¶ Suo laeduntur stercore, quod cum pedibus uncis adhaesit podagram creat, Columella[1]. ¶ Gallinae abortum non facient, si ovi luteum (alias album) assatum cum uvae passae (tostae) pari portione contusum, ante alium cibum porrexeris, Leontinus et Pamphilus[2].

¶ They are damaged by their dung giving rise to gout - bumblefoot - after the former stuck in hooked claws, Columella. ¶ The hens won't abort if before another food you will give them the yolk of the egg (otherwise the egg white) fried with raisin (toasted) in the same amount and crushed, Leontinus and Pamphilus, geoponics.

¶ De animalibus gallinaceo generi infestis, leges etiam supra in Gallo D. Ne gallinae a cat<t>is laedantur: Cat<t>us non invadit gallinam, si ruta agrestis sub eius (gallinae) ala appendatur, Africanus. Idem remedium etiam adversus vulpes et alias animantes gallinis noxias valere legimus[3]: et multo efficacius fore (contra feles nimirum et vulpes) si vulpis aut felis fel cibo admistum exhibueris, ut etiam Democritus confirmat. Vulpes gallinis insidiatur, Albertus. et idcirco forte mutui hostes sunt milvus et vulpes, quoniam utrique gallinas rapiunt, Stumpfius. Circa caveas gallinarium incendendum est cornu, ne serpens accedat, cuius odore solent interire.

¶ About the animals harmful to chickens you can also read what previously reported in the chapter of the rooster, paragraph D. So that the hens are not injured by the cats: The cat doesn't attack the hen if under her wing (of the hen) wild rue is hung, Sextus Julius Africanus, geoponic. I read that the same remedy is helpful against foxes and other animals harmful to hens: and that it will become very more effective (obviously against cats, as well as foxes) if you will give bile of fox or cat mixed with the food, as also Bolos of Mendes confirms. The fox sets traps for the hens, Albertus. And perhaps because of this the kite and the fox are mutual enemies, since both abduct the hens, Johann Stumpf. All around the pens of the hens horn has to be burnt, so that the snake doesn't enter, at whose smell they - the snakes - usually die.

Multas a vulpibus et quibusdam aliis animalibus noxiis patiuntur insidias, ideoque circa loca in quibus versantur extirpanda et removenda sunt omnia in quibus vulpes latere possint. Noctu claudantur in caveis diligenter circumquaque et septis, nec permittantur foris cubare. fertur enim vulpem subdolam intueri eas, quantumcunque in alto remotas loco, ita ut videant oculos eius lucentes tanquam faculas: et cauda quasi baculo quodam minari eis, ut sic prae metu delapsas rapiat. Patiuntur etiam insidias milvorum et aliarum rapacium avium, praecipue aquilarum. contra quas tendantur funes vel vites seu vitalbae (audio vitem sylvestrem causticam in Italia alicubi vitalbam vocari) supra loca in quibus interdiu morantur. Capiantur etiam vulpes taliolis, vel aliis artibus, et milvi retibus, {fisco}[4] <visco> vel laqueis, Crescentiensis. Putorii et martari (viverrae seu mustelae sylvestres) omnes infesti sunt gallinis, quibus captis primus caput et cerebrum auferunt ne clamare possint, Albertus. Mustela etiam gallinis infesta, ova earum exorbet, et ipsas interficit, Albertus. ova tantum rapit, nec aliter nocet, Stumpfius. Ἀλέκτορας {γαλή} <γαλῆ> δειματοῖ, Philes[5]. Vite nigra aiunt si quis villam cinxerit (ut modo de vitalba ex Crescentiensi retuli) fugere accipitres, tutasque fieri villaticas alites, Plin.[6]

They suffer quite a lot of traps from foxes and some other harmful animals, that's why around the places where they are strolling around we have to take away and remove all the things in which the foxes could hide themselves. At night they have to be shut up in pens with enclosures all around and well done, and they have not to be allowed to sleep outside. For they say that the fox being astute catches them even if they are secluded in a place as far as tall it is, so much so that her bright eyes like small torches succeed in seeing: and that she threatens them with the tail as being a baton, so much to abduct them after they are fallen because of fear. They are also subjected to the traps of the kites and other rapacious birds, above all of eagles. Against them ropes either black-berried white bryony or white grapevines - Bryonia alba - have to be set  (I hear that somewhere in Italy the caustic wild grapevine is called white grapevine) above the places in which they stay during the day. The foxes have also to be captured with traps or other dodges and the kites with nets, birdlime or snares, Pier de' Crescenzi. The ferrets - Mustela putorius furo - and the beech martens - Martes foina - (wild viverra and mustela) are all and sundry harmful to hens, and after captured them they remove their head and brain so that they cannot cackle, Albertus. Also the weasel - Mustela nivalis - is harmful to hens, it sips their eggs and kills them, Albertus. It only steals the eggs, but doesn't harm in other way, Johann Stumpf. Aléktoras galê deimatoî, The weasel terrifies the roosters, Manuel Philes. They say that if somebody will have surrounded the farm with black bryony or black grapevine - Tamus communis - (as a little ago I reported from Pier de' Crescenzi apropos of the white bryony) he keeps away the sparrow hawks, and the fowls of the farm stay safely, Pliny.

Cibi. Eo tempore quo parere desinent aves, id est ab idibus Novembris, pretiosiores cibi subtrahendi sunt, et vinacea praebenda, quae satis commode pascunt adiectis interdum tritici excrementis, Columella[7]. Maxime observandum ne vinaceos acinos vorent, ut qui foecunditatem (Andreas a Lacuna vertit firmitudinem. legit enim {μόνιμα} <μόνιμον> non {γόνιμα} <γόνιμον>[8], quod non probo) earum cohibeant, Florentinus. Vinacea quamvis tolerabiliter pascant, dari non debent, nisi quibus temporibus anni avis foetus non edit. nam et partus raro, et ova faciunt exigua. Sed cum plane post autumnum cessant a foetu, possunt hoc cibo sustineri, attamen quaecunque dabitur esca per cohortem vagantibus die incipiente, et iam in vesperum declinante bis dividenda est, ut mane non protinus a cubili latius evagentur, et ante crepusculum propter cibi spem temporius ad officinam redeant, possitque numerus capitum saepius recognosci. nam volatile pecus facile pastoris custodiam decipit, Columella[9]. Gallinas aiunt illas suavioris esse carnis, quae cibo non abunde eis apposito, sed quem ipsae pedibus fodientes eruant non absque labore pastae fuerint, Clemens Stromatéωn secundo.

The foods. In that time when hens cease laying, that is, starting from Ides of November – November 13^th, more expensive foods should be withheld and marcs have to be given, being nourishing well enough, occasionally adding discards of wheat, Columella. Above all we have to watch out that they don't eat the grapes of the marcs, since the latter would stop their fecundity (Andrés de Laguna translates with vigor, for he reads mónimon - steady - and not gónimon - fertile, but I don't agree), Florentinus. Grape-stones, even though rather nourishing, must not be given but in the periods of the year when the hen doesn't lay; in fact they cause a laying which happens seldom and the hens lay  little eggs. But when, after the autumn, they wholly stop to lay eggs, they can be fed on this food, nevertheless, whatever food will be given to the subjects wandering in the barnyard, it has to be subdivided in two times, at the beginning of the day and when it verges on the evening, so that straight away, early in the morning, they don't excessively stray from hen-pen, and before the twilight they bring forward their return to hen-pen for hope of food, and the head's number can be counted quite a lot of times. In fact the flock of fowls easily deceives the watch of the keeper, Columella. They say that are of more tasty meat those nourished not with an abundantly provided food, but with that they dig up scratching out with their feet and not without labor, Titus Flavius Clemens Alexandrinus, II book of Stromata.

Chondro[10], id est alica aut farre pascebantur etiam gallinae. βούλομαί σε δίκην ἀλεκτρυόνος ἐμφορηθέντα τοῦ χόνδρου κορύξασθαι, Aemilianus apud Athenaeum circa finem libri tertii[11]. Cibaria gallinis praebentur optima, pinsitum ordeum, et vicia, nec minus cicercula, tum etiam milium, aut panicum: sed haec ubi utilitas annonae permittit. ubi vero ea est carior, excreta tritici minute commode dantur. nam per se id frumentum, etiam quibus locis utilissimum est, non utiliter praebetur, quia obest avibus. potest etiam lolium decoctum obijci, nec minus furfures modice a farina excreti, qui si nihil habent farris, non sunt idonei, nec tantum aptuntur (appetuntur,) <ieiunis,>[12] Columella. Cibus illis est offerendus, elixum hordeum, aut milium aut frumenti furfur, aut zizania vocata lolium, quae quidem ad nutritionem est commodissima: ac humida folia cytisi. Haec enim eas maxime durabiles et firmas reddunt, (foecundiores potius. γονιμώτερα, non μονιμώτερα,[13]) Florentinus.

The hens were also nourished with chóndros, that is the emmer. Boúlomaí se díkën alektryónos emphorëthénta toû chóndrou korúxasthai, I want that you become swollen by stuffing yourself with emmer after the manner of the rooster, the grammarian Maurus Aemilianus in Athenaeus toward the end of the III book of Deipnosophistaí. The hens are provided with good foods, crushed barley and vetch, as well as chick-peas, then also millet or foxtail millet: but these last two when the market's low price of grain is allowing. But when it is more high, chaff of wheat in small quantity can conveniently be given. In fact such whole wheat, also in those places where it is very cheap, is not profitably given to eat, being harmful to birds. You can also give boiled darnel and moreover bran little impoverished of flour, for if the bran doesn't have flour anymore, it is not suitable, nor is desired when they have an empty crop, Columella. Boiled barley has to be given them as food, or millet, or bran of wheat, or darnel - Lolium temulentum - said bearded darnel, which actually is very proper for feeding: and the green leaves of cytisus. In fact these make them very resistant and strong (it is preferable more fertile, that is, gonimøtera, not monimøtera, stronger), Florentinus.

Cibis idoneis foecunditas earum elicienda est, quo maturius partum edant. Optime praebetur ad satietatem ordeum semicoctum. nam et maius facit ovorum incrementum, et frequentiores partus. Sed is cibus quasi condiendus est interiectis cytisi foliis ac semine eiusdem, quae utraque maxime putantur augere foecunditatem avium. Modus autem cibariorum sit, ut dixi, vagis binorum cyathorum ordei, aliquid tamen admiscendum erit cytisi, vel si id non fuerit, viciae, aut milii, Columella[14]. Sed quinam cibi simul et nutriant et foecundas reddant, supra etiam hoc in capite dictum est, non procul initio. {Ieiunis cytisi} <Cytisi> folia, seminaque maxime probantur, et sunt huic generi gratissima: neque est ulla regio, in qua non possit huius arbusculae copia esse vel maxima, Columella[15]. Cytisum in agro esse quam plurimum refert, quod gallinis et omni generi pecudum utilissimus est, quod ex eo cito pinguescit, Idem[16]. {Aristomachus} <Amphilochus> viridem cytisum gallinis dari iubet, aut si aruerit madefactum, Plin.[17] Gallis cytisi semen foliaque (arida) perfusa aqua, offerenda sunt, quippe quae non minus quam viridia eos nutriant, Florentinus. Cannabis semen in homine genituram extinguit, gallinis auget. nam quae in hyeme hoc semine pascuntur gallinae ova pariunt, caeterae non item, Amatus Lusitanus.

Their fertility must be stimulated with proper foods, so that they lay more promptly. It is excellent to give them half cooked bowline to satiety. In fact it makes the eggs larger and a more frequent laying. But this food must be made somehow pleasant mixing it with leaves and seeds of cytisus, both things regarded as very suitable for increasing the fertility of the birds. The quantity of food, as already I said, has to be of two cyathi - 100 ml - of barley apiece for the subjects free to stroll around, nevertheless we have to mix a little bit of cytisus or, if it is not available, of vetch or millet, Columella. But what foods are at the same time nourishing and stimulating of the fertility, it is already been told previously in this chapter, not afar from the beginning. The leaves and the seeds of cytisus are very appreciated and this genus of birds likes them a lot; and there is no region where this small bush is not abundantly present, but even in overabundance, Columella. It is very important that the cytisus is present in the fields, being very useful to hens and every kind of animals, since thanks to it the animals fatten up in a hurry, still Columella. Amphilochus of Athens - not Aristomachus of Soli - prescribes that green cytisus is given to the hens, or moist if it is dried up, Pliny. To the roosters have to be given seeds and leaves (dry) of cytisus soaked in water, being nourishing not less than the green ones, Florentinus. The seed of the hemp in human beings reduces the reproductive ability, in the hens increases it. In fact those hens eating this seed during the winter, lay eggs, the others don't do the same, Amatus Lusitanus, alias João Rodriguez do Castelo Branco.

¶ Saginatio. Vides et hic prope villae culinam quasdam caveis inclusas. has villica copiosiore cibo pascit, ut quam mox plenas factas, carius mercatori vendat. has farctas et altiles nuncupant, (Germani masthennen,) Gyb. Longolius. Altiles dictae quod sagina altae et enutritae sint, Platina.

Fattening. And you can see some of them confined in the pens, here, near the kitchen of the farm. The wife of the farmer nourishes them with food in greater amount, so that, as soon as they became fat, she can sell them to the poulterer at a higher price. They call these hens as filled and fattened (the Germans say masthennen), Gisbert Longolius. They are said fattened having been fed and stuffed with fattening mash, Platina.