102 



TJic Ccmntry Gcntlcmaiis Magadiic 



Wat ^ainj anil floxtltrB ^arii, 



CAN POULTRY BE MADE TO PA VI 



IN looking for new sources and for the further de- 

 velopment of the old means of animal food, I cannot 

 but think that poultiy claims our attention before many- 

 others, as having once formed an important part of our 

 meat supply, as being simple and inexpensive in cul- 

 ture, and everywhere ready to hand. Of late years, 

 however, poultry has fallen into neglect ; and this kind 

 of meat can now be procured at such prices only as to 

 render it an expensive luxury rather than a reasonable 

 portion of daily food. The farm-yard seems to be the 

 proper home of the Rasorial order of birds ; yet it is 

 here that the neglect is most evident, whilst farmers 

 for the most part deny the usefulness of this portion of 

 stock, and tolerate it only from habit. It is not only 

 the farmer, however, who raises objections to this kind 

 of food. The consumer has certain prejudices. On 

 the part of the farmer it is said : — 



1. That poultiy does not pay. 



2. That even if it did pay, it is too unimportant to 



engage his attention. 



3. That it damages the stack-yard. 



4. That it is injurious to the crops. 



On the part of the consumer it is urged — 



1. That the retail price of poultry is such as to place 



it out of the list of daily foods. 



2. That, even if it can be produced at reasonable 



prices, it is a poor substitute for butchers' meat, 

 and does not contain sufficient animal nourish- 

 ment. 

 If poultry keeping does not pay, and under existing 

 circumstances, in the majority of cases, it probably 

 does not, the reasons are to be found in the following 

 facts :— 



1. That no attention is paid to the choice and 



management of stock. 



2. That food is irregularly and wastefully adminis- 



tered to it. 



3. That no regard is had to the roosting, and par- 



ticularly to the laying places of hens. 



4. That the demand is restricted by the market 



system. 



5. That farmers' wives have ceased to be hen-wives. 



' This article is a condensation of the evidence of Mr George 

 Manning, delivered before the Food Committee of the Society 

 of Arts. 



With regard to the choice and management of stock in 

 poultry, we find on farms, generally, mongrel bred 

 birds, which, from continued in-breeding, have de- 

 teriorated in size and stamina. The barn-door fowl 

 of the olden time has changed, particularly within the 

 last few years, becoming continually less useful for 

 food. It is true that the bam-door fowl was always 

 a mongrel; but when farm -yards were the nurseries 

 of fighting cocks, where landlords, by covenant in- 

 serted in the leases, required the tenants to " walk " 

 a game cock, or number of cockerels, and tenant 

 farmers bred birds for the pit on their own account, 

 there was a continued infusion of new and vigorous 

 blood into the progeny of the hens that stocked the 

 yard. That custom has happily nearly passed away. 

 The deterioration, however, begim by the loss of these 

 high-bred cock birds, was completed shortly after by the 

 Cochin-China mania, when, by the introduction of 

 cock birds of this variety (valuable as the hen birds 

 are for certain purposes), a race of spare-breasted, 

 leggy birds has been the result, wanting the chief 

 merits of a table fowl. Again, when the flail and a 

 careless system of farming made the bam-door a 

 golden feeding-ground, chickens had opportunities of 

 growth which they now have not, and which must be 

 supplied to them more economically and judiciously 

 by hand if rearing poultry is to be profitable. This 

 plan, however, has been neglected, for poultry, unlike 

 other farm stock, has not only not advanced, but 

 has gone back in value, and consequently in estima- 

 tion. The average weight of barn-door fowls sold 

 from farm-yards is 2% lb. From this must be de- 

 ducted 3 oz. for feathers and 12 oz. for offal before 

 they become food. The game-cock, as bred for the 

 pit, rarely exceeded 4)4 lb. ; but by crossing with the 

 Malay they may be brought to 6 lb. or 7 lb. in weight. 

 Dorkings, when not in-bred, but well and carefully 

 fed as chickens, will reach to 7^ lb. as pullets, and 

 to 9 lb. as cockerels ; higher weights, such as 10 lb. 

 for hens, and 12 lb. for cocks, can be obtained, but 

 these are exceptional. Dorkings, however, are not 

 suited for cold clays and damp soils. Of food birds, 

 besides Dorkings, the game and the large Surrey and 

 Sussex fowls (which last always command a high 

 price), there are the Brahmapootra fowl and the 

 Houdan, or French Dorking, well adapted for use. 



