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 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 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 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 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 .

●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 , 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 when 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 ●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 .

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 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 from 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 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 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 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 , them 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 that shee bee not of a franke and a free nature .

THe Chickens whiche are newlye hatched shoulde be put into a siue and perfumed a little with rosemary , whiche is good to saue them 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 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 the 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 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 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 .

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 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 .

HEnnes commonly begins to laye betwixt Februarie and marche , & then 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 , when 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 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 the 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 giuen 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 then 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 .

TO feed & nourishe Chickens from the damme , ye must vse to giue them meat 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 poyson 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 .