There is an ancient rule that whensoeuer ye woulde haue a greate flocke of these fowle, yee muste gather of wylde Ducke egges where they lay, and put them to a henne to hatche, and when they are hatched, they will then leaue their wildnesse with vse of the henne, and then when they waxe bigge, ye maye put them into your close Courte, as I haue a­foresayde, and these will breede and mul­tiplie, for if ye take wilde Duckes which are accustomed to liue at libertie, and thē shut vp in a close place, they will neuer [Page]laye, being so kept, very few or none. A saying is, if ye touche the egges of a wild Ducke when shee layes, with your bare hande, she will not come and laye no more there, and if ye take awaye still her egges and leaue but one, she will still lay till shee be so poore, that yee shall take her on the neast. This shall suffice here for the kee­ping of the Duckes, and other Water Fowle.

¶ How to take your wilde Ducks in the Court. Cap. 42.
Stephanus.

WHen as you would haue any of youre wilde Duckes taken, to make them more tamer, ye shall cast (in the court) vn­to them graine mixt with the lies of wine sweete wyne, or sower, and lay it on their accustomed place to feede, giue them also paste made with Wine, or a leuin paste with branue and Wine lyes, cast it in the sayde place, and when they haue eaten thereof, they will be dronke, then ye maye take and chuse of the best withoute greate [Page]trouble of the other fowle.

¶ The common feeding and the nature of Duckes. Cap. 43.

THe Ducke is a grosse, greedye, and filthie feeder, and a hote Byrde of Na­ture, and still will be eating. They vse to feede them with all kinde of pulce, as yee feede a hogge, and to haue them fatte they geue them gurgions of corne, but ye must alwayes let them haue water by them, for they must still bee drinking as they eate, they loue also to wander in sommer in the euening, in August and September to seeke after Wormes, Beetles, Frogs and Todes, and they wil eate them, and when she hath hatched, shee is carefull of her yong, if any of y^e yong be stong or angerde they be so peuishe, they will dye straighte waye, and yet many lets them go with the dam into Waters or pooles, being but two or three dayes olde: she will make her neast her selfe, againste she laye and sitte, and so she hatches in xxv. dayes, or xxviii. at the most.

The wilde Ducke will steale from the [Page]Drake, and when she hath layd and hatcht she is very subtle when she hath yong, for if any person come nye them, shee will flie flappering nye before him on the grounde as though her backe were broken & could not flie, thus will she tise him a good way from her yong, and then will she take her flighte to her young agayne. Duckes egges hatchte vnder a henne will bee of a better meate, then those hatched with a Ducke. Duckes are not good to bring vp chickens, for she cannot call as the henne will to euery crumme she findes, and the Ducke loues the water, and the Chickin the Land, nor the Duck cannot scrape as the henne will, nor the hen good to bring vp Ducklinges, for she loues not to go in­to the water with them, and thereby ofte times they are taken away with the Bo­zard, or Ryte, when she cannot help them, and those Ducks that haue bene brought vp vnder a henne, the Drakes of that broode will desire to tread the hennes, and one Drake is sufficient for vi. Ducks, al­so Duckes that are trod of the Crow, they neuer prosper, and are vuwholesome to eate, as they say, agayne they saye, the [Page]Ducklinges that are brought vp vnder a henne, they will bee alwayes desirous to bee about the house, and on the dry ground nye the house not abroade, nor yet in wa­ters, which is their nature, whereby your house and courtes cannot bee long cleane kept where they vse, and yet by nature they should cōmonly loue the wa­ter. Thus much for the na­ture and feeeing of Duckes.

¶ Of Turquie hennes pro­fite and also disprofite. Cap. 44.

STephanus saith, they that first brought these Turquies into Fraunce, calde thē the peacocks of Indie, whiche doth rather enrich the mouth, then any great profit to the farmer or breeder: for they are a right cofer for oates, & a sack for corne, a gulfe, a swallower of barns, a deuourer of much meat. They cannot receiue so much plea­sure by them, but as much trouble and an­ger whē they are great, for they be great strayers abroad, & being young they are alwaies crying for meate, with puling & complayning of the rye, or goute, or suche like, and soone dye thereof if they bee not well kept. True it is, their fleshe is deli­cate, but heauy and harde of digestion: therfore they must be well basted and lar­ded, and yet there is muche more goodnes in the fleshe of Peacockes, then in them. They were brought into England about the eight and twenty yeere of the raigne [Page]of king Henry the eight.

¶ The nourishing of olde Turquies. Cap. 45.

THe nourishing of these fowle, is like the feeding of hennes and other poul­trie, and with the lyke meate when they are bigge, and as much tendaunce or com­monly more, because they will straye a­broad to seeke their meate, it may be well sayde to the farmer or breeder: so manye Turquyes in his court, so manye moile­coltes in hys stable to feede. Their tray­ning in deede is more easyer then of other Peacockes, nor doth not demaund such o­pen ayre, but their feeding is a more grea­ter destruction in Gardens, of leekes, oni­ons, & al other kinds of other good herbs, which they will eate, and wyll commonly feede of grasse, as well as the goose, & are as fulsome in the house as the geese.

¶ The age of Turquie cockes best to treade. Cap. 46.

YOur Turquie cockes that ye keepe to [Page]treade your heunes, ought not to be pas­sing a yere, or two yeres old, three yeeres is the moste or too muche, for being olde they are so heauy in treading, they wyll commonlye hurt the hennes, in broosing their backes and treading of theyr fethers of their backes, and also it is not good to keepe two cockes in treading time: for one will hinder the other, so shal your hennes egges come to smal profite in setting, and yee shall haue some cockes will pecke and kill the chickens if they be put forth being very yong, and againe ye shall haue some cockes will loue and keepe their chickens as tender as the hennes. Therefore bee sure to know your cocke to loue the chic­kins, when ye put them forth yong, and also when they goe feeding abrode, they will not lightlye keepe one place to rooste in, as other poultrie will, wherefore yee must daylye looke vnto them for leasing, for sometime they will sit in high wayes on the ground, sometime on lowe places nye the ground, and here is to be noted, ye must not vse your hogges to feede on car­ren or dead flesh about your house, for if they catche eating of fleshe, they will not [Page]sticke to eate your poultrie on their nests, or your Turquies when they sitte on the ground a nights, or any lowe places nigh the earth, and they will not styrre if yee touche them, wherefore they are in more daunger of stealing or deuouring diuers wayes, then other poultrie are.

¶ Of the Turquie hennes sitting, hat­ching, and nourishing the chic­kens. Cap. 47.

THe Turquie hennes doe commonlye laye as the house hennes doe, but they will commonly lay away in secrete places of their own seeking, as in bushes, hedges and such, if ye looke not well vnto them. They begin to lay in Marche, and they doe vse to set them in Aprill when y^e great colde is past on nine or eleuen egges, som­times more, they doe hatche in xxv. dayes, and whē they haue hatched, ye must feede them with curdes soked in strong ale or wyne, and such tender meate, as sod wheat in ale or beare, for the hennes will neuer call or feede their yong (as other hennes will) therefore yee must giue them often [Page]meate being yong in sixe or eyghte dayes till they waxe more of strength, and then ye maye giue them sod barlye, and more stronger meate, the dew will kill them, if they eate thereof, and to bring vppe youre Turquie chickens in the house, they will not like so well, as to lette them goe with the Damme in some safe place abrode, and better they will like abrode then in the house, but in wete and cold times ye must see them kept warm a nights, or else they will soone catche the goute, crampe, or the rye, and being yet yong they can bide no colde abrode, also those hennes that lai­eth their later laye and sitte, they bring vp their chickens about mid Auguste, or after, which chickins are so tender in win­ter following they will hardly prosper, for they may abide no colde, but haue the like diseases aforesayde, therefore to sell or eate them is best, the best time for Tur­quie hennes to hatche (here in Englande) is in Aprill, when the cheefe colde is past, and also to house them in winter is best, to keepe them from the diseases afore men­tioned.

When as any of your Turquies haue [Page]the rie and therewith droope, yee shall make a long pellet or two, with sope, but­ter and pepper, mixe them altogether, and so giue it them a morninges, and they wil mende, and if your Turquies be greate, and hauing swoln eyes in winter by cold, ye shall slit it with a sharpe Knife, then shall yee see the humoure leape out, then washe it with ale, or wine, and if it fill a­gaine, open still & wash it till it be whole, also when they begin to droope, yee shall put downe theire throtes, two or three of sow wormes with manye feete, and then take fennyll a little, & broose it, then make it like a pellot, and put it after down their throtes, and so let them go and they wyll amend. Thus ye may keepe thē safe (with good looking to) from tyme to tyme, tyll they be great as the damme.

¶ The feeding and the ordering of Tur­quie hennes and chickens. Cap. 48.

THey vse in some places to giue the Turquie chickens new hatched curds and antes egges, for seuen or eight daies, of barly meale, mixte with penniriall, and [Page]made in paste with good ale or wine, litle prinke but curdes, and antes egges, and [...]o giue them mellilot herbe with otemele [...]nd milke, which is a greate feeder: or I­sope, or to giue them of percely, and some­times they giue them chopt onions, leeke [...]lades, time, and suche like: any of those chopt small with the, foresaide barly mele or otemele, and tempered with strong ale, [...]r beere, and made in paste (as aforesaide) and so giuen in smale pellots, it will saue them and deliuer them from the rye, pippe and swelling in their heades, & the goute in their feete, which commonlye comes of cold and to much drinke: also in winter ye maye mixe with their meate a little aqua [...]ite with ale, which will in likewise saue them from the the rhume, & other diseases: moreouer when as any haue taken colde on their feete being but young, if yee rubhis legges and feete (with neats oyle) in wet and colde times, it will saue thē from the crampe, and when they are greate and olde, Some (for want of other meate) doe feede them in winter with hawes, and heps, black beries, nut Kernels, acornes, & such, which thinges they will eate, be­ing [Page]himgry, for they are hotte birdes of nature & great raueners withall, among the hennes, the white Turquie henne is exteemed better then the other coloures, to hatch and bring vp their chickens: for they are of a more harder and kinder na­ture then the other commonly are, & wyll kepe their chickens better: also if a Tur­quie henne do hatch and bring vppe other henne chickens with hers, when they wax bigge, she will knowe they are none of hir kinde, and she will beate them and driue them away, and so long as your turquye chickens be young, yee shall geue them of sod barly in ale or beere, or stieped in wine and it will preserue them from those dys­eases, which commonly they are troubled with all heere in England, for our coun­trey is more colder (as it shoulde seeme) then from whence they came first, and so long as they are yet young, they are ten­der and soone hurt by venom & sting­ing wyth nettels and suche, till they be a quarter old or more.

¶ The common feeding of Turquies. Cap, 49.

THe nourishing and common feeding of those kinde of fowle, is as I haue sayd like the feeding of other poultrie & hens, and with as much or more diligence, else there is no difference, but they muste haue much more meate, and their training is easie: but to haue tendance while they are yet young, their maner of feeding I haue afore declared: they are filthy birdes in a house, wherefore the maide must come al­waies after them with a beesome, to clense where they haue been, the hennes will lay like our hennes, if they bee well kept all the yeere: and when they haue layde a cer­taine time, they will couet to sit, and yee may vse them as you do other hennes, and to giue their egges vnto other hennes to sit & gouerne while she end hir lay. Their diseases and remedies are like other poul­trie [...] wherfore it is superfluous to say here any more, but as some do say, when they are very fat, they will not lay so well nor take the cocke, as when they are kept in a meane.

¶ Of Peacockes the nature and feeding Cap. 50.

THe Peacocke is a strange bird to seed and to gouerne, for they hardly bee so familier with any person, as other birdes will. A breefe rehersall of Columella, which saieth, to nourishe peacockes requi­reth a more dilligence in a Ciuile person, then in a rude & troublesome farmer: for it is the part of a good keeper of birdes, to seeke all meanes hee canne to make them gentle and tame, in so doing, yee maye ea­sily nourishe these kinde of birdes, or else not, and to haue places made fit for them to be kept in: the greatest parte of theire feeding they prouide for thēselues abrode. The Pehenne doeth willinglye nourishe her young, as though she were in bondage vnto them. They do prepare for them a square court with high walles to nourish and feede them in, and there vse them to the cal when they do feed them, like other poultrie. Their delight is to be alw [...]ies among bushes abroad, & they couer their walles, & makes round aboute long galle­ries [Page]for thē to walke vnder, with perches made square, and mortred on the walles, and often to be made cleane. Afore three yeeres the hennes are commonly barren, and of smale heate, and after three yeeres they will breed well. The Cockes haue an amorous heate, as muche as the house cockes, and therefore they giue hym fiue or six hennes, for he is ready to treade the henne that comes from laying. Wherfore hee marres the egges of some within the henne, which are not yet already formed, & hee wyll not suffer her to bring them to perfection, and by the anger then of that henne, the egge fales from her before they are halfe ripe: also at the end of winter ye must feede both male and females, & giue them plenty of meate to make thē in more heate, to giue parched beanes on the im­bers when they are colde, is a good feede for them, to giue to eache birde twelue ounces thereof, and to vse it foure or fiue daies together.

And also to feede eache by themselues in their pennes, and to set faire water by thē alwaies, and when ye put them abroade, let the males go with the females whyche [Page]will doe well, ye shall haue some Cockes so sterce, that they will not suffer other cockes to tread their hennes. Therefore in all such times it shall doe well to sepe­rate them with perticions, in hotter coun­treyes the pecockes doe enter into their heate, when the East windes commonlye blowes: as sayeth Fauonius, whiche is from the xv. of February, vnto Marche or after, the signe when they enter into heat, is, when the Cockes doe spread their taile feathers, y^e saying is, they make a wheele. So when the hennes are troden, ye must looke they laye not in out places abroad, but in their houses, and at eueninges yee must feele if any henne be nye to laye, or harde with egge, for in laying they will let them sodayn fall from them, wherefore ye shall shut them vp which will laye, so that they lay not abrode, but in their hou­ses, whiche muste bee strewde thicke with strawe vnder their perches, to saue their egges when they fall from them, for as they sitte on their pearches, sodayne their egges falles from the hennes, and then if they light not softe, they breake. There­fore make your pearche the lower, that [Page]they fall not so farre, and their laying is in the morning, then searche diligentlye for to gather vp their egges, which egges will sooner hatche being newe then bee­ing olde, and when ye set any henne, those pehennes that sit not, will laye their lay­inges in the spring of the yeare, and those that sitte waxe so poore and troubled in bringing vp of hir chickens, those hennes will laye no more that yere, the other that laye commonly thrise, the firste time shee will lay commonly fiue egges, the se­conde tyme foure egges, and the thirde time shee will laye but three or else two egges.

¶ The time best to set your pehenne. Cap. 15.

ANd when you wil set your henne, ye must set her with some henne egges withall, which ye must chuse to bee fayre, [...]lde and great, and sette your henne with thē, in the beginning of y^e Moone, & set her with nine egs to sit thereon nine days, of which egges there oughce to bee fiue Pe­henne [Page]egges, and foure henne egges, and on the tenth day, take awaye all the henne egges, and put vnder her foure other hen egges, to the end that on the thirtith day, after, in the next new Moone, all will hatche together, and when the henne doth rise and is gone from her neast, yee muste turne her Egges with your hande, and those that ye turne, marke the vpper sides thereof with ynke, that ye maye knowe which is turned when she riseth agayne, and when she hath hatched let her then go wyth the young, not farre abroad before fiue & thirty dayes, but tye hir by the leg with a long string, and so keepe her in, ye must also see to the yong pecockes, where the damme doe loue them or not, for some will forsake them, and ye shall suffer no o­ther henne that haue yong Chickens, to come where the Pechicks are, vntill they be great, for shee which haue other Chic­kens of hers, her nature is such, shee will hate and forsake her owne Chickens, and loue the other, because shee seeth the Pe­chickes greater and fayrer then her own. The pehennes haue the like disease, as o­ther [Page]poultrie haue, and are cured with the like medecines, as the rie, [...]ippe, and such and when they are seuen moneths olde, ye must then see they be had to roost a nights with their dammes, but let them not sitte on the bare earth, if they sit thereon, yee shall set them on pearches as aforesayde, to the ende they take no colde, for that will bring them to like diseases as the o­ther.

¶ Of the goodnesse of the Pecocks flesh, and their nature in laying. Cap. 52.

STeph [...]us sayth, that Pecockes flesh doth nourish much, and are greate ea­ters, and hard to bring vp or breede. They neede no dayly tendaunce, but let y^t yong go with their dammes. They will marre Gardens and fieldes of corne, they loue a hote temperate ayre, and to breede alone in bushes: our auncetoures didde make in­closures by theire Garde [...]s and houses, with cages therein for them to go in, and [Page]other closures to nourish them in: but we make not so great matter of it, it shall suffise her to lodge them aboue the henne­house, and yet they loue to be at libertye, and fit on hie Trees, rather then in hou­fes or places beneath, which places ought to be dayly cleane kepte, and where as they sitte a nightes, yee shall often finde their egges falne from them, and after a henne hath layd and hatched, and brought forth her yong, she will lay sieldome in three yeares after, and when a Henne be­ginneth to laye, shee will steale from the Cocke, and laye in some secret place, then he will not seace to seeke, if hee can fynde hir, if he then find hir neast, he wil breake all her egges, for he hateth to see the yong till they haue creastes on their heades: a­bout thyrtie dayes she will hatche, and be­ing hatchte, they keepe them in the penne or neast with the dam, that the Cocke see them not, for he will then pecke and hurte them, till they haue theire creastes or Combes on their head, then after he will loue them well, wherefore vnto that time ye must keepe them well and warme, for they will soone be sicke, and the most part [Page]very sieldome liueth till they bee greate, the Cockes be hardie, and they saye hee cānot abide to see any venemous wormes, as Snakes and such, but will fighte with them and kill them.

¶ The hatching and feeding of yong Pechicks. Cap. 53.

THe firste daye of their hatching, they perfume them with rosemary in a siue ouer coles, and then they giue them barly meale tempered with wine, and made like a thicke paste, and softe Cheese kneaded therein, but presse out all the Whaye, for Whaye or cleare milke dath much annoy them, also ye shall sometimes throw vnto them of Grashoppers, in taking awaye their legges, and sometime they doe giue them weuels, Sow Wormes, and Spi­ders for to cure them, for they will chiefe­ly seeke for those things, and wilde where they haunt, and if they find few thereof, after s [...]r [...]ckes they giue thē boyld bar­ly as they doe the da [...]e, and lets them go with her, but keepe them from cold and raine, for they will soone pule and drawe [Page]their winges incontinent after by a little colde taking, specially if they be not hat­ched by mid Iune, in Autumne being thē but young, they will neuer endure all the winter, in hatching they turne hir egges when she is from the nest, for hir eggs be­ing great, she cannot turne hir selfe: ther­fore yee muste then turne them with your hand as is afore declared, and marke the vpper sides of them, else ye may turne thē amisse, and when they be hatched, giue al the pechickes to the pehenne, & all the hen chickens vnto the house henne, but let not hir come where the pechickes are, and if she see them, because they shew more faire and greater then hirs, shee will not after loue hir owne chickens.

¶ The sicknes of Pehennes. Cap. 54.

PEhennes and Peacockes are very fick when they mue their feathers, which is a kinde of chilnesse as some doe suppose: then must ye heate thē with hony, wheat, oates, and beanes ground great, they are also in a great heate, in y^e canicular daies, [Page]then must ye giue them alwaies fresh wa­ter because of their heate, they do giue to each cocke, v. hennes for change, for whē hir egges are but tender within hir, hee will tread her agayne, and so broose those egges within her, and so they fall from hir and come to nought. Thus much for the gouernment of Peacockes & Pehennes.

¶ The nature and feeding of Swannes. Cap. 55.

STephanus saith, the haunt and feeding of Swannes, is like y^e feeding of geese their delight is in certain places, as in ri­uers, pooles, brookes, mixes and standing pooles, and they are assone made tame as geese. They vse commonly myres, & fresh waters, but they hurt and destroye muche fishe, and sometimes they eate of greene corne, if it be nie their haunt, as well as the tame or wilde Goose, to haue a coople in your ponde, or two couple for greate neede, where as many Swans are bread, there is no great store of fishe, they treade their hennes on the water, as well as on the Lande, the hennes will make their [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]neasts themselues, without couer. They delighte to builde on Ilandes compassed with water, they must oft be clensed, for they file much, if they haue not sufficiente meate, ye must feede them, and giue them bread soked in water, and certayne small fishes, for these fowle are gluttons and ra­ueners of meate, and therefore they must often be fedde. They lay and sit but once a yeare, and most commonlye they laye but three egges, excepte they like the place, and be well fedde withall, then they will haue fiue, some seuen, and some nyne yong synets, but that is sieldome seene. When they choose their makes they will lightly not chaunge, so long as hoth doe liue, and if some other Cocke Swanne doe chaunce to treade his henne, he wil knowe it, and then he will neuer leaue him, till hee haue kilde him that hath done it: and the Cock sittes when the henne is gone to feede.

¶ The nourishing and fatting of Swannes. Cap. 56.

THey vse to fatte Swannes, both in open Courtes, and in houses, and they giue them such meate as they doe in fat­ting of Geese, as soked bread, fod barlye, grounde beanes, with Otes, al poulse, and such like: they chiefelye doe loue moyste meates, and thus may ye fat them in six or eyght weekes, in often chaunging their meate, and clensing their places, for they doe file much: The flesh of old Swannes ingendereth euill iuyce, and increaceth Melancholy. Thus much of Swannes.

¶ The order and profite of Pigeons, and place for them. Cap. 57.

STephanus sayth, the profite in nouri­shing pegins, is no lesse then the profite of poultrie, speciallye where they breede manye and often, and where the sale for them is good, in some places they haue ta­ken at one flighte two or three hundereth [Page]payre of yong Pegions to sell, and bestow other wayes, and these foule neede not so much loking to as other fowle, trew it is, they are great eaters & deuourers of corue in fieldes, and therefore it is not permitted or thought good for most men to build thē Douehouses from the earth, but where there is much erable grounde of theires in those fieldes nye therevnto.

Let vs then for the easement of the far­mer haue a Douehouse from the grounde made and set in a place meete and hye for it, by his house, or ouer his house in a tow­er, or Touret of stone or claye, and placed very nye some water, because a Pegion is a hote byrde, and doe heate the meate they haue taken to giue their yong, therefore they rquire water, also it is certayne the Pye, and the sparrow, as well the Males as the Females, doe couer theire Egges when the henne is gone to feede, the cocks doe sit in the meane tyme on their egges, thus they vse to couer, till the yong be out of their shelles, so doth not the mule doues therefore it is not so much to be regarded, whether the Douehouse bee open or not, but places for them to come and go, [...] to [Page]make a windowe towarde [...] the southside, in sommer for them to sleepe in, & in win­ter to giue heat into the pegiouhouse, and make your house sure at the foundation, and wel plastered within, and with smooth stone couched close in the bottom, for feare of their dongue do not corrrupt the place which must be fayre and euen within, and the chapts and holes alway seene too, and stopt close for feare of Weesels, polecats, rattes and mise, for these doe commonlye happen in douehouses which are not well seene to [...]ye shall dresse your Douchouse without, close made, for in Creuisses and crackes, vermine will seeke to enter, and so will deuoure both olde and yong doues, for the like daunger is in a douehouse, as in a henhouse, therefore ye shall make two centers, about your doue house withoute, like battelmentes of stone, borde or leade, one in the midst of the wall without, and another vnder the windde or eaues, where as the Doues may enter, or sit and proine them thereon. Some doe nayle plates of leade all aboute the windowe vnto the walles, and they make as it were a Per­cullis setnye with laths together, whiche [Page]maye be drawne vp euening and morning for daunger of bats, owles, and Cats, and on the toppe of the couer or louer, they make the figure of a Doue, to draw other flying by to come there, ye may also place sparrow p [...]ts all aboute your Douehouse without, and hang fagots of thornes by, but alwayes see to your Douehouse, that none of these euill vermine aforesayde d [...]e haunt your house, for they will feare the old, and deuour the yong.

¶ To replenish your Douehouse, and to choose the best breeders. Cap. 58.

AT the beginning for to furnish your douehouse with yong Doues, it shall bee thought sufficient to haue xx. payre of yong pegions with feathers, but cōming forth, for those are best: to haue old doues it is a daunger, for they wil retourn home agayne to their fyrst companye, and com­monly such a care they haue, or else to som other company. Among the cheefest bree­ders it is good to haue the ashe colour, the brown, & the black pegion, also the gresild [Page]with a copte heade, and the russet coloure, and those which are gilded about y^t necks, and those whiche haue red eyne, and redde feete, are most frankest and best breeders, and cheefest replenishers of houses, the whice pegion is not so good a breeder, and she is se [...]ue farre off, and thereby moste in daunger of Kites, Bozardes, Ringtayles, Dwles, and Haukes. The darke yellow, or dun Pegion, and the red and tawny co­lour they breede fieldome, but to serue for the Kitchin, and make them tame, ye shall giue them first mil wheate, and then fet­ches, [...]en Comine, for these graynes will make them loue the house much, and som­times [...]giue them the gurgions of sifted whe [...] Les them not go forth of the house of fiforene wayes after ye haue taken them and when ye giue them leaue to go forth, let it be cowaides the euening, or in a [...] or ray [...]ie time, to the end they may trourn, and not tar ay long forth of the d [...]chonse.

¶ Times to feede them, and to mayne­taine your broode. Cap. 59.

TRue it is, that Pegions are more cha­rable to the Farmer in Winter, then in Sommer, or in times of frost and snow or when the wheat is not blossommed, for then they can finde nothing in the fieldes but bents and cadlocke seedes, wherefore there is a charge about two monthes and more then to giue thē meate, once or twise a daye ye shall doe well, in this time you must let your firste broode flie, to replenish your house all the yeare after, which time they call from Marche to into Aprill, for those yong Pegions then bredde, will bee the fattest and tenderest Dou [...]s of al their broodes for thue yeare.

And Columella fayth, after this order yee muste feede both Culuers and house­doues, and because of such great profite by them, I will here (sayth hee) say little, but cheefelye it pertaynes to a good Farmer, to haue these sort of Fowle, because there is small charge to feede them in open we­ther, for then they will flye abrode farre [Page]from the house, to seeke eche corner of the field for meate, and soone returne agayne, yet notwithstanding for two or three mo­neths they must be fedde as is aforesayde for so shall ye better maintayne and saue them, and being nye villages and greate townes, is daungerous for taking with nettes, and killing diuers other wayes, therefore in such times the best is, to feede them in the Doue house at noone, for then is the best time.

Also flower not your Doue house with earth, for that is to cold in Winter, wher­by they will not like so well to feede ther­on, it is best therefore to feede them on hye places, with windowes towarde the South, and the walles within made with holes one aboue another. Like your hen­house with pertitiōs of lath, lome or bord, for them to breede in, or in pottes of earth fastned against boords, for them to go and come at pleasure, and also your house and holes ought to be made white, for that co­lour pleaseth them well, and see alwayes to keepe your Douehouse cleane, as afore is sayd [...].

¶ Of the meate and drinke for pe­gions and flying abrode. Cap. 60.

COlumella sayth, when Pegions [...] flie together about your house, it doeth re­ioyte them, and soone they returne againe to their yōg, their water ought to be like as for your hennes, not so as they may en­ter in deepe, but shallow for them to bathe in, for feare of chilling their egges, nor to cbuer their eggs, nor to couer their yong, also ye shall giue them meate beside the Douehose without, in some cleane place where there is no dongue. The best grain for them is fceehes, orobe, eares, milwheat and cockle seede, and the rubbis yee cast out of wheate, and such thing as yee nou­rishe hennes, yee muste often clense and sweepe your Douehouse, for the cleauer it is kept, the better they like thereof, and where they are so kept, they will loue that house the better, and hate all other whiche are foule kept, and if they be able, they will flie awaye, and come no more there, which haue bene often seene and prooued [Page]and to remedy the same, there is an olde conunaimdement of Democritus, whiche sayth: Take the young of a byrde called buse, which buildes with clay and durte, conunonly vnder battlementes, put eache one of them in earthē pots by themselues. Then couer and stop the pottes close with playster [...], and so hang them in corners of the Douehouse, and that will make them loue thē doue house so, that they wil neuer forsake it.

Also if ye wil haue Pegions to breede, let them not be olde, nor yet too yong, and kepe those which hath large bodies, wher­fore ye must not seperate them before they haue brought forth their yong, and where so many are fedde together they are com­monly finall of body, if they ioyne with o­ther flightes, or with some other kynde, the yong Pegions doe fat best vnder their dammes, and when they are somewhat strong ready to flie, some pluckes their fe­thers, some breakes their legges, so that they shall not depart from the house, but then yee must feede well their dams that they may nourish well their yong, and some doth bynde their legges, for if they breake them, as some suppose, it will bee [Page]painefull, and thereby they will waxe Ieane, wherein they say it is not best to fat them, and againe to binde their legges, they will strugle, and so torment themsel­ues, that will hinder also their fatting, therefore to breake their legges, theire paine is no more but for two or three days at the must, and it taketh away all hope of going out, or flying abrode.

Also to feede Pegions, take the se [...]mme that comes of seething bryne, and the of­fall of dregges of the bryne tubbe, & then take lome drye and put them togeather, & worke it like a morter, then put thereto olde chamber lye, and so make thereof Lo­ues, and lay them in your douehouse on a boorde, and the pegions will gladlye feede thereon, and so shall ye haue them loue the douehouse y^e better, also if ye mixe it with Comen seede, wilde tares, or cockle seede, it wil be the better, and they will haue a more loue vnto the house.

¶ How to perfume your Douehouse, to cause them to breede and to loue it. Cap. 61.

STephanus sayth: if ye often perfume your douehouse with Genoper or Rose­mary, and sometimes with a little fran­kensence, or with some Lauender, these will make them to loue the Douehouse more then any other, and those Doues which ye haue made tame, when they doe begin to breede, yee must then giue them libertie, and cast along by the wals small grain or seedes, or where they vse to bathe them, and so they will bring manye other vnto them, beside your twentie payre that ye firste put in, that within fortie days ye maye haue two or three times so manye more, for they breede three times in a yere and the good breeders foure times a yere, and there is no great care for them, but to keepe your douehouse cleane, and clense the neastes of the olde and yong, to keepe them from fleas and lyde, and other Verinine, more needefull in Sommer then in winter.

¶ Pegions seeking their meate farre, are raueners of corne. Cap. 62.

COlumella sayth, Pegions are greate raueners, and farre fliars to seeke meat, commonly foure or sixe miles, sometimes ten myles, yea some doe suppose they will seeke fortie miles, and come agayne at nighte, which thing I scantly credite, yet surelye they are strong and swifte fowle of flighte, and wil continue long in the ayre, agayne, some doe say, put a payre of doues in a house, and let them lacke no meat nor water, and they will deuoure a quarter of wheate, and a Tonne of water in one yeare, therefore they are calde rauening byrdes, deuourers of Corne, and reapers in fieldes, viziters of reekes, glenars of sheaues, and theeues in Barnes, notwith­standing if ye will not so mayntayne your douehouse, ye must let flie the first breede, (as is afore sayde) in Marche and Aprll because y^t thorow many occasiōs in a yere many kill your olde doues, and by that meanes your Douehouse is replenished a­gayne.

¶ To draw Pegions to your Doue­house. Cap. 63.

SOme doe teache, take and rost a spayde bitche, take forth her guts, and fill her belly with Commine seede, mixte with baye sault, and when she is well and drye rosted, let her be colde, then lay her in the midst of your Douehouse, on a hye boorde and ye shall see the Doues will eate of her gladly, and so manye other Doues that smelles them whiche haue eaten thereof, they will come to the Douehouse wyth them.

Agayne to make a paste or stimie mat­ter to cause Pegions to resorte to your Douehouse, which is? Take so much as ye thinke good of a gumme whiche the I­talians cal Sorgo, or Meige, which grow­eth as hie as Parsenippes, or Commine, and it beareth a bigger seede, boyle of the sayde gumme in Commine water, and when it hath sodde and is flimie like buck lie, ye shall put therto a quantity of Com­mine, and some honye, and then giue it a boyle or two more, and stir it alwayes for [Page]burning too. Take of this being all hote, and annoynt the holes of your Douehouse therewith, so that the pegions in going in and out, may rubbe their feete and legges thereon (which sent will dure for certayne dayes after) and so many other as do smell the same, will followe them to the house, and after they will not depart frō thence, also to laye in your Douehouse y^e stalkes of Lauender cutte a shaftment long, the Doues will gather them to build theire neastes, and thereby will smell thereof, which will cause other Doues (so manye as do smel them) come to their douehouse, and for the like some to take of sand stones (which is a soft greete) and boyles of them in brine to soke, and then layes them on a table in the Douehouse, and the Pegions will feede thereon, some pours on the said stones the scumme that comes of boylde brine, which the Doues will like well, o­ther doe vse to laye on a boorde of faulte stones, which the Pegions will feede on, and it wil cause them not to seeke farre a­broade, others do vse to soke of soft bricks, in bryne, and then layes them on a boorde in the douehouse, and Pegions will feede [Page]theron, al these are thought good to train doues to the house.

¶ The nature and profite of wood pegi­ons, Culuers, and rough footed doues. Cap. 64.

COlumella sayth, the Wood Pegion is soone perceiued from other doues, they are not so fruitefull to lay as hennes, and yet more profitable, for they will haue yong viii. times a yere, and if the females be gnod nourses, the young will not bee leane, and if they be faire, leane or barrain ye may fatte them like hennes, and sell them, in like manner ye may fat Woode­culuers, but they are more rauenars and eaters then the other, and verye harde to make tame, if they be olde, they loue so­ked bread in wine, and that will soone fat them, but ye must not forget to lay of gra­uell for them to baske in, the Woodeuluer loues in winter to eat of yuie berries, and they lone to breede on low Trees, & will haue but two yong at once.

The rough footed Doue, as some iudge, comes of the wylde kynd, and yet they are [Page]to be made as tame as hennes, they are great eaters, and are very hote of nature, they lay and bring forth yong viii. or ten times a yeare, if they be well fedde. They wil neuer haue passing two yong at once, or one alone, and as soone as the henne hath hatched, she will suffer to be toden a­gayne of the Cock, they are louing birdes one to another, and the Cock will sitte on the egs while the henne feedeth abroade, and hee will feede the henne in sitting (as the Rookes doe) and also he will feede the yong pegions.

¶ Howe to take Owles that haunt your Douchouses. Cap. 65.

OUles that haunt your Douehouse by night, they destroy many Doues both olde and yong. To take them, some do set a ladder to the roofe of the house afore the sunne goe downe, and somewhat darke, they tye on both sides of the roofe, a deade doue, and layes their bellies vpward, and doe sticke lime roddes in claye round [...] a­bout them, or limde strawes, and thereby takes them, and some ties a liue Pegion a [Page]pretye waye of the house on the grounde, and stickes lyme rods rounde aboute her, or prick stickes halfe a yearde hye from the grounde, and puts small packthreede limed in the clouen toppes of the roddes, other takes them in wedging a mouse tayle in the hole of a boord, and layes that on the ground, or ties a bird with a string on the ground, and pricks lime rods about hir, and so takes them, in a lighte Moone­shine night, in a darke night they lay for the owle in the owle flight, for thē is best setting for them: if she enter into the house she kilth all she can, both olde and yong, and will remayne there, for shee cannot get forth agayne at the Louer, and shee will commonly feede of the forepart, the necke and the shoulders, by that ye maye know it is an Owle, and she will be and sit all day in one of the holes. Thus much for the taking of the Owle, there is also calles to make them come to the place in treading time, but I haue not the practise thereof, therefore here I will leaue with it.

¶ For Polecats and Weazels that haunt your Douehouse. Cap. 66.

IF Vermine haunt your Douehouse, as Fechons, kenes, Polecats, Weazels and such, ye must marke the holes where they get in to your Douehouse. There ye shall set a whiche or fall of foure foote long, close by the Douehouse side, then ye shall hedge it so that nothing shall passe any o­ther waye, but if your Whiche or fall bee staynde in taking or scaping of any of thē, they will not come to the bayte within on the burge, which ye shall bayt with a new conye liner, or such like, if that serue not then set your fall in some other place, or there, and hedge it, and couer it with thor­nes, that they may passe no other way but thorow the fall, and after any is taken y [...] must clense and ayre your fal or Whitch [...] if this serue not, ye shall put the pouder o [...] Arsenike into the slits of liuers, and tha [...] will poyson them, but see that no othe [...] thing come there to eate it, before ye tak [...] it vp, and thus ye maye destroye them i [...] short space, if ye keepe the outsides smoot [...] [Page]that no Weasill climbe vp into the house, from time to time. Other wayes there is by setting pottes in the grounde, wyth bayte in them, and with a fall, like a pit­fall.

¶ To take Bozardes and stares, that molest your Douehouse. Cap. 67.

THe Bozarde, and Puttock, that haunt your Douehouse, will sodayne strike at your Doues sitting on the house, and so killes many, when any such doe haunte your Douehouse, ye shall set stales of liue Doues on the ground with limed straws, or tye a liue mouse and wedge her tayle into a stick compassed with three graynes or twigges lymbde, then laye it on the grounde a pretye way of the Douehouse, and watche it, and ye shall see her strike at [...]t, and so be taken, and likewise set limde [...]traws about your douehouse on y^e ground [...]r small timde twigges, thus yee maye [...]ake them in the spring. Againe, Stares [...]ill commonly haunt a douehouse in the [...]inter time chiefely: which do molest the [Page]doues in driuing them from place to place and beating them out of their holes, and if it be colde, they will couet to sitte vnder the Doues Winges, and being hote of nature themselues, will make the doues so hote, that thereby they will become lea­pers, and they will haue drye spottes on them like pockes, therefore when you see Stares haunt your Douehouse, in the night ye shall couer the louer that no Pe­gion go out, and then go in with a Lant­horne, for they will flie to the light, and so with clapnets ye may take them, and they will kill the yong, and also suck y^e Doues egges.

How to Cock your Douehouse. Cap. 68.

SOme sayth, if a Douehouse do remayn [...] fiue or sixe yeare withoute taking the old cocks, they wil not prosper nor breed, because of so many old Cocks aliue, which cannot treade themselues, nor yet wil suf­fer the yong Cockes to treade their hens. Therefore some doe couer the louer, and in a winters night goeth in with a candle and lanthorne, and with a bush net take [...] [Page]all y^t comes, and puts thē in baskets, and so chuse out al the old Cocks, and kils thē, and lets the rest remayne, which old cocks ye shal know by their gret bodies & heads for they are bigger then the yonger, and they will haue a ring of blew whitish fea­thers about their neckes, and the young cocks will haue none: Agayne, some do set a ladder before night to the louer, and in the nighte one or two goeth vp the ladder with a lanthorn and light, and couers the louer hole with a net, and sets the light by the Louer, then one knockes at the doore beneath, or else goeth in, then wil y^e doues come to the light, and euer as they come, take the olde Cockes and kill them, but this waye (as some iudge) is not so good as the other, for they will bruse thēselues in flying agaynste the postes and walles, in the darke house, and some do holde opi­nyon to lette them alone is best, withoute taking the olde Cookes, for I haue harde some saye, that after their Cocking their Douehouse haue not beene so prosperous as before, Wherein here ye may chuse whiche waye best to take. Thus much for the cocking your douehouse.

¶ Of Pegion dongue. Cap. 69.

THe nature and propertye of Pegion dongue is to heate the earth, therfore keepe wel their dongue ye take out of the Pegion house, and meddle it when ye list with cowe dongue, or other horse dongue, and it doth more then Sheepe dongue, for Pegion dongue is very hote, whiche will serue to amende colde and naked places, in your fieldes or medowes, and also to re­freshe and sucker olde trees agaynst colde and weat.

¶ Of Turtle Doues. Cap. 70.

COlumella sayth, to nourishe Turtles for profite, it is superfluons, for they will laye no egges in your Cages nor hatche yong, therefore from the time you haue taken them, they keepe them to fatte more sooner then manye other Byrds, but not in all times of the yeare a like, for in winter there is great care to fatte them, and in this time there is more plenty, and the price doeth diminishe, in Sommer [Page]they will fatte themselues if they haue meate to eate, there is no other payn but to feede them with mil wheat, not because they will not fatte with other wheate, but because they loue myl wheate better, and yet in Winter they are as soone made fat (as Woode Culuers) with sops of breade soked in Wyne, and like with other thin­ges, and they do not entreate them like o­ther Pegions, in holes, but stones sette in the walles, not with partitions, but as stayes for them to sit on, they must be clo­sed with nettes rounde, that they flie not forth, and thus they vse to fat them with mil wheate, and other wheate which must be giuen drye, halfe a bushell a daye is y­nough for sixe score Turtles and alwayes they must haue freshe water in clean ves­sels, and see that their dongue marre not their feete, which donge is good to keepe for the fatting of trees, as all other byrdes [...]aue those that swim, and to fatte these, ye must chuse the yongest rather then the ol­ [...]est, also about haruest, the yong Turtles [...]re big ynough to fat, then they vse to fat [...]hem.

Stephanus sayth, those fowle are ra­ther [Page]to be nourished then to breede. They are vsed as Fezantes, with braunches ap­plyed to the wales, and fastned wiar, with doores hard by, also in the corners ye shal make places for them to pearche on, and set braunches of Genoper and Bayes, a­bout your trees set agaynste the walles, also yee shall fasten small pannyers to the walles, to tyce them to laye, if they haue any desire thereto.

And yee shall place your couer for your cage the height of a man, and places made rounde for them to rooste vnder, & strawde with fresh straw, renewing it often, and make places for thē to eat, with troughes for them to drinke in, and chaunge it ofte [...] They loue the hote ayre, in colde tymes they passe the Seas in flockes, from on [...] countrey to another, they are made tam [...] as our house poultrie, which is very har [...] to doe, for they are not to be fedde, but fo [...] the delicatenesse of them in feastes & ban­quets. The Turtle is more easie to mak [...] tame, then other Quayles or Partrich [...] and to fat also if they be taken yong, an [...] by giuing them wine, they make thē for­get their libertie, for they will bee very [Page]angry when they are firste take, and they neuer laye inclosed, nor fat scantly in win­ter, they are contrary to other foule, as Geues and such, their nourishment is fet­ches, barly and moste of other grayne, ye shall giue freshe water in a vessell, so they may bathe therein, and lay by of grauilye sende to scower and heale them, whē they are sicke, and looke to their billes for the pippe, and take it away if there be anye, also looke to their feet for troubling with their dongue, and also vnder their wings, if they haue any vermine, yee must helpe them as you doe your poultrie.

¶ The ordering and fatting of hearnes. Cap. 71.

STephanus sayth, I haue afore resited of the great curiositie of diuerse kinds of fowles to nourish, and here agayne I must faye the like of the hearne, for shee is but expense, without profite to any. True it is, for princes and great Lords, to tame to flye for pleasure, otherwise the Hearne alone, it is but the daintie mouth to eate the flesh, as y^e saying of some is, the hearne is a royall meate, but this pleasure costs [Page]double charge, for shee is a greate spoyler and deuourer of fishe, we may think them the father of a familye in housholde, be it Prince or great Lord will sometyme take pleasure in the flight of the hearne, or for his mouth, there is no other reason to bee made, then for to make a place to keepe them in, noc onelye for pleasure, but also profice for his Lorde or mayster, nowe to make this place to fatte them and keepe them in bondage, which loues dayly to be abrode alone, and solitarye in their mynd, and yet not rest long in a place, excepte it please them well, for shee is waywarde, fearefull, and delights to builde on hyghe Trees, a place for them may well be made for two occasions, one to nourishe them in for the pleasure of the Prince, and agayne to haue them ready at neede for anye ban­quet, and those that are so closed, will call others that flie by, and cause thē to breede there abouts.

Also ye must consider of the place meete for them, to keepe them in, for if it rayne not there sometime, she wil take no plea­sure therein, nor yet breede, but mourne, and so pyne and die, also ye must houe a [Page]running water thorowe the midst of your courte or place, for the Hearn is a watrish Fowle, and hath pleasure for to looke for fishe in waters, to take Eeles and other small fishe. The place for them oughte to be couered all ouer with lathes, set nye to­gether, and walde or boorded rounde, sixe foote hye, so that other Hearnes if they will may make their neastes thereon, and their feeding shall be liue Eeles, or cutte, and cast in water, and to giue other small fishe, sometimes the entrailes and liuers of beastes cutte small, or dogges fleshe cut and giuen them, to fatte for flighte or ban­quet, they will not lightly breede beeing in bondage, they be a pleasure for flying, but not to let flye nie their Court, for the rest will be afrayde, and those that come there to breede they will forsake the place and build there no more.

¶ The ordering and nourishing of Par­tridges. Cap. 72.

THe Partridge is a dayntie Byrd, and liues in fleldes among bushes and hed­ges, the Cockes are stoute and hote of na­ture, [Page]and the hennes also, and will laye a­boue twentie egges at a time, and bring foorth their yong, they breede but once a yeare, which is in the spring, the Cockes will fight for their hennes, and he whiche hath the victory will constrayne the other Cocke to follow him and run after him, as doth the henne, their feeding is very dain­ty with millet wheat, or of pannick wheat or other wheate, also if ye take the Par­tridge egges and set them vnder a henne that sitteth, she will hatch them and bring them forth and nourishe them like house chickens, they must bee fedde with antes egges, till they be of a more strength, and of a good bignesse, then ye may feede them as ye doe house chickens, and those which ye so nourishe and feede, yee maye easilye keepe them tame in your Courtes, and they will breede from tyme to tyme, and nourishe their yong, if ye helpe them with antes egges, whyle they are young, and ye must make pretye places on the ground for them to breede in, and couered with boughes, for they loue commonlye not to be seene or haue any to looke and beholde them, ye must gyue them of freshe water, [Page]shorning and euening, & keepe their court cleane.

¶ Quayles feeding and their nature. Cap. 73.

Quayles are a dayntie fleshe vsed for banquets, they are of nature furious fighters, and currishe, therefore they that keepe them, let not them haue so much li­bertye as other Fowles haue, nor yet so muche light, therefore they couer theire cages with canuas, or leather, for moun­ting and busiyng their wings agaynst the sides of the Cage, they put their meat and drinke in vessels a part, eache Quayle by himselfe, whiche will make them sooner to fatte, they loue to eate greene wheate, and also of other wheate, whiche is theyr principall meate. They vse muche that circuite where they are commonlye bred, they breede in Corne fieldes, and in Pa­stures, they will haue fiue or sixe at a time and breede but once a yeare, they loue the place whereas there groweth muche elle­borye, called neesing powder, of some: whereof Didimus sayth, their flesh is lax­atiue, and also will make ones head heauy [Page]and also will make ones heade heauy and euill, and for this cause some doe sear [...] them with Wheate, and boyles them wel therewith, if any find greefe thereby, they drinke the decoction that millet is sodd in or the seede of Myrre, which is good also to giue Quayles to eate, the yong loues to be feeding among grasse, to be picking on flies and such. The tame yee maye vse them to a call, as ye doe your chicken.

¶ The Gulles how to feede. Cap. 74.

GUlles doe breede in the rockes, and bankes of the Sea, in extreame cold weather they flye from the Sea into the Lande, and liues on mountaynes and playnes, and they feede there on wormes and suche as they canne get, and they that doe fatte them doe take them readie to fly, in holes and rockes by the Sea syde, and then they feede them, the old are not good to fatte, they feede both with fishe & fleshe, as the liuers of beastes, and fresh sea fishe as place and such, cutte in smal peeces and giuen them, their vessels of water oughte [Page]to be pannes of earth, filde with fayre wa­ter, then lay therein brick battes or stones that they bathe not therein, for they will desyre to bathe, and that will keepe them leane, their meate must be chopte rewe, and layde on boordes, and they commonly fighte (and crye) one with another, and they be great rauenars, and oughte to be fedde twise or thrise a daye with sweete meate, and they vse to laye it in fayre wa­ter to keepe it sweete two or three dayes, they breede but once a yere, and will haue foure or fiue in a neast, or more.

¶ Of Puets. Cap. 75.

PUets are byrdes or fowle that breedes in Rocks and bankes by the Sea, they are taken young from the neastes like the Gulles, and fedde for banquets, they are a dayntie fleshe, and pleasaunte to eate. They are kepte to fatte in large houses and courtes, for some doe vse to put them in parts, for they will fight like y^e gulles, one with another, and those that they in­tende to eate shortlye, they feede them a parte with curdes, for that will soone fat [Page]them, and make their flesh whyte, s [...]p [...]te, and fayre, so will not those fed with flesh, as lyuers of Oxen and sheep, smally chopt as is aforesaid of y^e gulles & layd on fayre boords twise a day, for they are rauenars, & to giue thē fayre water laid with stones like as ye do for Gulles aforesayd, for ba­thing wil kepe thē lean, & they breede but once a yere, & haue 5 or 6 at a time, or me.

¶ Of Fesantes and their nature. Ca. 76.

STephanus sayth, it is a great curiositie to nourishe the olde Fesants which Co­lumella doth name them hens of Numidie but for those y^t may feede them, it is both pleasure and profite, but ye must haue one to doe no other thing, for they require great attendaunce, & yee must make their Court somewhat hye, set also with bordes agaynste the walles, round about y^e court in length, & their pearche made so to sitte where the sunne may shine, and each byrd his place, and also to haue one generall house to clense the hens, and to giue them meate, and closed all aboue, & before with laths very nie together, about the height of a pole from the earth well couerd all o­uer, also the Fesante Cockes and hennes, [Page]are byrds of a stoute courage, and are not content to be enclosed or made tame, if they bee aboue a yeare olde, and the olde hennes are greeued, and disdayneth to lay or sit, and the yong wil not so soone agree with the ayre, being so constrayned there: because it is not lyke the Region from whence they were take, also there must be giuen to one male two females, the Fe­males laye but once a yere and she begin­neth in Marche, and layth some twentye egges by order, or she stint, and then shee sits on all together, or ye may giue xv. of hits, and the rest of other straunge egges [...]f ye will, she sittes thyrtye dayes, and in setting them yee must haue the lyke dilli­ [...]euce as of your house hennes, and these [...]ust not bee without their houses, and the [...]ong being once hatched, shal haue a mix­ [...]ure made of sodde barlye branne, then [...]olde and giuen, and to giue them wheat [...]eale, the whiche yee shall sometymes [...]ire together and so giuen, sometimes of [...]rashappers, and the egges of Ants, and [...]ten to change their water to haue it still [...]eane, for they are subiecte vnto the like seases as the house hennes are.

¶ How to fat Fezantes. Cap. 77.

THe auncientes did vse to fat and nou­rishe the Fesantes, both Cockes and hennes not onelye for increase, but as we [...] for feasts and banquets, and in the begin­ning they giue them water and wine mix together, to make them forget their natu [...] rall place and then they feede them wit [...] barlie meale steeped in water, and groun [...] beanes, and stieped barlye mixte togethe [...] with millet, and also naues and linseed boylde, then dryde, and mixte with barly meale, and likewise to heate them and [...] purge them, they did vse to giue them f [...] ­nigreke the space of fiue dayes, and so th [...] were clensed and mude in forty dayes, a [...] thus some keepes them that are of skil, nourishing of daintie Fowle, and Colmella sayth, ye may well giue them me to fat them for banquets, for few or no being wylde hennes are giuen to lay or sit being kept in bondage and bredde vp a­brode.

¶ Of Godwits, Knots, and Stynts. Cap. 78.

THe Godwits, and Knots are taken yong, they breede in holes and Rockes by the Sea, and also in Ilandes nye the Sea, they are exteemed a dayntie meate, and pleasaunt, and costlye to keepe, and make fatte, for they are commonlye fedde with Wheate, and fayre water other fee­ding I haue not knowne.

¶ Of Plouers. Cap. 79.

THere are two kynde of Plouers, the one is called the greene Plouer, which [...]ue cal the Lapwing, and the other is cald [...]he gray Plouer which breeds in Ilands [...]ye the Seas, or in great heathes, and [...]arrishe groundes, and also the greene Plouer breedes commonlye in marrishes, [...]eathes, Fieldes, and suche, they breede [...]ut once a yeare, and when they lay as in Harche and Aprill, they will not haue [...]ast foure or fiue yong, their feeding is [...]mmonly on Wormes and flies and such [Page]as they can get, they will hardly be made came being enclosed, for they are a wylde kinde of peuishe byrdes to tame. They are fedde with wheate and Water, like the o­ther fowle aforesayde, the yong greene Plouer is easter to make tame, and they vse to kepe thē in gardens to kill worines and giues them wormes and water, but then beware the Rite and the Catte, thus muche for the Plouers.

¶ Of the Bitter and Curlew. Cap. 80.

THe Bitter is a strange kinde of fowle, and liues commonlye in Fennes, and in morish heathes, they are euill to bee made tame. Their fleshe is pleasaunte to eate, and are kept for banquets, they are fed with raw liuers of beasts, & such lyke, they are yrefull, and will strike sodaynlye at a mans face, and stand lurking in a corner like the hearn, & they feare the sight o [...] a mans face, and those that doe fat them they doe cram them with raw fleshe cutt in small peeces, which they will cast it v [...] agayne. Therfore when ye cramme then ye must put a double threede ouer his bil [...] [Page]to posse his nostrils, and thorow his no­strils put a small sticke or quill, and that will keepe the threed vp, and let him from casting vppe his meate agayne, if that were not, he woulde cast it vppe inconti­nent.

The Curlew is a fowle that feeds com­monlye in moyste groundes and heathes, their flesh is plesant to eat, they feed com­monly on wormes and such, and they fat them with wheate and fayre water, other feeding I know not what is best for them, Thus much for the Bitter & the Curlew.

¶ Of Blackburdes and Thrustles. Ca. 81.

THe Blackbyrde is a dayntie fleshe to eate, & they are more charable to keepe then many others, & they that shall keepe them in cages being taken old, & brought from other countreies, they are hardly sa­ued to be transported, also if ye put the old to be fed in cages, some therof wil sodain­ [...]y die of enuy and feare, when they are ta­ken of the Fowler and put to fatte, there­fore the best remedye is, ye shall take of came Blackbyrds and put vnto y^e wild, [Page]and whē they are accustomed to be serust, the wylde in seeing the tame feede, they will feede also, and so forget their anger and libertie, and thus ye may best bring the wilde to be tame, and to receiue theyr meate with the other.

Also their cages must be made toward the South, with pearches of woode set in the walles to sit and proyne, when they haue eaten, and ye must not set their pear­ches aboue a mans heighth, that in stan­ding on the ground they may touch them, ye shall not feede them where their Pear­ches are, for keeping their meat more cle­ner without their dongue, and for their meate, some do vse to feede them with dry figges, and barlye Flowar beaten togea­ther, and giue them thereof, so they may leaue some, also sometimes they chewe it in their mouthes, and so giues it vnto thē, but where as many are, it is not quite cost to feede them, and other some are of opini­on to feede and giue them of diuers kinds of meate is good, for feare if they should be weary of one meate, as sometimes t [...] giue them wormes, antes, wheate, hard egges and soked breade in water, and th [...] [Page]seedes of wylde tares, or Charuel seedes, or wylde Oliues, or yuie berryes, and wylde Apples, for when they are in the Woodes, they eate of all these, but in their Cages it will trouble them, and yet cause them to prouoke appetite, whiche is necessarye, for the more they eate, the soo­ner they will be fatte, and ye shall fill also their vessels with mill wheate, whiche is the cheefest meate for their delight, the other doe serue but as sauce of pleasure, their drinke ought to be cleare water and often chaunged, and thus ye may fatte the blackebyrde, so may ye nourishe and fatte the Thrustle, and Fieldfare, other byrdes there is, whiche are not so necessarye to be fed, nor yet so profitable. Thus I leaue for the gouerning and fatting of Black­byrdes and Thrustles, with all the gouernment of poul­trie and Fowle a­foresayde.

¶ To make white byrdes come of anye egges. Cap. 82.

TAke your egges of what byrd ye wil, and lay them two dayes long in honye and then put them agayn in the neast, and let them be sat on, and ye shall haue them whyte.

¶ To make hens of the colour of your egges ye set her. Cap. 83.

YE shall take some Egges of a broode henne, and coloure them with what colour ye will, and put them to the henne, and ye shall see the Chickens to be of the same colour ye coloured the egges.

¶ For Geese. Cap. 84.

IF yee sette a Goose where as shee ca [...] come by no water to bathe her, whe [...] she riseth her egges then will not prospe [...] nor come to any perfection, Also when goose haue satte her time, and cannot w [...] breake and vnclose her egges, yee sha [...] [Page]burne the stalkes and leaues dride of cole­wortes before her neast, and perfume her neast therewith, and soone after they shall vnclose and hatche, likewise if ye haue di­uers broode Geese, and but one Gander, some Ganders will loue but one or two Geese and hate the rest, therefore it shall be good to haue mo Ganders then one to serue their Goslings, for when the Goose leades and goes afore her yong, the crowe will take some behynde hir, and therefore ye shall see the Gander come behynde his goslinges, and thereby saues manye from the Crowes and Rites.

¶ To make hennes lay.

TO cause hennes to laye al the winter, take the croppes of nettles when they are readye to seede, then drie them, and mix them with bran and hempeseede, and so giue it your hennes a morninges, and they will lay, yee may also giue them the seedes of Cowmake, a weede amongest [...]orne so calde in Turnars Herball, whiche will also cause them to lay.

¶ For breeding Capons.

ANd those that woulde breede manye Capons, ye must not then haue anye Cock that is vsed to fighte, for then hee will alway beate your Capons, and not suffer them to be at rest but hunt & kill them at length.