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Chicken Keeping the Old Way
Ornamental, Aquatic and Domestic fowl 2

Poultry

Published in 1850, J J Nolan's work was aimed at those who showed poultry which was very popular amongst the landed gentry and those who aspired to emulate them.

It's very much a work of its time. He suggests that correct management will treble the output of eggs and meat from hens without outlay or expense and

"Would, therefore, afford additional comfort and emoluments to the cottager and farmer. If the thing be encouraged by the landlord, he will ultimately benefit himself, as it will assist the tenant, in the way of meeting his engagements."

In other words, keeping hens will help the tenant make more money to pay the landlord's rent.

He starts his work with a few lines of verse:

"High was his comb, and coral red withal,
In dents embattled, like a castle wall;
His bill was raven black, and shone like jet;
Blue were his legs, and orient were his feet;
White were his nails, like silver to behold;
His body glittering, like the burnish'd gold."

Just click the image to pop-up a larger version.

The Malay Cockerel & Hen

Described as "a most invaluable cross to our common domestic fowl, producing a large and hardy variety which are excellent layers and sitters and well calculated for the table and "improvement of the cottager's breed"

Goes to show how they were still looking at all round breeds before the specialisation that we saw post WW2 for eggs or meat.

The True Dorking

When you look at this engraving, you can see how the aristocracy valued their birds. You can imagine him passing the port and lighting a cigar as he surveyed a map looking for new territories to plunder for the empire!

The champion of the Dorking was William Ogleby, Esq. late Honorary Secretary to the London Zoological Society who bred them on his Irish estates "for his own use and the benefit of his tenants "