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Chapter XXVI. 
SCOTCH CREYS. 
For the following remarks on this useful, though so little known, breed of Poultry in this country, we 
are indebted to the kindness of Mr. Jas. B. Crawford, of " Broomward," Alphington (Vic.) Mr. Crawford 
states : — 
" The Scotch Grey is one of the oldest pure-bred breeds of Poultry in existence, having been known in 
Scotland for a hundred years at least, and are still in great favour amongst Scottish farmers, but they have 
never become popular outside of that country. The Scotch Grey belongs strictly to the Utility class of 
Poultry, being a good layer and a fine table fowl, a combination which the wide-awake Practical Poultry 
Farmer is always on the look- out for. The hens are excellent layers during the winter months, and the 
pullets rarely evince a desire to incubate. 
" Their homely appearance is against their becoming popular amongst Fanciers. They occupy relatively 
the snme position amongst Poultry in Scotland as the Dorking does in England, being well adapted for table 
purposes. The type is described as being between that of the old-fashioned Game Fowl and Dorking. 
They have the white legs and skin required in Table Poultry for the English market, and good in breast and 
wings, with small bones. The flesh is delicate, and no more desirable dish could be provided for an epicure 
than a Scotch Grey cockerel six months old. Being rather tight and close in feather, they look smaller than 
they really are, and there is as much meat on an average Scotch Grey as on a Plymouth Rock. They are 
above the average as layers, and the pullets' eggs from the first are large enough for market, being rather 
larger than the average Leghorn egg, and about the same size as the Andalusian. The eggs are slightly 
tinted in colour. I have never known the hens to go broody more than once in a season, and they make the 
very best of mothers, being similar to the Game hen in protecting the chickens. The cockerels, however, 
are the least pugnacious of any breed that I have handled. 
I find the months of April and May in this colony the best time to hatch the chickens, and they are 
easily reared in cold weather ; the winter Scotch Grey chickens are always the largest. The pullets hatched 
about this time then come on to lay in December, and the cockerels are ready for the Christmas market, and 
realise the highest prices. When crossed with any other variety of Poultry, the progeny take after the Scotch 
Grey very much in appearance and possess most of their good qualities, thus proving how firmly established 
and prepotent the breed is. They are not well known as yet in Australia, few Fanciers taking them up as 
Show Fowls. This tends to keep the breed in the background, but I have no doubt numerous specimens of 
the breed could be found in many farmyards throughout Australia ; and I believe that many a pure, or at 
least half-bred Scotch Grey, is partaken of and enjoyed at Christmas time unknown to the consumer. It is 
about ten years back that they were first exhibited in Melbourne (Vic), but the specimens were very 
moderate ; however, within the past five years at the Victorian Shows no finer samples of the breed could 
be seen in ScoUand than at some of the leading Fixtures. 
"In breeding Scotch Greys for the Show pen, it is compulsory to mate up separate pens for breeding 
the sexes. To get cockerels up to Standard requirements, it is best to mate a rather dark cockerel, small in 
check or barring, and of a steel-grey ground colour, good in head points, shape, style, etc., mating him with 
hens as dark as possible, but distinctly barred, and if with hackles almost black so much the better ; but, for 
breeding pullets, a light-coloured cockerel should be selected and mated with hens clear in check or barring, 
these latter hens being the Standard colour for the Show pen. From this mating the pullets will come 
uniformly good, and the cockerels will be again useful to head the pen for breeding pullets the following 
year."' 
