[Columella[1]] Huic autem focus applicetur tam longus, ut nec impediat praedictos aditus, et ab eo fumus perveniat in utranque cellam: eaeque longitudinis et altitudinis duodenos pedes habeant, nec plus latitudinis quam media sublimitas: dividantur tabulatis, quae supra se quaternos, et infra septenos liberos pedes habeant, quoniam ipsa singulos occupant, utraque tabulata gallinis servire debent, et ea parvis ab oriente singulis illuminari fenestellis, quae et ipsae matutinum exitum praebeant avibus ad cohortem, nec minus ad vespertinum introitum, sed curandum erit, ut semper noctibus claudantur, quo tutius aves maneant. Intra tabulata maiores fenestrae aperiantur: et eae clatris muniantur, ne possint noxia irrepere animalia. Sic tamen, ut illustria sint loca, quo commodius habitent, aviariusque subinde debet speculari aut incubantis, aut parturientis foetus. Nam etiam in iis ipsis locis ita crassos parietes aedificare convenit, ut excisa per ordinem gallinarum cubilia recipiant: in quibus ova {a}edantur, aut excludantur pulli. hoc enim et salubrius, et elegantius est, quam illud, quod quidam faciunt, ut palis in parietes vehementer actis, vimineos qualos superimponant. Sive autem parietibus, ita, ut diximus, cavatis, aut qualis vimineis, praeponenda erunt vestibula, per quae matrices ad cubilia vel pariendi, vel incubandi causa perveniant. neque enim debent ipsis nidis involare, ne dum adsiliunt, pedibus ova confringant. Ascensus deinde avibus ad tabulata per utranque cellam datur iunctis parieti modicis asserculis, qui paulum formatis gradibus asperantur, ne sint advolantibus lubrici.

Columella - To this wall must be attached also a hearth of a length that will not block the aforesaid entrances and so that from it the smoke may reach each of other two cells: which should be twelve feet long and high and have no more width than the middle cell: they should be divided by planks which must keep clear four feet above and seven below since the planks take up a foot each, and both planks should serve the hens and must be lighted by small windows on east side and may also offer an exit for the hens into poultry yard in the morning as well as an entrance in the evening, but care should be taken to keep them always closed at night so that the birds may remain more safe. Below the planks larger windows should be opened up and protected with gratings so that harmful animals may not creep in. But always so that the rooms should be kept well lighted in order that they can stay rather well, and the poultry keeper rather often must keep an eye on incubating or hatching hen. For also in these rooms it is advisable to made walls so thick that they may hold the hollow nests of the hens in a row, in which the hens may lay eggs or hatch chicks. For this solution is both more healthy and neat than what some people do, that is, after they drove pegs into the walls are placing wicker baskets on them. And in front of the spaces hollowed out in the walls, as I said, or of the wicker baskets, little entrances must be placed through which the females can pass to their nests for either laying or incubating eggs. For they must not fly directly into the nests, so that when jumping on them lest they break the eggs with their feet. Furthermore through both rooms an ascent for the birds to the floors is provided by small pegs fixed to the wall and these should be roughened a little with grooves formed on them so that they are not slippery when the birds fly on them.

Sed ab cohorte forinsecus praedictis fenestellis scandulae similiter iniungantur, quibus irrepant aves ad requiem nocturnam. Maxime autem curabimus, ut haec aviaria, et caetera, de quibus mox dicturi sumus, intrinsecus, et extrinsecus poliantur opere tectorio, ne ad aves feles habeant aut coluber accessum, et aeque noxiae prohibeantur pestes. Tabulatis insistere dormientem avem non expedit, ne suo laedatur stercore, quod cum pedibus uncis adhaesit, podagram creat. ea pernicies ut evitetur, perticae dolantur in quadrum, ne teres laevitas earum supersilientem volucrem non recipiat: conquadratae deinde foratis duobus adversis parietibus induntur, ita ut a tabulato pedalis altitudinis, et inter se bipedalis latitudinis spatio distent. haec erit cohortalis officinae dispositio. Caeterum cohors ipsa, per quam vagantur, non tam stercore, quam uligine careat. nam plurimum refert aquam non esse in ea nisi uno loco, quam bibant, eamque mundissimam: nam stercorosa pituitam concitat. puram tamen servare non possis, nisi clausam vasis in hunc usum fabricatis. sint autem, qui aut aqua replentur, aut cibo, plumbei canales, quos magis utiles esse (quam) {ligheos} <ligneos>, aut fictiles compertum est. hi superpositis operculis clauduntur, et a lateribus super mediam partem altitudinis per spatia palmaria modicis forantur cavis, ita ut avium capita possint admittere. nam nisi operculis muniantur, quantulumcunque aquae, vel ciborum inest, pedibus evertitur. sunt qui a superiore parte foramina ipsis operculis imponant, quod fieri non oportet: nam supersiliens avis proluvie ventris cibos; et aquam conspurcat, Columella.

But outside, on barnyard’s side, similarly little ladders should be fixed to the aforesaid little windows, on which the birds may creep to their nightly rest. But great care should be taken that both these aviaries, and the others about which I shall soon be speaking, be kept polished with plaster both inside and outside so that the beech marten or a snake may have no access to the birds and that likewise harmful diseases may be excluded. It is unsuitable that a sleeping bird rests on the planks in order to not be damaged by its own dung, because once this adhered to its hooked feet creates podagra - bumblefoot. To avoid this injury the perches should be cut square lest their rounded smoothness fails to give the bird a purchase on them when flying up: when squared, the perch poles should be inserted into holes made in two opposite walls so that they rise a foot above the plank and two feet distant each other. This will be the arrangement of the barnyard workshop. Finally the courtyard, in which they wander, must be devoid not of dung but of damp. In fact it is essential that there is no water to drink but in only a place, and this water has to be very clean: in fact if polluted by dung it arouses the pip. Nevertheless you could not preserve it clean for a long time but in pots purposely built for this aim. Those filled with water or food have to be leaden troughs, and which have been established to be more suitable than wooden or earthenware ones. They are closed by lids placed over them, and are pierced with small holes above the middle of their height a hand’s span apart from each other, so that they admit the heads of the chickens. If they are uncovered, whatever small quantity of water or food remaining within is swept out by their feet. Some people make holes in the upside of the covers themselves, which should not be done: because by climbing on the chicken dirties food and water with what comes out from its belly, Columella.

Cors ad meridiem pateat, et obiecta sit soli, quo facilius hyeme aliquem teporem concipiat, propter ea, quae insunt animalia, quibus etiam ad aestatis temperandum calorem porticus furcis, asseribus, et fronde formari debent, quae vel scandulis, vel (si copia suppetit) tegulis, vel (si facilius, et sine impensa placuerit) tegentur caricibus aut genistis, Palladius[2]. Gallinae domesticae in calidioribus et bene munitis ab aeris et frigoris aditu locis sunt educandae, in quibus fumus quidam exurgit. In parietibus autem ipsis mansiunculas facere expedit, ut in eis pariant. Intra quas etiam adaptandi sunt asseres, paleaeque similiter substernendae: ne videlicet delatum ovum in durum incidens dirumpatur. perticae etiam figendae sunt, in quibus aves pernoctant, Florentinus. Gallinas educare nulla mulier nescit, quae modo videatur industria. Hoc de his praecepisse sufficiat, ut fumo, pulvere utantur, et cinere, Palladius[3].

The courtyard has to open southward and must be exposed to the sun so that in winter can hold some warm because of those animals living in it, and for them also some sheds must be build with forks, poles and leafy branches, which have to be covered either with battens or tiles (if there is enough of them), or (if it is easier and we want don't spend money) with reeds or brooms, Palladius. Domestic hens must be raised in rather warm places and well shielded from the access of the wind and the cold, in which some smoke also is raising. Indeed in the walls it is worthwhile to make some small bays so that they lay here the eggs. Inside of them also some sleepers must be put and to stretch some straw as well: obviously so that the laid egg doesn't break in falling on the hard. Also sticks have to be dug on which the hens spend the night, Florentinus. There is no woman who doesn't know how to raise the hens, but she has to be hard-working. About the hens it is enough to have said what follows: they can use smoke, dust and ash, Palladius.

Siccus etiam pulvis, et cinis ubicunque cohortem porticus, vel tectum protegit, iuxta parietes reponendus est, ut sit, quo aves se perfundant. nam his rebus plumam, pinnasque emundant: si modo credimus Ephesio {Heracleto} <Heraclito>, qui ait[4] sues coeno, cohortales aves pulvere, vel cinere lavari, Columella[5]. Gallina post primam emitti, et ante horam diei undecimam claudi debet: cuius vagae cultus hic quem diximus, erit: nec tamen alius clausae, nisi quod ea non emittitur, sed intra ornithonem ter die pascitur maiore mensura. nam singulis capitibus quaterni cyathi[6] diurna cibaria sunt, cum vagis terni vel bini praebeantur. Habere etiam clausam oportet amplum vestibulum, quo prodeat, et ubi apricetur: idque sit retibus munitum ne aquila, vel accipiter involet: quas impensas, et curas nisi locis, quibus harum rerum vigent {precia} <pretia>, non expedit adhiberi. Antiquissima est autem cum in omnibus pecoribus, tum in hoc fides pastoris, qui nisi eam domino servat, nullus ornithonis quaestus vincet impensas, Idem[7].

Also dry dust and ashes have to be scattered near the walls wherever the shed or the roof protect the yard, so that there is a place where the birds may take a bath. For with these things they clean their plumes and feathers: if we just believe Heraclitus of Ephesus, who says that pigs wash themselves with mud and barnyard fowls with dust or ashes, Columella. The hen must be released after the first hour of the day - after 7 o'clock of morning - and shut up before eleventh - before 5 o'clock of evening: when she is kept free, the manner of raising her is that we said: nevertheless it is not very different for that shut up, apart from that she is not allowed to go out and is nourished more abundantly inside the hen-pen three times a. day. In fact the birdseed of a day consists on four cyathi each - nearly 200 ml, while to the free one, three or two cyathi are given. However also the shut up hen has to have a wide hall in which to be able to go out and sunbathe: it has to be protected by nets, to prevent that an eagle or a hawk takes her away: it is not worthwhile to bear all these expenses and cares but where the prices of these products are high. Both for all other kinds of livestock and for this one is important the reliability of the breeder, who if is not truthful toward the master, no profit of hen-pen can ever overcome the expenses, still Columella.

¶ Gallinae ad ovorum partionem a villico, a nobis vero in mensam ali solent, Gyb. Longolius. Gallinarum fructus sunt ova et pulli, Varro[8]. item privatim capus et gallus, Humelberg. ¶ Libentius fere et commodius pariunt gallinae, cum iam prius ovum in nido conspiciunt: quamobrem aliqui marmor ad ovi similitudinem formatum imponunt.

¶ The hens are fed by the farmer for eggs production, on the contrary by us in forecast of the table, Gisbert Longolius. The fruits of the hens are represented by eggs and chicks, Varro. As well, in my opinion, capon and rooster, Gabriel Humelberg. ¶ The hens lay almost more gladly and more easily when already before they see an egg in the nest: that's why some people put marble shaped in such a way that it seems an egg.

¶ Gallinae ut ova multa et magna pariant. Vinaceae cibo sterilescunt. Hordeo semicocto et parere saepe coguntur, et reddent ova maiora. Duobus cyathis ordei bene pascitur una gallina quae sit vaga, Palladius[9]. Fabae etiam vel earum cortices sterilitatem gallinis inducere putantur: Vide supra in C. Nasturtii semina trita cum furfure subacta vino, gallinis in cibum exhibita, efficiunt ut ova magna pariant, Rasis.

¶ So that hens lay several and large eggs. Dregs of pressed grapes given as food make them sterile. With half-cooked barley they are forced to lay often, and they will do larger eggs. A strolling hen is properly fed with two cyathi of barley, Palladius. It is believed that also broad beans or their peels cause the sterility in hens. See before in the paragraph C. The seeds of the nasturtium minced with bran and kneaded with wine cause them to lay large eggs, Razi.