Ad idem, Comminutam Laconicam testam ac furfuri mistam laevigatamque [426] vino eis propone, aut ipsius testae contritae acetabulum unum duobus choenicibus furfuris miscens, edendum dato. Sunt qui ad eundem effectum alimento minium[1] (μίλτον, rubricam, Cornarius) permisceant, Leontinus. Gralegae (Rutae caprariae) semen dicunt mirabiliter foecunditatem gallinarum augere, Crescentiensis[2]. Gallinis quae ova parere nequeunt, gith dato, Obscurus. Gallinae semine cannabis pastae, per totam hyemem ova pariunt, quod et urticae semen facere certum est, Brasavola. Atqui Symeon Sethi, cannabis semen in homine genituram exiccare scribit instar caphurae. Urticae siccantur, atteruntur manibus, servantur in hyemem, et in aqua fervefiunt pro gallinarum cibo per hyemem, ut inde foecundiores reddantur. Sunt qui furfuribus coctis tanta crassitie, quanta sumi a gallinis poterunt, matura urticae semina immiscent: et sic eas per hyemem incalescere et foecundiores fieri aiunt. Sed de alimentis quae horum alitum foecunditatem augent, inferius etiam in mentione de cibis earum dicetur. Aliqui viscum etiam pro gallinis coquunt. Visci quidem pabulo foecunditatem dari cuicunque animali sterili arbitrari nonnullos, author est Plinius[3]. Gallinarum quae absinthium edunt, ova, amariuscula fiunt, Matthaeolus.

For the same purpose – so that large eggs are laid - give them some Laconian earthenware minced and ground up and mixed with bran along with wine, or give to eat a cup for vinegar of this same minced earthenware mixing it with two chenics - around 2 l - of bran. Some people in order to get the same effect mix with the food some carmine (mílton - red ochre, Janus Cornarius translates it red ochre), Leontinus. They say that the seed of gralega (of goat-rue) remarkably increases the fertility of the hens, Pier de’ Crescenzi. Hens who are not able to lay eggs are to be given the seed of nigella - gith, an unknown author. The hens fed on hemp seed lay eggs for the whole winter, and it is ascertained that nettle seed gets the same outcome, Antonio Brasavola. Meanwhile Simeon Sethi writes that hemp seed, like camphor, dries out the seminal fluid in humans. Nettles are dried out, crumbled with hands, saved within view of winter, and they cook them very well in water as wintry food for hens, so that they are more fertile. Some people are mixing ripe nettle seed with bran cooked to such a thickness as the hens can take, and they assure that thus they grow warmer during the winter and more fertile. But about the foods increasing the fertility of these birds I will also speak more ahead when I will mention their foods. Some people cook for the hens also the mistletoe. Pliny indeed affirms that some people are thinking that by a feeding with mistletoe the fertility is guaranteed to whatever sterile animal. The eggs of hens eating absinthe become rather bitter, Pierandrea Mattioli.

DE INCUBATIONE:
ET PRIMUM QUAENAM OVA SUBIICIENDA,
et quot numero: et quibus gallinis, et quando. Deinde quae cura parientibus
et incubantibus adhibenda. De ovis diversarum avium, quae gallinis
subiici possunt. De iis quae ova propria edunt, etc.

ABOUT THE INCUBATION:
AND FIRST OF ALL WHAT ARE THE EGGS
TO BE INCUBATED,
and in what number: and by what hens and when.
Then what cares we have to take of those laying them
and of those hatching them.
The eggs of different birds that can be hatched by hens.
About the hens eating their eggs etc.

Ova quae incubanda subiicies, potius {e vetulis sunto, quam e pullastris} <vetulis quam pullastris>, Varro[4]. Aptissima sunt ad excludendum recentissima quaeque, possunt tamen etiam requieta supponi, dum ne vetustiora sint quam dierum decem, Columella[5]. Ova incubari infra decem dies {a}edita utilissimum. vetera aut recentiora infoecunda, Plinius[6]. Ova decem dierum bene foventur, et pauciorum usque ad ova quatriduana. quae infra aut supra hoc tempus sunt, minus valere probantur, Albertus. Ova plena sint, atque utilia, (foecunda, Albertus) nec ne, animadverti aiunt posse, si miseris in aquam: quod inane natat, plenum desidit. Qui, ut hoc intelligant, concutiunt, errare, quod in eis vitales venas confundunt[7]. In iis idem aiunt, cum ad lumen sustuleris, quod perlucet, id esse ob< >inane, Varro[8], Florentinus et Plinius[9]. Plura vide supra in C. ubi de ovis urinis dictum est, et inferius ubi de incubatione scribetur. Ova ad incubationem eliguntur, in quibus Soli obtentis semen galli apparet. tum a septem dierum incubitu iterum inspiciuntur: et si quod est quod Soli obtentum non appareat alteratum, eijcitur tanquam subventaneum et inutile, Albertus. Sed alii (ut infra recitabimus, ubi de cura incubantium sermo erit) versus Solem an semen galli appareat contemplari solent, non in iis ovis quae ad incubationem initio deliguntur, sed quae per aliquot dies incubitum iam pertulerunt. Cum quis volet quamplurimos mares excludi, longissima quaeque et acutissima ova subiiciet: et rursus cum foeminas, quam rotundissima, Columella[10]. Vide supra in C. In supponendo ova observant, ut sint numero imparia, Varro, Plinius, Palladius et Florentinus.[11]

The eggs you will set for incubation are preferably set under somewhat old hens rather than pullets, Varro. They are very fitting for hatching all those just laid, nevertheless can be set for incubation also not fresh ones, provided that they are not older than ten days, Columella. It is very suitable to set for incubation the eggs laid since ten days. The older or more recent ones are sterile, Pliny. The eggs of ten days are well incubated, as well as those of few days up to the eggs four days old. Those being under or over this time are judged as less good, Albertus. They say that it can be realized if the eggs were full and useful - for hatching - (Albertus says fertile) or not, if you will put them in water: the void one floats, the full one sinks. Those people who shake them in order to realize this, make a mistake, because so doing they put upside-down the vital veins. In this regard they still say that, setting them in front of an oil lamp, what allows the light passing it is because it is empty, Varro, Florentinus and Pliny. See a larger amount of data in the previous paragraph C where I have spoken of eggs full of wind and more ahead when I will speak about incubation. They are chosen for incubation those eggs in which, put against the sun, the semen of the rooster is visible. Then they are re-examined after an incubation of seven days: and if it occurs that the one put against the sun doesn't appear modified, it is eliminated, being full of wind and useless, Albertus. But other people (as I will say more ahead when I will speak of the cares to be taken of broody hens) are used to look against the sun if the semen of the rooster is seen not in those eggs selected for incubation, but in those already brooded for some days. When someone will want to be born a lot of males, he will put to incubate all those eggs showing themselves exceedingly elongated and sharp: and in turn when he will want females, those extremely round, Columella. See before in the paragraph C. When setting eggs for incubation they pay attention that they are odd in number, Varro, Pliny, Palladius and Florentinus.

¶ Quae velis incubet, negant plus vigintiquinque oportere ova incubare, quamvis propter foecunditatem peperit plura, Varro et Plinius[12]. Mulieres nostrae ultra septendecim vel novendecim ova non supponunt, Crescentiensis. Numerus ovorum quae subijciuntur, impar observatur, nec semper idem: nam primo tempore, id est mense Ianuario quindecim, nec unquam plura subiici debent, Martio XIX. nec his pauciora. unum et viginti Aprili. tota deinde aestate usque in calendas Octobris totidem. Postea supervacua est huius rei cura, quod frigoribus exclusi pulli plerunque intereant, Columel.[13] A calendis Novembris gallinis ova supponere nolito, donec bruma conficiatur. In eum diem ternadena subijcito aestate tota, hyeme pauciora, non tamen infra novena, Plinius[14].

¶ That hen you want to be broody they say that it is not worthwhile that she broods more than 25 eggs, even if because of fertility she laid more of them, Varro and Pliny. Our women don't set for incubation more than 17 or of 19 eggs, Pier de' Crescenzi. The number of eggs set under the broody hen has to be odd and not always the same: in fact, in the first period, that is in the month of January, 15 have to be put and never more, in March 19 and not less than this number. In April 21. Then as many for the whole summer up to calends of October. Afterward it is useless to devote ourselves to this activity because the chicks born during the cold generally die, Columella. Starting from calends of November don't put eggs for incubation under the hens up to when the winter is not ended. Toward this period and for the whole summer put for incubation 13 at a time, when it is cool a little less, nevertheless not less than 9 at a time, Pliny.

Supponantur gallinae, foecundae[15] quidem non plura quam vigin<ti>tria ova, pauciora vero non tali: scilicet pro uniuscuiusque natura, Florentinus. Fere autem, cum primum partum consummaverint, gallinae incubare cupiunt ab Idibus Ianuariis, quod facere non omnibus permittendum est, quoniam quidem novellae magis edendis, quam excubandis ovis utiliores sunt. Inhibeturque cupiditas incubandi pinnula per nares traiecta. Veteranas igitur aves ad hanc rem eligi oportebit, quae iam saepius id fecerint, moresque earum maxime pernosci, quoniam aliae melius excubant, aliae editos pullos commodius educant. At e contrario quaedam et sua et aliena ova comminuunt, atque consumunt, quod facientem protinus submovere conveniet, Columella[16]. Ova subijciantur, non quidem iis quae florent aetate, aut parere possunt, gallinis, sed provectioribus, vigent enim atque florescunt anniculae ad emissiones (partiones) ovorum, potissimum autem bimae sed minus quae sunt seniores, Florentinus. Appositissimae ad partum sunt anniculae aut bimae, Varro[17]. Gallinae incubationi destinandae, rostra aut ungues non habeant acutos. tales enim debent potius in concipiendo occupatae esse, quam incubando, Idem. Quae non secus quam gallinacei calcaribus spiculatis armantur, cavendum est ne eae incubent. pertundunt enim ova, Florentinus. Oportet qua die subditurus es ova, non unam tantum gallinam, sed tres superponere aut quatuor, Idem.

They are put for incubation under a fertile hen no more than 23 eggs, but less if she is not such: that is, according to the nature of every one, Florentinus. But when they have done the first laying period, the hens wish to brood, beginning from the Ides of January – January 13th; but we have not to allow all of them to do this; in fact, young hens are more suitable for laying eggs than for hatching them. And the brooding desire is inhibited passing a small feather through nostrils. Insofar for brooding we have to choose the veteran ones, who already did this many times; and we have to know very well their behavior, because some are better in brooding, others raise in more suitable way the chicks when born. But on the contrary there are some hens breaking both their eggs and those of someone else, and they devour them, and it will be worthwhile to immediately do away with her carrying out this, Columella. The eggs have to be put under not to those hens being in the pick of their age or who can lay them, but to those of more advanced age, in fact those one year old are at the height and in the pick of production (of laying) of eggs, above all those two years old, but less the older ones, Florentinus. They are awfully suitable for laying those one year or two years old, Varro. The hens who have to be devoted to incubation must not to have sharp beak or toenails. In fact these ones have to be preferably employed for laying than for brooding, still Florentinus. Those armed with anything else but sharpened spurs like a rooster, we have to watch out that don't start to be broody. In fact they pierce the eggs, Florentinus. It is necessary that the day when you will put the eggs for incubation, you put above not only a hen but three or four, still Florentinus.

¶ Frigoribus exclusi pulli plerunque intereunt. Plerique tamen et ab aestivo solstitio non putant bonam pullationem, quod ab eo tempore etiam si facilem educationem habent, iustum tamen non capiunt incrementum. Verum suburbanis locis, ubi a matre pulli non exiguis {preciis} <pretiis> veneunt, nec plerunque intereunt, probanda est aestiva educatio, Columella[18]. Aiunt optimum esse partum {aequinoctio [427] verno, aut autumnali} <ab aequinoctio verno ad autumnale>. Itaque quae ante, aut postea nata sunt, et etiam prima eo tempore, non supponenda, Varro[19].

¶ The chicks born during the cold, for the more they die. Most of breeders doesn't hold for good even the production of chicks starting from summer solstice, because beginning from this moment, even if they can easily be raised, nevertheless they are not able to reach a suitable growth. But in suburban farms, where the chicks just separated from broody hen are sold at a no low price, and for the more they don't die, the summer breeding is advisable, Columella. They say the best delivery is that from the vernal until the autumnal equinox: Thus the eggs laid before or after, and even the first ones laid at that time should not be set under the hens for incubation, Varro.