1904O Poultry Rearing and Fattening. 



259 



adjoining counties, had however long been famed for the number 

 and excellence of the fowls which they raised, and these districts 

 were selected as the most suitable localities in which to develop 

 the fattening industry. The fowls produced in this part of 

 Ireland had hitherto been exported to England for fattening. 

 Irish fowls were only bought when enough could not be 

 got at home to supply the demand, and I have it on the 

 authority of some of the most extensive fatteners in England 

 that the Irish fowls were not nearly so good as those raised 

 locally, as they were wanting in uniformity, of coarse quality, 

 and needed to be kept too long to bring them up to the 

 desired size and weight. 



It was evident to the societies that the first and most essential 

 step to be taken was to improve the breeds. Pens of the best 

 table breeds were procured, and in some cases contracts were 

 made with breeders for the supply of sittings of eggs for hatch- 

 ing, to be distributed at cost price amongst the members of the 

 various societies. The fowls already kept in the counties named 

 were not pure breeds, nor even first crosses, but they had 

 evidently been bred for many generations with a view to the 

 production of table poultry rather than eggs, being of good size, 

 square-bodied, full-breasted, and having, for the most part, white 

 skin and short legs of the desired white colour. Uniformity 

 was entirely wanting in respect of colour of plumage, shape of 

 head, comb and wattles, number of toes, &c, but it is probable 

 that the stock was largely founded upon Dorking, Brahma, and 

 Cochin blood, afterwards intermingled by crossing with Ply- 

 mouth Rocks, Wyandottes, and others of the newer breeds. 



With cross-breeds and mongrels it is always difficult to secure 

 uniformity, yet this quality is absolutely essential if poultry- 

 keepers want to supply the best class of consumers and to realise 

 the highest price for their produce. On the other hand, the 

 English fatteners do not recommend the raising of pure breeds 

 for the fattening pens, and many of them assert that such breeds 

 as the highly-prized Indian Game and Dorking are entirely 

 unsuited for their purpose. It seems, therefore, that the most 

 satisfactory plan for securing the desirable quality of uniformity, 

 and at the same time producing a class of fowl that will stand 

 confinement and thrive well in the fattening pens, is to cross pure 



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