346 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry, 
carries himself proudly and rather upright, giving the back a neat even slant to the tail, which is 
amply adorned with fine curved sickle-feathers, and is carried rather upright. The thighs and legs 
are long and neat, the latter being of a dark leaden blue ; and the whole plumage is of the richest 
and most glossy black, with a beautiful metallic lustre on the higher parts. 
“ In the Spanish hen the beak is also of a deep horn-colour, or nearly black ; but the comb 
though large, single, and deeply serrated, falls entirely over one side of the face. The face resembles 
that of the cock, but is smaller ; and the wattles in the female sex are preferred small and thin. 
The larger the face is the better, if fine and free from ridges or coarseness ; and there should be no 
apparent division between face and ear-lobe. The shape of the hen is very graceful, and much the 
same as in the cock, allowing for the usual difference in the two sexes. 
“ Spanish sometimes moult with the feathers on the head and thighs tipped with white. This 
is generally owing to the birds being too fat. No bird will moult well if too fat ; and even old 
Spanish will go through the moult as quickly as any other breed of fowls, if they are made to 
procure most of their own food for a few weeks before moulting-time. 
“ Old Spanish cocks during the exhibition season are best fed almost entirely upon soft food.” 
Mr. Teebay’s recipe for “keeping Spanish in good condition” will make many of the best 
known exhibitors hold up their hands in horror; but Mr. Martin kept his at Linton Park exactly 
in the same way, many of them roosting in the trees ; and we can testify from personal observation 
that the results were precisely as here stated. We by no means, however, advise that every amateur 
who has convenience for doing so should turn all his birds out of doors forthwith ; the result of such 
rash procedure would of course in all probability be the death of the whole lot from roup and other 
pulmonary complaints. All such changes in treatment, whenever made, should be made gradually , 
and such out-door treatment as here described rarely answers except the birds have very wide range. 
On these conditions, there is no doubt whatever that it will surpass all other methods of keeping 
poultry in condition, though it generally impairs white face. 
One great merit of the Spanish fowl, however, is the ease with which it may be kept in confine- 
ment ; and in such circumstances the treatment will necessarily be somewhat different. We have 
seen magnificent specimens which had rarely been out of a pen only a few feet square ; though it is 
by no means true that birds will do as well with such accommodation as if allowed better. When 
bred in anything approaching confinement, the chickens are unquestionably very delicate, and 
require special care. We have seen many which at six weeks old were perfectly bare of feathers, 
yet were in perfect health, and likely to make valuable birds. Dorking hens are to be preferred for 
hatching them, as they remain with them longer and brood them better ; but if such cannot be had, 
the simple “artificial mothers” described at page 75 will give valuable aid, and are soon resorted to 
by the little naked and shivering fledglings as often as the desirability of “ a warm” makes itself 
painfully felt. In very early broods a moderate amount of artificial warmth is desirable, though a 
perceptible stove-heat, such as we have felt ere now on visiting a Spanish chicken-house, is in our 
opinion more injurious in the long run than even an entirely unaided temperature would be. It is 
often found that good old ale to drink, and meat given pretty regularly, are great helps to the 
fledging of Spanish chickens which have to be reared in confinement, though we are not partial 
to such regimen as a general rule. 
Living as we did for many years at the very head-quarters* of the Spanish “ fancy,” we had 
* The city of Bristol was for many years known amongst poultry-fanciers for its fine strains of Spanish fowls, a result 
which very remarkably shows the great influence which may be exerted by a single successful amateur ; being almost entirely 
owing to the sound judgment and perseverance displayed many years ago by Mr. Rake. This gentleman spared no pains 
or expense in collecting the best stock that could be procured, and was for a time perfectly invincible. Ocher amateurs in 
