3. Of Courage true, which you shall observe by his proud, stately, upright Standing and Walking, and his frequent Crowing in his Pen.
4. Of a Sharp and ready Heel, which is (in the Opinion of the best Cock-Masters,) of high Estimation; a Sharp-heel’d Cock, tho somewhat false, is better (as dispatching his business soonest) than a true Cock with a dull Heel. Enfine choose your Cock endued with all these Qualifications together above mentioned.
For Breeding good Cocks for the Game, or Battel, the best season is from the Moon’s Encrease in February, to her Encrease in March. The March Bird is best. And now first get a perfect Cock, to a perfect Hen, as the best Breeding, and see the Hen be of an excellent Complexion (i. e.) rightly plumed, as black, brown, speckt, grey, grissel, or yellowish; tufted on her Crowne, large bodied, well poked, and having Weapons, are Demonstrations of Excellency and Courage. Observe further her Comportment, if friendly to her Chickens, and revengeful of Injuries from other Hens. Fortes creantur a Fortibus.
Having placed her Nest, private from other Fowles disturbance, and warme, observe your Hen in sitting, if she be busie in turning her Eggs; if remiss, to help her. Set by her Sand, Gravel, Water and necessary food, to prevent her Straggling.
After one and twenty dayes observe her Hatching, to take the newly hatcht Chickens, and wrap them in Wool and keep them warm by the fire till all be disclosed; then put them all under her, and let her keep them warm, and let none of them straggle abroad till they are three Weeks, or a Month old; and then let them run in some Grass-plat, or green Court, to pick Wormes, Grass and Chick-weed, to feed and scour themselves; but let them not ramble near Puddles, or filthy Channels; and to prevent any malady, a few Leek-blades minc’d small amongst their Meat is good.
When they are grown so, as that their Sexes may be distinguish’t, assoon as the Comb or Wattles but appear, cut them away, and anoint the Sore with sweet Butter, till whole. This early cutting them, is highly necessary to prevent Flux of Blood, (which is dangerous in doing it later) and Gouty thick Heads.
When the Cock, and Hen-Chickens, (going till now promiscuously one with another) begin to quarrel and peck each other, part them and separate their Walks: And the best for a Fighting-Cock, are private and undisturbed Walks, as, Wind-mills, Water-mills, Grange-houses, Park-lodges, &c. and their Feeding-place on soft Ground, or Boards; and have for his Meat, White Corn, or White-bread Tosts, steept in Drink, or Urine, is good, both to Scowre, and Cool them. And do not debilitate and debauch his Courage and Strength, by having too many Hens to walk with; Three Hens are enough for one Cock.
If before they be Six Months Old any of your Chickens Crow clear and loud, and unseasonable, then to the Pot or Spit with them, they are Cowards; the true Cock is long ere he gets his Voice, and when he has gotten it, keeps good and judicious Time in Crowing.
Next observe your Roosting-Perch, for this makes or marrs a Cock; for forming of which, consult the best Cock-Masters Feeding-Pens, and the Perches there, and accordingly proportion your own, therefore I shall not propose any form here; Only pray take care that the ground underneath the Perch be soft, for if the ground be rough and hard, in leaping down he will hurt his Feet, and make them Gouty and Knotty.
For the Dieting, and Ordering of your Cock for Battle, observe these Rules. Let your Cock be full two years Old, then in the latter end of August, take up and Pen him, (it being now Cocking-time till the end of May) and see that he be sound, hard-feather’d, and full summed. As to the moving Perch, and Pen, take my foregoing Advice.