The accomplisht cook Part 81

SECTION XXIV.

_Excellent Ways for Feeding of Poultrey._

_To feed Chickens._

If you will have fat crammed chickens, coop them up when the dam hath forsaken them, the best cramming for them is wheat-meal and milk made into dough the crams steeped in milk, and so thrust down their throats; but in any case let the crams be small and well wet, for fear you choak them. Fourteen days will feed a chicken sufficiently.

_To feed Capons._

Either at the barn doors with sc.r.a.ps of corn and chavings of pulse, or else in pens in the house, by cramming them, which is the most dainty. The best way to cram a capon (setting all strange inventions apart) is to take barley meal, reasonably sifted, and mixing it with new milk, make it into good stiff dough; than make it into long crams thickest in the middle, & small at both ends, then wetting them in luke-warm milk, giue the capon a full gorge thereof three times a day morning noon, and night, and he will in a fortnight or three weeks be as fat as any man need to eat.

_The ordering of Goslings._

After they are hatched you shall keep them in the house ten or twelve days, and feed them with curds, scalded chippins, or barley meal in milk knodden and broken, also ground malt is exceeding good, or any bran that is scalded in water, milk, or tappings of drink.

After they have got a little strength, you may let them go abroad with a keeper five or six hours in a day, and let the dam at her leisure entice them into the water; then bring them in, and put them up, and thus order them till they be able to defend themselves from vermine. After a gosling is a month or six weeks old you may put it up to feed for a green goose, & it will be perfectly fed in another month following; and to feed them, there is no better meat then skeg oats boil'd, and given plenty thereof thrice a day, morning, noon, and night, with good store of milk, or milk and water mixt together to drink.

_For fatting of elder Geese._

For elder geese which are five or six months old, having been in the stubble fields after harvest, and got into good flesh, you shall then choose out such geese as you would feed, and put them in several Pens which are close and dark, and there feed them thrice a day with good store of oats, or spelted beans, and give them to drink water and barly meal mixt together, which must evermore stand before them. This will in three weeks feed a goose so fat as is needfull.

_The fatting of Ducklings._

You may make them fat in three weeks giving them any kind of pulse or grain, and good store of water.

_Fatting of Swans and Cygnets._

For Swans and their feeding, where they build their nests, you shall suffer them to remain undisturbed, and it will be sufficient because they can better order themselves in that business than any man.

Feed your Cygnets in all sorts as you feed your Geese, and they will be through fat in seven or eight weeks. If you will have them sooner fat, you shall feed them in some pond hedged, or placed in for that purpose.

_Of fatting Turkies._

For the fatting of turkies sodden barley is excellent, or sodden oats for the first fortnight, and then for another fortnight cram them in all sorts as you cram your capon, and they will be fat beyond measure. Now for their infirmities, when they are at liberty, they are so good _Physitians_ for themselves, that they will never trouble their owners; but being coopt up you must cure them as you do pullets. Their eggs are exceeding wholesome to eat, and restore nature decayed wonderfully.

Having a little dry ground where they may sit and prune themselves, place two troughs, one full of barley and water, and the other full of old dried malt wherein they may feed at their pleasure. Thus doing, they will be fat in less than a month: but you must turn his walks daily.

_Of nouris.h.i.+ng and fatting Herns, Puets, Gulls, and Bitterns._

Herns are nourished for two causes, either for n.o.blemens sports, to make trains for the entering their hawks, or else to furnish the table at great feasts; the manner of bringing them up with the least charge, is to take them out of their nests before they can flie, and put them into a large high barn, where there is many high cross beams for them to pearch on; then to have on the flour divers square boards with rings in them, and between every board which should be two yards square, to place round shallow tubs full of water, then to the boards you shall tye great gobbits of dogs flesh, cut from the bones, according to the number which you feed, and be sure to keep the house sweet, and s.h.i.+ft the water often, only the house must be made so, that it may rain in now and then, in which the hern will take much delight; but if you feed her for the dish, then you shall feed them with livers, and the entrals of beasts, and such like cut in great gobbits.

_To feed Codwits, Knots, Gray-Plovers, or Curlews._

Take fine chilter-wheat, and give them water thrice a day, morning, noon, and night; which will be very effectual; but if you intend to have them extraordinary crammed fowl, then you shall take the finest drest wheat-meal, and mixing it with milk, make it into paste, and ever as you knead it, sprinkle into the grains of small chilter-wheat, till the paste be fully mixt therewith; then make little small crams thereof, and dipping them in water, give to every fowl according to his bigness, and let his gorge be well filled: do thus as oft as you shall find their gorges empty, and in one fortnight they will be fed beyond measure, and with these crams you may feed any fowl of what kind or nature soever.

_Otherways._

Feed them with good wheat and water, give them thrice a day, morning, noon, and night; if you will have them very fat & crammed fowl, take fine wheat meal & mix it with milk, & make it into paste, and as you knead it, put in some corns of wheat sprinkled in amongst the paste till the paste be fully mixt therewith; then make little small crams thereof, and dipping them in water, give to every fowl according to his bigness, and that his gorge be well filled: do thus as oft as you shall find their gorges empty, and in one fortnight they will be fed very fat; with these crams you may feed any fowl of what kind or nature soever.

_To feed Black-Birds Thrushes, Felfares, or any small Birds whatsoever._

Being taken old and wild, it is good to have some of their kinds tame to mix among them, and then putting them into great cages of three or four yards square, to have divers troughs placed therein, some filled with haws, some with hemp seed, and some with water, that the tame teaching the wild to eat, and the wild finding such change and alteration of food, they will in twelve or fourteen days grow exceeding fat, and fit for the kitchen.

_To feed Olines._

Put them into a fine room where they may have air, give them water, and feed them with white bread boiled in good milk, and in one week or ten days they will be extraordinary fat.

_To feed Pewets._

Feed them in a place where they may have the air, set them good store of water, and feed them with sheeps lungs cut small into little bits, give it them on boards, and sometimes feed them with shrimps where they are near the sea, and in one fortnight they will be fat if they be followed with meat. Then two or three days before you spend them give them cheese curd to purge them.

_The feedings of Pheasant, Partridge, Quails, and Wheat Ears._

Feed them with good wheat and water, this given them thrice a day, morning noon, and night, will do it very effectually; but if you intend to have them extraordinary crammed fowl, then take the finest drest wheatmeal, mix it with milk, and make into paste, ever as you knead it, sprinkle in the grains of corns of wheat, till the paste be full mixt there with; then make little small crams, dip them in water, and give to every fowl according to his bigness, that his gorge be well filled; do thus as often as you shall find his gorge empty, and in one fortnight they will be fed beyond measure. Thus you may feed turtle Doves.

FINIS.