March 24, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 245 
LA FLECIIE. 
At the recent Paris Exhibition we were much struck with the 
size and quality of the specimens of the La F16che breed exhibited 
in the dead poultry classes. Our appreciation of their merits was 
not diminished by subsequently partaking of one of Madame 
Aillerot’s prize birds at an English table. This bird had been 
killed over three weeks when we tasted it, and it was one of the 
finest fowls under the carving knife we have ever seen. The 
white meat was abundant and delicious, while the legs were fully 
equal in quality to those of a Turkey. We are aware that most 
attempts which have hitherto been made to rear these birds in 
any large quantity in this country have not been very successful. 
The Houdan and the Creve have established themselves firmly on 
our soil, and have become acclimatised, while the third leading 
French breed still has but a precarious footing here. We think 
that if its merits as a table fowl were more generally known a 
more persistent attempt would be made to overcome the first 
difficulties of importing it to a fresh home. It is true we have 
the Dorking as our champion table variety, but we are bound to 
confess that we have never seen any Dorking dressed for table 
which could compare with the best specimens of La F16che at 
Paris. 
We cull the following information as to the table qualities of 
the La F16che and the mode of fattening it from the pages of 
Lc Poulailler. When fully grown the cocks weigh from lbs. to 
9 lbs., the hens from 6^ lbs. to 74 lbs. These weights are those 
of the fowls of full age as they run in the yard. M. Letrone, to 
whom M. Jacque confesses his indebtedness for much of his infor¬ 
mation about the breed, considers that its origin is unknown. Its 
celebrity may, however, according to old historians, be dated from 
the fifteenth century. M. Letrone considers that it had a more 
ancient origin. These choice table fowls were originally produced 
at Mans, later at M6zeray, and finally at La Fl&che. The industry 
has long since been abandoned at the first-named place, it is de¬ 
clining at the second, and it is only at La Fieche and the neigh¬ 
bouring municipalities that it is still fully maintained. The La 
Flbche fowl, so well adapted for fattening, are also, says M. Le¬ 
trone, very robust and but rarely sick. They readily become 
acclimatised in any country to which they may be transported, 
and their good qualities are easily preserved, providing that in- 
breeding to excess be avoided. They can habituate themselves to 
any food when they have attained a certain age, but they should 
at first be supplied with food which is at least similar to that 
which they are accustomed to in their own country. When 
allowed their liberty they do not ramble much, provided that 
they are supplied with green food. The fineness, the delicacy, 
and the exceptional flavour of their flesh are easily perceivable 
even when they have not been crammed ; but these qualities are 
brought out in perfection by the fattening process, to which both 
the pullets and cockerels are submitted at the age of seven or 
eight months. The cockerels are left at liberty as long as is 
thought necessary, but they are kept apart from the pullets. If 
this be attended to they are much better disposed to fatten, and 
the necessity for caponising them is avoided. The pullets are 
submitted to the fattening process before they have laid. These 
birds do not come to maturity until they are nine or ten months 
old, but from this seeming disadvantage arises the advantage that 
they continue to grow through the winter, and make grand speci¬ 
mens in the spring time, when good fowls are very scarce. The 
usual poultry food in the La F16che district is whole white wheat, 
which is given three times a day. This food is used because the 
birds are very voracious, and have at certain periods a tendency 
to run to fat. 
The chickens are after the first few days fed upon a paste com¬ 
posed of bran and meal. This is continued for six months with 
this variation—that as the birds grow the quantity of bran used is 
increased and the quantity of meal diminished. Green food is 
always supplied in abundance. The process of fattening adopted 
is by no means a secret in the localities where the business is 
carried on. Malicorne, Arthez6, Courcelles, and Vilaines hold 
the first rank for fine products and the number of persons engaged 
in the industry. It is to the district of La Fieche that these and 
other towns which are engaged in the trade belong, and it is to 
the town of La Fl&cbe that all the feeders bring their fat birds on 
market days ; it is there that they may be seen for sale by hundreds 
at a time. 
The special work of fattening appertains chiefly to the farmers 
and certain small husbandmen whom they call poultry-keepers 
(poulaillers). Both these purchase in the markets or from their 
neighbours those pullets (which they call gelines) which appear 
most suitable for fattening. To produce those fine specimens not 
less esteemed than the pullets which are called coqs vierges, young 
cockerels of the year arc submitted to the same process of fatten¬ 
ing as the pullets, with this difference—that they take longer to 
fatten. 
The finest pullets attain the weight of nearly 9 lbs.; the finest 
cockerels about 13 lbs., and they have been known to surpass 
these weights. 
The poultry-keeper fattens at the same time from fifty to one 
hundred birds. The season generally commences in October, and 
lasts about five months. All round the sides and on the floor of a 
room or othe^ place suitable for the purpose small coops are made. 
These are constructed of cheap rough wooden laths, and cost no 
more than the time it takes to make them. The height of the 
coops should be from 20 to 24 inches, the length in proportion to 
the number of birds the coop is to contain. Six birds are as 
many as should be put in one coop, and there should be just space 
enough for them to lie down without being able to move about. 
All direct light is shut out, aud the chinks of the doors and 
windows are carefully stopped, so that the fresh air is almost 
excluded. To accustom the birds to the system of feeding and 
the forced seclusion to which they are about to be submitted, they 
are placed for the first eight days in a rather dark place, and are 
fed upon a paste composed of the same meal with which they are 
subsequently crammed, mixed, however, with a half or a third 
the quantity of bran. During this period they are given water to 
drink, and allowed to eat as much as they please. 
The meal of which the cramming balls is made is ordinarily 
thus composed ; one-half buckwheat, one-third barley, and one- 
sixth oats. The coarse bran is separated from the meal. Every 
day enough of this meal is mixed with sweet or sour milk to feed 
the birds that night and the next morning. Some add to the 
mixture a little hog's lard, especially towards the end of the 
fattening period. This paste, which should neither be too bard 
nor too soft, is rolled into pellets ( patons ) of the form of an 
olive, about 2^ inches in length, and rather over half an inch in 
diameter. The crammer at the fesding times, which ought to be 
regularly observed, takes three birds at once, ties them together 
by the legs, and places them on his knees, then by the light of a 
lamp he commences by giving them each a spoonful of water or 
skim milk. Some, however, do not give the birds this drink. 
He next puts a pellet into the mouth of each bird in succession, 
and to facilitate the swallowing process he gently presses his 
finger and thumb along the neck of the bird down to its crop. 
The advantages of taking three birds at once are, that it gives 
time to each to swallow the food, and that the filling of the bird’s 
crop is more gradual. During the first days of the cramming 
process the crops of the birds are only moderately filled, but the 
number of pellets given is gradually increased; in this manner 
the number of pellets given at each meal ultimately reaches 
from twelve to fifteen. It is essential that the pellets should 
each be dipped in water before being given, as this makes them 
more easy to swallow. 
The time necessary for fattening varies. Some fowls take but 
six weeks, others two months. Sometimes, if the bird is well 
disposed to take his food, he is fattened for as long a time as 
possible, and it is thus that phenomenal weights are attained. 
Some birds cannot be completely fattened, and the poultry- 
keeper must exercise his discretion as to these, and kill them at 
their best. Losses cannot be avoided, and these sometimes take 
place in spite of every care and attention. 
No straw or other bed is given for the birds to lie upon, and 
their coops are not cleaned out during the entire period of fatten¬ 
ing. M. Letrone very justly remarks, that if the exhalations aris¬ 
ing from this neglect of cleanliness are necessary to aid the fatten¬ 
ing process they cannot but be injurious to the poultry-keeper who 
has to spend much of his time in the noxious atmosphere. We do 
not doubt that many of the losses which are said to arise owe their 
origin to this neglect of cleanliness, and we should strongly urge 
any of our readers who may feel inclined to give the La Fieche 
mode of fattening a trial to omit that item in the programme. 
THE MODERN DORKING. 
It is a long time since I read anything in your poultry columns 
more interesting than Mr. Cresswell’s remarks at page 224. Most 
of us amateurs are more ready to accept the above gentleman’s 
dictum on Dorkings than any other authority, as it is well known 
he is thoroughly practical, and as a rule follows a middle course, 
which is very agreeable. I have lately come into possession of 
