Book VII. FEEDING OF POULTRY. 10S9 



and slighting their food, lose instead of gaining additional flesh. Such a period, in fact, i too hort for- 

 them to become accustomed to confinement. 



7474. Feeding-houses should be warm and airy, with earth floors well raised, and capacious enough to 

 accommodate twenty or thirty fowls ; the floor slightly littered down, and the litter often changed. Sandy 

 gravel and a little lime rubbish should be placed in different places, and often changed. A suflficient 

 number of troughs, for both water and food, should be placed around, that the stock may feed with as 

 little interruption as possible from each other, and perches in the same proportion should be furnished 

 for those birds which are inclined to perch, which few of them will desire after they have begun to fatten 

 but which helps to keep them easy and contented until that period. In this mode fowls may be battened 

 to the highest pitch, and yet preserved in a healthy state, their flesh being equal in'quality to that of the 

 barn-door fowl. To suffer fattening fowls to perch is contrary to the general practice, since it is supposed 

 to bend and deform the breast-bone; but as soon as they become heavy and indolent from feeding, they 

 will rather incline to rest in the straw ; and the liberty of perching in the commencement of their coop- 

 ing has a tendency to accelerate that period, when they are more inclined to rest on the floor. Fowls, 

 moreover, of considerable growth will have many of them become already crooked breasted from perch- 

 ing whilst at large, although much depends upon form in this case, since we find aged cocks and hens of 

 the best shape which have perched all their lives with the breast bone perfectly straight 



7475. The privation of light, by inclining fowls to a constant state of repose, excepting when moved by 

 the appetite for food, promotes and accelerates obesity ; but a state of obesity obtained in this way cannot 

 be a state of health, nor can the flesh of animals so fed equal in flavour, nutriment, and salubrity, that of 

 the same species fed in a more natural way. Economy and market interest may perhaps be best answered 

 by the plan of darkness and close confinement ; but a feeder for his own table, of delicate taste, and am- 

 bitious of furnishing his board with the choicest and most salubrious viands, will declare for the natural 

 mode of feeding ; and in that view, a feeding- yard, gravelled and turfed, the room being open all day, for 

 the fowls to retire at pleasure, will have a decided preference, as the nearest approach to the barn-door 

 system. 



7476. Insects and animal food form a part of the natural diet of poultry, are medicinal to them in a 

 weakly state, and the want of such food may sometimes impede their thriving. 



7477. For fattening the younger chickens, the above feeding-room and yard is well calculated. These 

 may be put up as soon as the hen shall have quitted her charge, and before they have run off the sucking 

 flesh ; for generally, when well kept and in health, they will be in fine condition and full of flesh at that 

 period, which flesh is afterwards expended in the exercise of foraging for food, and in the increase of 

 stature, and it may be a work of some time afterwards to recover it, more especially in young cocks, 

 and all those which stand high upon the leg. In fact, all those which appear to have long legs should be 

 fattened from the hen, to make the best of them ; it being extremely difficult, and often impossible, to 

 fatten long-legged fowls in coops, which, however, are brought to a good weight at the barn-door. 



7478. In the choice of fulLsixed fowls for feeding, the short-legged and early hatched always deserve a 



E reference. The green linnet is an excellent model of form for the domestic fowl, and the true Dorking 

 reed approaches the nearest to such model. Of course the smaller breeds and the game are the most 

 delicate and soonest ripe. The London chicken butchers as they are termed, or poulterers, are said to be 

 of all others tiie most dexterous feeders, putting up a coop of fowls and making them thoroughly fat 

 within the space of a fortnight ; using so much grease, and that perhaps not of the most delicate kind, in 

 the food. In the common way this business is often badly managed, fowls being huddled together in a 

 small coop, tearing each other to pieces, instead of enjoying that repose which alone can ensure the wished, 

 for object; irregularly fed and cleaned, until they are so stenched and poisoned in their own excrement, 

 that their flesh actually smells and tastes of it when smoking upon the table. Where a steady and regular 

 profit is required from poultry, the best method, whether for domestic use or sale, is constant high 

 keep from the beginning; whence they will not only be always ready for the table, with very little extra 

 attention, but their flesh will be superior in juiciness and rich flavour to those which are fattened from 

 a low or emaciated state. Fed in this mode, the spring pullets are particularly fine, and at the same time 

 most nourishing and restorative food. The pullets which have been hatched in March, if high fed from 

 the nest, will lay plentifully through the following autumn ; and not being intended for breeding stock, 

 the advantage of their eggs may be taken, and themselves disposed of thoroughly fat for the table in 

 February, about which period their laying will be finished. Instead of giving ordinary and tail corn to 

 fattening and breeding poultry, it will be found most advantageous to allow the heaviest and best, putting 

 the confined fowls upon a level with those fed at the barn-door, where they have their share of the 

 weightiest and finest corn. This high feeding shows itself not only in the size and flesh of the fowls, but 

 in the size, weight, and substantial goodness of their eggs, which in those valuable particulars will prove 

 far superior to the eggs of fowls fed upon ordinary corn or washy potatoes ; two eggs of the former going 

 further in domestic use than three of the latter. The water also given to fattening fowls should be often 

 renewed, fresh and clean ; indeed, tliose which have been well kept will turn with disgust from ordinary 

 food and foul water. 



7479. Barley and wheat are the great dependence for chicken poultry-, oats will do for full-grown hens 

 and cocks, but are not so good as barley; both, when they have their fill of corn, will eat occasionally cab- 

 bage or beet leaves. Steamed potatoes and oatmeal mixed together make an excellent mess, but must not 

 be given in great quantities, otherwise it renders the flesh soft and flabby. 



7480. Cramming. Barley and wheat meal are generally the basis or chief ingredient in all fattening 

 mixtures for chickens and fowls ; but in Sussex ground oats are used, and there oats are in higher repute 

 for fattening than elsewhere, many large hogs being fattened with them. In the report of that county, 

 the Rev. Arthur Young says, " North Chappel and Kinsford are famous for their poultry : they are 

 fattened there to a size and perfection unknown elsewhere. The food given them is ground oats made 

 into gruel, mixed with hog's grease, sugar, pot-liquor, and milk ; or ground oats, treacle, and suet, sheep's 

 plucks, &c. The fowls are kept very warm, and crammed morning and night. The pot-liquor is mixed 

 with a few handfuls of oatmeal and boiled, with which the meal is kneaded into crams or rolls of a proper 

 size. The fowls are put into the coop two or three days before they are crammed, which is continued 

 for a fortnight ; and they are then sold to the higglers. These fowls, full grown, weigh seven pounds 

 each, the average weight five pounds; but there are instances of individuals double the weight. They 

 were sold at the time of the survey (1809) at four to five shillings each. Turner, of North Chappel, a 

 tenant of Loni Egremont, crams two hundred fowls per annum. Great art and attention is requisite to cut 

 the capons, and numbers are destroyed in the operation." 



7481. Oakingham in Berks is particularly famous for fatted fotvls, by which many persons in that town 

 and vicinity gain a livelihood. The fowls are sold to the London dealers, and the sum of 150/. tias been 

 returned in one market-day by this traffic. Twenty dozen of these fowls were purchased for one gala at 

 Windsor, after the rate of half a guinea the couple. At some seasons, fifteen shillings have been paid for 

 a couple. Fowls constitute the principal commerce of the town. Romford, in Essex, is also a great market 

 for poultry, but generally of the store or barn-door kind, and not artificially fed. 



7482. The Oakingham method of feeding is to confine the fowls in a dark place, and cram them with 

 paste made of barley-meal, mutton-suet, treacle, or coarse sugar, and milk ; and they are foimd completely 

 ripe in a fortnight. If kept longer, the fever that is induced by this continued state of repletion, renders 

 them red and unsaleable, and frequently kills them. Geese are likewise fed in the same neighbourhood, in 

 great numbers, and sold about midsummer to itinerant dealers ; the price at the time the survey was made 

 (1808), two shillings to two and three-pence each. It appears utterly contrary to reason, that fowls fed 

 ui>on such greaf y and impure mixtures can possibly produce flesh or fat so firm, delicate, high flavoured, 



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