October 21, 1875. ] 



JOUfJNAIi OF UOKTIGUJjTUHE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



369 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PiaEON OHEONIOLE. 



"POT AU FEU" FOR CHICKENS. 



At this season of the year eppeoially all those who have gardens 

 can do much for their fowls, as the refuse from the vegetables 

 now is always considerable. We had the pleasure of goiog over 

 an establishment the other day where an immense number of 

 chickens and Ducks are reared annually for market purposes, 

 and we found there that vegetables were introduced to a great 

 extent among the cooked foods for the fowls. We know that 

 many of our readers are very ardent poultry lovers, but they 

 have not the means, opportunities, or wishes, many of them, 

 to incur the trouble and heartaches of exhibiting; still they 

 are great producers of poultry meat as an article of food, and 

 BO to them a few hints on economising their foods may be 

 valuable. 



We are great advocates for cooked food, as we are convinced 

 it goes much further and does more real good to the birds. We 

 were originally indebted to Mr. Wright for pointing out to us 

 the value of the food being cooked, or at least partially so ; and 

 since we put the plan into regular operation we have had every 

 reason for knowing its beneiit. The establishment to which we 

 referred above possesses a large copper, and in this daily the 

 pot au feu for the birds is prepared. All kinds of refuse vege- 

 tables are used — cabbage, celery, and lettuce leaves, the peelings 

 of carrots, turnips, and potatoes, slices of beet and mangel 

 wurtzel, windfalls from the apple trees, and such miscellaneous 

 vegetable produce are cooked in this copper. 



When the mass is quite soft it is turned out and peppered 

 with coarsely-ground black pepper, and seasoned quite lightly 

 with salt. Then comes the mixing with the meal, which 

 is changed every now and then. Fine sharps are always 

 used, but this is mixed perhaps one week with ground oats, 

 another with barleymeal, another with ground Indian maize, 

 and so on. 



Great pains are taken with the mixing, as much depends upon 

 this, for if the food is sticky from being badly compounded or 

 sloppy, not only would the birds not relish it nearly so much, but 

 it would not do them one-half the good. It must be crumbly, 

 and to render it so the meal should be gradually mixed with 

 the vegetable compound with a strong spoon, and then when 

 thoroughly mixed it can be kneaded with the hands into balls, 

 and so distributed to the birds. 



This may seem a long business, but if any keep several head 

 of chickens, and go in regularly for producing table fowls, we 

 are convinced they will be amply repaid by making this warm 

 breakfast for their birds. We make a great point of its being 

 warm, as in the cold winter months the number of eggs is thus 

 greatly increased, and the birds always look fresh and healthy. 

 Fowls fed regularly on this soft food in the morning, if they 

 have a free run, will not need more than a good feed of whole 

 corn in the lata afternoon or evening. 



Birds which have to undergo the wear and tear of being ex- 

 hibited would hardly find this compound satisfying enough ; 

 but we do not prescribe for them, because their mode of living 

 must depend upon the tact and experience of the manager; 

 but we recommend this **j)ot an feii " to those who have a 

 paddock or orchard for their birds to run in, and want to 

 economise their food, making use at the same time of vegetable 

 matter which would otherwise, perhaps, go to the garden 

 rubbish heap. 



The quantity to be made of this warm food will depend upon 

 the size of the establishment, as either a small saucepanful can 

 be made on the sitting-room fire for a pet pair of Bantams, or a 

 copperful boUed-up for a farmyard full of fowls. 



We do not only recommend this compound to economise food, 

 or for using-up the green stuff, but because a mixture of vege- 

 table food with the meal is of itself the greatest help to keeping 

 birds in healthy and good condition. To those birds which live 

 in a back yard or bare run all the year round a boiled compound 

 of meal with some vegetables given warm we would especially 

 recommend, for it will do them twice as much good given so 

 than if they were always fed on mixed soft food or whole grain. 

 We would not, of course, use this as a permanent diet through- 

 out the year, but every now and then leave it off for a few days, 

 and so by giving the birds a change of food they will return to 

 their vegetable compound with greater avidity. 



Some poultry-keepers have no garden, and only keep their 

 birds in some few feet of back premises. To these birds cur 

 vegetable compound will be the greatest boon, for they can have 

 boiled up for them the refuse leaves from the vegetables in 

 household use, and the apple and potato parings, which in 

 larger establishments, perhaps, would be considered to belong 

 to the pigs rather than to the fowls. Only those who have tried 

 it can realise the advantage of mixing green stuff with their 

 chickens' food. We recommend all amateurs to take the matter 

 Betionely into consideration, and not to sanction the waste of a 



cabbage leaf or a potato peeling, but to have them all thrown 

 into the "pot au feu, " of the chickens. — W. 



SPECIAL CLASSES AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE 

 GREAT NATIONAL POULTRY SHOW. 



Many very erroneous opinions have been formed upon the 

 nature and relative value of the two cups offered by the Baroness 

 Burdett Coutts at the above Show, and as my name has been 

 forcibly hinted at in connection with the subject through one 

 of your contemporaries I will make a few observations upon the 

 new classes. 



The Baroness was anxious to support the Show, but preferred 

 that her prizes should promote some humane object. The ques- 

 tion being referred to me, I suggested the framing of the special 

 prizes as they now appear in the schedule. The first one, for 

 Undubbed Game, has called forth strange observations, because 

 it was announced '* that the Baroness wished to notify that this 

 prize was directed against the growing tendency to cock-flghl- 

 ing." Your contemporary with one statement would try to 

 make his readers believe there is little or no cock-fighting going 

 on in this country, whilst with another statement he acknow- 

 ledges the fact. Moreover, the Baroness's advisers are in pos- 

 session of facts of a startling nature, which may sooner or later 

 be brought to light; therefore the less said upon that subject 

 just now the better. 



Then, as to whether there is any cruelty or pain in the ope- 

 ration of dubbing, there can be no two questions. As there is 

 considerable loss of blood, and during the healing process the 

 birds lose considerably in condition ; and not only condition, for 

 the slicing off the comb, the shearing off the wattles, and the 

 carving or slicing away at the skin of the face and throat, fre- 

 quently alters the bird so much that he cannot be recognised — 

 not even by his crow, for that also is mostly affected by the 

 barbarous misuse of the scissors. Such being the case, I think 

 the Baroness's wieh is so far carried out as regards the question 

 of cruelty. 



Relative to the second cup, I am thoroughly surprised that 

 so much misconception should have arisen. I considered the 

 value of such a class would have been immediately apparent to 

 any practical breeder. The idea of this class was sugeested to 

 me by the most successful and respected breeder of Brahmas, 

 Mr. Horace Lingwood. His remarks to me are, ** I believe you 

 would find classes fill well for birds that are vulture-hocked, 

 and as a trial it might be for all Asiatic breeds ;" and he further 

 dilates upon the intrinsic value of such birds for stock purposeF, 



Any person who has stock of his own, and can breed winners 

 of these varieties, must acknowledge the fact that he is obligee} 

 to keep birds on his hands which are wholly unfit for showing, 

 but which are invaluable for his breeding purposes ; but by the 

 class now open he can exhibit them, and as Mr. Lingwood says, 

 " the public will be much amused," and many breeders of 

 intelligence may receive instruction by viewing the breeding 

 stud of successful exhibitors. 



Why your contemporary should have taken such extreme 

 views of the matter is best known to himself, for I have not 

 found any person who does not feel that his observations are 

 insulting to an extent wholly unwarranted. * » » • 



In conclusion, I trust yon know sufficient of me after so many 

 years' intercourse to believe that I could not have had the in- 

 tention either to "insult" or "disgust" any person by the 

 simple way in which this famous poultry class is worded. I 

 feel convinced that the generality of the visitors will be wise 

 enough to judge of the birds and their owners in amore common- 

 sense and practical light than has been suggested, and I have 

 no doubt there will be many magnificent birds shown fully 

 vulture-hocked, and that they wUl in many instances change 

 owners readily. 



The class will be specially for vulture-hocked and other un- 

 trimmed birds as originally proposed ; and as there are some 

 exhibitors who do not scruple to pluck their birds, this class 

 will at least give them the opportunity to show their birds 

 honestly, and to meet other good vulture-hocked birds from 

 exhibitors who would scorn to pluck their birds. I need scarcely 

 add as a reminder that birds will not win which are not vulture- 

 hocked.— F. Crook, Vino Cottage, Ferry Vale, Forest Hill, S.E. 



ENTRIES AT OXFORD. 



We have been favoured with the result of the entries at this 

 Show, and are pleased to find they are so many. There are 

 nearly fourteen hundred entries in all, which is extremely good 

 considering the scarcity of chickens and the Alexandra Palace 

 meeting so nearly clashing with it. Nearly every exhibitor of 

 note is represented. The entries in the sale classes are very 

 numerous, and the specimens will, to a great extent, be from 

 the yards of well-known exhibitors. We will give a few of the 

 entries in the various classes, as they may be of interest to 

 exhibitors. 



Dorkings muster very well, every class having more entries 



