But whether you breed big or little Birds, when once you have pitched upon your Cock and Hen for that purpose, see that you place them at a private Walk, where they go undisturbed and free from the molestations of other Poultry: for if a neighbouring Cock do but happen to come within the confines of your Walk, he may do you a double diskindness; first by putting upon you a spurious breed, a hatch of ill-natur’d Bastards of his own getting; secondly, by Bathering of your Cock, so as to render him unfit for breed, and make his Chickens nothing worth. For when once a Cock is surfeited, he either fails to tread, or if he does tread, he is sure to get distempered feeble Chickens; and a Cock is this way the most apt of any to take a deadly surfeit, for being both foggy and full of Feathers, he is soon heated and overstrained, and for want of Stiving, his Blood grows stagnant, congeals, and becomes glutinous, not being able to circulate as Nature requires, for the carrying off of such humours as are by this means raised to so contagious a degree, that the whole Fabric of his Body becomes deeply infected with a Pluretic, or some such like Malady, which seldom is discovered in time, and so for the most part proves incurable: so that you may see by what has been said, that another Cock is not to be endured within Crow of your breeding Walk, nor indeed other Hens, though there be no Cock with them, for they also in a great measure will be injurious to your Breed: For a Cock is a most solacious Creature, naturally Hot, and extreamly lustful, and when prompted thereto by variety of Mates, he is apt to over-tread himself amongst his fresh Mistresses, whilst those you intend him for, have least of his Strength bestowed upon them, and assure your self this, that these Chickens which are thus got but in part, will prove but to the halves; and therefore when you have a Cock, and Hens to your mind, see that your Walk be secure from all other Poultry before you turn them down to breed, and in no case put above two Hens to your Cock at a time, if you would have your Chickens lusty and strong; your Walk also ought to be well watered and to yield a competency of Meat, both for your Cock and Hens during the time of treading, for as they should not be kept low and poor, so neither may they be fed Fat, for that will render them unfit for Procreation, making the Cock to tread seldom, and to yield but little Seed, and the Hens no less guilty of false conceptions bringing forth abortive Eggs without Shells, filled with nothing but Wind and slimy Matter, which never comes to good, and therefore your Hand must here be gauged. _Of the Place proper for the Hens to lay in, and the manner of ordering the Eggs._