Dec. 1894.] POULTEY REAEING ANT) FATTENING IN SU.^SEX. 189^ 



chickens per week, or more than 60,000 a year. If the " fatter" 

 or higgler " has a large business, he may collect every day 

 of the week from different parts of the district; but more 

 commonly he makes his journeys on one or more fixed days 

 each week. Chickens are taken y/hen three or four months old, 

 the price varying according to the season. Competition amongst 

 higglers secures to rearers the full market prices of the day. The 

 chickens are taken in " tops " or crates to the fattening yard, 

 and at once placed in pens. These are light wooden cages 

 supported upon a stage about four feet above the ground with a 

 feedino^ trough hung in front of the pews. Strict cleanliness and 

 a plentiful use of lime-wash and carbolic are considered essential. 

 After being placed in the fattening pens, the chickens do not 

 again touch ground, being taken out only to be killed. The 

 period of fattening varies somewhat, some chickens being " better 

 doers " than others; but it is seldom less than three or four 

 weeks. The chickens are fed twice a day on ground oats 

 mixed with skim milk enriched with melted beef- or mutton-fat.. 

 For the first half of the fattening period the chickens feed 

 naturally, but during the latter half they are " crammed." This 

 operation is now almost invariably done by a cramming 

 machine. Every fatter has a certain amount of grass land on 

 which to make use of the manure from the fattening pens. The 

 coarse feathers are also used as manure. A few cows are 

 usually kept to supply skim milk for fattening. 



Killing takes place tisuall}^ three times a week. The killed 

 chickens are plucked and then " stubbed " by women and 

 children, who are generally paid 6d. a dozen. When stubbed, 

 the carcases are placed in a row in a kind of trough with a 

 heavy weight along their breasts to give them a square compact 

 appearance. Subsequently they are closely packed in " peds " 

 and collected three times a week by carriers, who collect, convey, 

 and deliver to market for Is. per dozen, including freightage by 

 rail. Tills van is generally filled, and often insufficient to take 

 the whole quantity. The great bulk goes to Leadenhall and 

 Central Markets, London ; but some to Brighton, Hastings, 

 Worthing, Chichester, and other southern towns. 



Chickens from the Heathfield district are, it seems, generally 

 known in the London maiket as "Surrey fowls." Only a few 

 " Surrey " fowls, properly so-called, appear in the market. 



Caponising appears to be very little practised. Ducks and 

 turkeys are fattened to some extent in the district, the latter 

 rather largely for the Christmas market. 



The one drawback to the chicken-rearing industry is said to 

 be the risk of losses by disease or by natural enemies. But on 

 the whole, Mr. Rew is of Of)inion that poultry rearing has been 

 an alleviation of agricultural depression to many farmers of 

 the Heathfield district. The most noteworthy results of the 

 industry are to be found in the case of small holders who, it 

 appears, get the highest return. The Rector of Heathfield has 



