Why pay more for wormers? Flubenvet from Petmeds. Best price guaranteed.

Poultry Pages Home >> Poultry Articles >> Chicken Keeping the Old Way >> Poultry Book One, Set 5

Chicken Keeping the Old Way -
The Poultry Book One, Set 5

Just click the images to pop up the full size version.

These pictures were taken from a downloaded copy of The Poultry Book by Rev. W Wingfield & C W Johnson, Esq. with pictures by Harrison Weir reproduced using the Leighton Brother's Chromatic Process. Published in 1850.

The last in the set covers poultry other than chickens, turkey, geese and ducks.

I rather like the Aylesbury ducks but that's because they remind me of my daughter's ducks which are the friendliest birds you could hope to meet.

e
Turkey

Nowadays we tend to just think of turkey's as just the Christmas dinner and Easter treat (OK, Thanksgiving for our American visitors but we don't have that holiday in Britain)

Back in the 1850s they were bred in much the same way, although on a lesser scale, as chickens to show by fanciers. They became the popular Christmas dish after the royal family had turkey one year and set a fashion.

This strangely beautiful turkey was the property of John Fairlie, Esq.

Toulouse Geese

"The plumage of the Toulouse bird is so rich and effective, that in all crosses it would be our endeavour to retain, as nearly as possible, its general hue and character"

This proud and attractive pair were once again the property of Captain Hornby, RN who was a shaker and mover in the poultry world of the 1850s

White Aylesbury Ducks

"Equally as distinct as the Aylesbury duck is from the common White Duck, but not more so, - the distinction arising from careful selection and breeding "

"The name Aylesbury Duck is derived from the town of Aylesbury in which neighbourhood they are kept in large numbers for the supply of the London markets"

Black East Indian or Buenos Ayrean Ducks

There's quite a long and quite amusing discussion in the book as to the origins of these ducks. Basically they take half a page to say they don't know!

Whatever the answer, it's a rather nice picture of Miss Clifton's ducks..