The husbandman, farmer and grasier's compleat instructor. Containing choice and approved rules, and directions for breeding, feeding, chusing, buying, selling, well ordering and fatning bulls, cows, calves, rams, ews, lambs, swine, goats, asses, mules, &c. : How to know the several diseases incident to them, by their signs and symptoms, with proper remedies to cure them; : as likewise all griefs, and sorrances what-ever. : Also, a treatise of dogs, and conies, in their breeding, ordering, and curing the distempers they are subject to. : To which is added, The experienced vermine-killer, in particular directions, for taking and destroying all sorts of vermine in houses, out-houses, fields, garden, graneries, and other places. / By A.S. Gent.

A TREATISE OF POULTRY: AND How they are to be ordered in al•• circumstances, to the best Advan∣tage and Improvement.

POULTRY are exceeding useful and prof••••∣ble to the Farmer, Husbandman, and othe••s▪ and therefore, though it he something •••• of my Method, in a Book of Cattle, it will •••• be ungrateful to all that are Masters of any, but ra•••• oblige them as I hope, and farther adorn the Work: An•• since this Nation affords as good a Store and breed o•• Fowle, as any under Heaven, to give Rules for the im∣provement, and increase of them, may farther increase •••• Grandu••e of this Island; and the first thing to do it, is•• a good choice; and first of the Cock.

The choice of a Cock for breed.

For breed, the Dunghil Cock is always prefered before the Game one; consider then to make a good choice; let him be large and well sized, his Body long from the head to the Rump; thick in the Garth, his Neck loose and long, Arch-wise bending; his Body straight and high erected, is a Faulkon; his Comb, Wattles and Throat, rag∣ed, large, and of a great Compass; and of a very deep red his Eyes; his Eyes great and round, in colour, an∣swering his Plume and Male; his Legs thick, with good Spurs; as for his colour, it may be indifferent; how∣ever, red, mixed with yellowish, and a sprinkling of black, is accounted the best.

The choice of a good Hen

Having chosen your Cock, the next business must be to choose a suitable Hen, and such a one should be in shape big and large, answering every proportion with the Cock; having a turft of Feathers on her Crown, in∣stead of a Comb, with strong Claws; but for a sitting Hen, it would be best to chuse one that has no hinder Claws, for such there may be found; and then she will not endanger the breaking of her Eggs.

Being thus provided, and the Hen producing Eggs, the next thing to be considered, is the care in ordering, during, the sitting of the Hen.

How a Hen must be ordered, as to her sitting.

The best time for a good large breed, is to set her in Febru••ry, when the Moon is increasing; and then by the next New Moon in March, the Chickens will be dis∣closed; you may set them from March, till October, (but the first Brood will be the best) but not after, for the Winter is an Enemy to their breeding; and her proper time of sitting is twenty one days: But Turkeys, Pea-Hens, Ducks, Geese, &c. sit thirty days; so that if you set her

on any of their Eggs, let it be Nine days before you •••• any of her own to her: She will cover well Nine•••• Eggs, and let any number she sits on be odd, because they will then lye round, even and close; marke the up∣per side of your Eggs when you lay them in the N•••• and if in some few days, you find the Hen has not tur•••• them, when she is gone off to feed, you must do it, for then she is not a good sitter; be sure the Eggs you set u••∣der her be sound and new, which you may know by their fulness or heaviness, also their clearness, by holding them to the Sun, or a Candle; raise her not unnecessarily at any time from her Nest; a Hen will be a good fitter from the second Year of her laying, to the fifth; let 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not goe far when she rises to seek her food, especially if the weather be cold, for then the-Eggs will chill and spoyl before she returns.

Chickens and their ordering.

When your Chickens are hatched, if you find any weak, wrap them in Wooll, and air them before the Fire, scent them with a little burnt Rosemary, and you need not give them any Meat for two or three days, for they require it not; and then let their first be Oat-meal, some dryed, and some steeped in Milk; or else, Wheat-bread-Crumbs; and after they have gained strength, you may give them Crusts soaked, White-bread, parings of Cheese, or Curds, Barly-meal or Wheat-bread scalded, or the like; and so as they grow up, proceed to Barly, Wheat, or the like Grain: It is proper to keep them a Fortnight in the House, before you suffer them to goe abroad, and chop green Chieves among their Meat, and that will pre∣serve them from the Disease called the Rye, and other Di∣seases in the head; give them fair water, for if for ware of it, they drink that which is foul▪ it will breed the Pi••••

For the better keeping of your Eggs, cover them in •• heap of good old Malt, and they will remain sound all the year; gather them but once a day, and be sure to leave a Nest Egg to fatten the Chickens, even under the Hen; you need no more than give them duly feed, and not let

them run and straggle too far to seek it; but if you will have them Cram-fa••, Coop them up when the Hen is grown careless of them; then mix Wheat-flower with Milk, make it up into a Paste, roll little bits somewhat long, big in the middle, and narrow in the ends; dip them in the Milk, and thrust them down their Throats, and in Fourteen days they will be exceeding fat: And thus you may use Capons, Pullets and other ••owle, sui∣table to be cramb'd, and make them fat. As for the car∣ving or making them Capons, the best time to take away the Stones of the Cocks, is when the Dam has left them, and their Stones are come down; to do it, you must see it experimented, or else you will never be an Artist at it, by private Directions.

Of the Turkey-Cock and Hen, their Choice, Laying, Sitting, Breeding, Feeding the young ones, &c.

A Turkey is very profitable for the Eggs, Carcass, and Feathers, and is a good shifter for his Food; and that your breed may be good, take the following Directions:

Let the Cock not exceed two years, and such a one as will be loving to the Chickens: As for the Hen, there is no doubt of her laying till she be five years old, and up∣wards; let your Cock be large in Body, well crested, often spreading his Tail, and proud in his Gate; for if he be dejected and careless of himself, he will never make a good treader.

As for the Hen, when she lays, you must watch he, for she will endeavour to conceal her Eggs in secret places; and if she be a stragler, shut her up in laying time: The be∣gining of their laying time, is in March, and in April they will sit; put not above thirteen Eggs under her, be∣cause she has not heat enough to bring more kindly forth; and between five and twenty, and thirty days, expect the Chickens to be hatched; take them then away, and keep them warm, for any chilling cold destroys them.

You may feed them with new Cheese, crumbled small, or with Curds; give them new Milk, or Whey, or Wa∣ter, to drink; feed them oft, for the Hen regards not

much to scrape for them, or find them food; let them ra•• in some senced Grass-plats, that they cannot get out, •••• house them a nights, for the Dew or Wet is very off•••• s••••e to them▪

To satten the Turkies, great or small; gve them boyl¦ed ••arly or Oats for fourteen days, and the next fort night, cram them with crams of Paste, made as directed •• for the Chickens or Capons, they are not subject to D••∣seases when abroad, because they find such Herbs or Food as physicks them, and prevents sickness.

Breeding, Feeding, Fattening, and other rules for ordering Geese and Goslings to advantage.

Geese are very profitable to the owner, in their Fea∣thers, Down, Eggs, Flesh and Fat, and are little charg∣••ble in keeping, as contenting themselves with Grass for want of other Food.

In choosing them for breed, the largest are accounted the best; and for colour, the white and gray are prefera∣ble; the black are accounted the worst; let the Gander be stately, and of a good courage.

As for the laying time, it begins generally in the Spring, and some lay earlier, which are accounted the best: They will some lay twelve, others sixteen, and some more; when she is about to lay, she will take up Straw in her hill, and scatter it about; and being desirous to sit, she will continue long on her Nest after laying; she sits most kindly one her own Eggs, as knowing them by the scent from anothers; her usual time is thirty days, but in warm, weather she hatches sooner; in her sitting give her scald∣ed Bran, and Skeg-Oats, and set a Tub of water by her, that she may cool and wash her Feathers.

Keep the Gosling in the house about twleve days after they are hatched; feed them with Barly-meal, and Milk, Chipping, scalded Curds or new Cheese; Bran scalded in water, Milk, or the tappings of Drink; when they are somewhat strong, dismiss them of their imprisonment; watch them abroad, and shew them the water, and put them up again; so do till they grow strong: At six weeks

o•••• they are turned green Geese; and to fat them, boyl Ste•• Oats, and give them thrice a day, with their fill of Milk and Water, and in three weeks they will be very at▪

To fatten Geese that are grown to Maurely, as five or or six Months; having taken them from the Ba••n-door, or Stu••ble-Field, when they are pretty well fleshed, put them up into Pens that are dark, or not much light; com∣ing to them, give them Oats ground, Malt and Beads, and water with Barly Meal, and a sufficiency of these in three weeks, will fat•••• them to your mind.

As for pulling your Geese the best season is at moult∣ing time, but be not so covetous to leave her naked, lest the cold or Briers greatly injure her.

This Fowle is troubled with a Gargil, •• Disease that ca••ses stopings in the Head, and often mortal. To remedy it, take little Balls or Pellets of Garlick and But∣ter, well bruised together, and give it fasting, and shut he: up two or three hours after it.

Of the Swan, her ordering, feeding and fatning.

The Swan is another Domestick Fowle, yet give their owners no trouble; as to their breeding, taking Rules for it themselves, better than can be directed; therefore where they place their Nest, let them remain undisturb∣e••, and they will very kindly produce their young, and bring them up: Their Down is exceedingly beneficial, as also their Skins for many uses; and if you you will have them fat for the Kitching, take the young Swans, called Cygnets, and feed them in every poynt as directed for the Geese, but they will not fat so soon; taking up for that purpose about seven or eight weeks, because their Flesh in harder and dryer; either coop them up, or put them into a close walk, where they may have a Pond or some other Water to trim themselves in, for nastyness makes them sick, and loath themselves; set them Barly and Wa∣ter, if abroad, as also dryed Malt, on which they may seed as they list, and then they will be sooner fat.

Of breeding, feeding and fatning Ducks, wild and tame.

Ducks are profitable for their Eggs and Flesh, yet there are of these far more wild then tame; yet such as keep them, finds the advantage; for they are great shifters, as well as devourers, and will eat any nasty thing; as Guts, Frogs, Spiders, and sometimes Toads, as well as loose scattered Corn; being ever diligent to seek for their Food; they are great layers once a year, and when she sits, you must give her Meat that she may not ramble for her Food, for then she will not quickly return again; and Offal-Corn, and scalded Bran, with water, is suffi∣cient; as for her sitting, hatching, and feeding the Duck∣lings, observe the same rule as for the Goose; you may easily fat them with any Corn, Chickens guts, and the like, which may be done in a Fortnight or three weeks,

Several People keep wild Ducks, accounting them better feed than those bred at home; but in this there is trouble; for you must have a convenient place, Walled or Palled in, with a Pond or Spring in it; and covered over, if you give them their Wings, with a strong Net over it high raised, or Archwise bending Poles, with Turfs of Oziar, and Baskets, and other Covertures for them to shelter and breed in; with secret holes and creeks for their other conveniency, to retire; and so delighting and feeding in this imprisonment, they will lay and breed, and want no more attendance, than to he fed twice a day with Oats, scalded Bran, Fitches, or the like; and in this manner you keep and feed Plover, Widgeon, Sheldrake, and others.

Of the Peacock, Pea-Hen and Chickens.

The Peacock and Pea-Hen, have been formerly held for Dainties, but now are kept more for show, than advan∣tage; yet the Pea-Chickens fatted, are as good as Par∣tridge; and where you keep them, let the place be clean and neat, for they much delight in it; and let there be no pysonous Seeds, Berries, or Insects in their walks.

When the Hen lays, she seeks the covertest place, to ••ide them from the Cock, for he will else break her Eggs; ••or does she bring them to him, till the Turft of Feathers on their Craw begins to appear, lest he should kill them, ••ut then he is sufficiently in love with them; the Chickens are very tender, and must be kept out of the cold, they will feed and thrive upon any thing that is reasonable, and grow fat with Corn and crumbs of Bread, without coo••∣ing or penning up, or taking of much care of, as being careful of themselves.

The well ordering Plgeons and Dove-houses.

Pigeons are another Commodity, gainful to the own∣ers, but injurious to the Neighbours, by devouring abund∣ance of Corn; they are great breeders, and put those that keep them to little charge; for by flying abroad, they procure their own meat; they bring two at a time, once a Month, if they be well fed, and well paired; they will not of themselves divide: The Cock is not only loving to the Hen, but to the young ones, and will sit content∣edly one the Eggs, whilst she goes off to feed; he will also feed the young, with as much diligence as the Hen: P••as and Tares they much delight in, and to keep them to your house, set a salt Pot up, where they may peck at it; that is, Bay-salt bruised small, with Anni-seeds, Cum∣min-feeds, Ca••raway-feed, well mingled with it, baked in an Oven, in an earthen Pot, like a Sugar-loaf, for at this they take great delight to peck; and be careful to make the Wires and Holes where the young are, that the Pigeons may enter, but not Birds of pray; for though the Owl seems large in the Feathers, she will slip in at a little hole, and destroy them.

To keep tame Pheasants, Patridges, Quates and other Birds.

These are accounted Dainties, and the ordeing them may not be amiss, to be incerted among Poultry▪

To keep these, you must have a large room, with man little Boxes, so that they may play, run and hide them∣selves

at pleasure; in the middle, set Wheat-sheaves 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them to peck at, and little shallow pans of water, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 when they have pecked the Corn, they may drink at th•• pleasure; give them boyled Malt and Rice, and if y•• would fat them, keep them up in their Boxes, with li•••• Wires before them; give them Chilter-Wheat in Troug•• before them, as also water, and in a Fo••tnight they w•••• answer your Expectation: And thus you may, keep a•• fatten Black-Birds, Feldefares, God-wits, Knots, Grey plover, Curlew, Thrush, and all sorts of Birds, with •• little variation of their feed, as you see them inclined •••• delight in one feed more than another.

Also Herons, Gulls, Bitterns and Pevits; but these latter, must mostly be fed with Flesh, Worms and Fis••, cut small, and have store of water.

Diseases in Poultry and other Fowle, with suitable Remedies, &c.

Crow-Trod••en.

IF a Hen be Crow-trodden, as many times she is, it is known by the staring of her Feathers, and the duln••••s of her Eyes, and hanging of her Wings; for this, stamp the blades of Onyons with Butter and Bay-salt, and give it her.

For any Stinging.

When you perceive this by their Lowring, and Swell∣ing; give them Rue and Butter stamped together, and made up in o little Pellets.

For the Pip.

This is known by a white scale on the tip of the Tongue, take it off with a sharp Needle or other Instrument; and ••ub the Tongue with Salt and Vinegar.

For the Flux.

Too much moist meat occasions this; for this boyl Sloes in their water, and give them Peas, Barley, and scalded Fran.

For the Roup.

This is a swelling on the Rump, which will corrupt the whole body, if not remedyed in time; to do it, pull off the Feathers about the Sore, open it and squeeze out the Corruption; wash the place with Salt and water, and it will be well.

For stopage in the Belly.

This binding is removed, by thrusting a Quill diped in Hogs-grease up their vents, and giving them bits of bread or Corn, steeped in Mans Urine.

To kill Lice.

Take the siftings of Pepper, mix it with warm water, ••nd wash them with it, and it will kill the Lice.

For sore Eyes.

For sore Eyes, or other Diseases in the Eyes; take the Juice of ground Ivy and Pimpernel, wash them with it, and they in a few times doing, will be well.

To prevent a Hens Crowing.

Pull her Wings, and a few Feathers of her Crown and Neck; then give her parched Wheat, or Barly, and keep her for some time from other Poultry.

To prevent a Hens eating her Eggs.

Lay for the prevention of this vice, an Egg of Alla∣blaster or Chalk in her Nest, and when she picks at it,

she will weary her self, and make her Bill so sore, that for the future, she will be discouraged from medling with the Eggs.

To make a Hen lay well.

This may be done by feeding, as giving her toasted Bread sopped in Ale or Beer; Barly boyled, Spelt-Fitches, and the like, but not too much, lest she grow over-fat, and that bind her for laying at all.

To prevent a Hens sitting.

Hold her in a Pan of cold water set in her Nest, after that run a little Feather through her Nose, and the desire of fitting will be quite taken from her.

For a Hen over fat.

If your Hen be over fat, that it hinders her laying, beat a Tilesheard into Powder; mix it with scalded Bran, and give it the Hen, and she will be soon reduced to a moderate flesheyness.

These are all the noted Diseases incident to Poultry, and for want of knowing them, and their Remedies, many thousands have been lost; therefore I have set them down for the use of the good House-wife, that plenty and pro∣fit may by industry increase.