Old Poultry Breeds (Shire Colour Book)

Originating from jungle fowl, domesticated poultry was kept as far back as 2000 BC, and cockfighting was described by the historian Manu as early as 1000 BC. In more recent times many landowners in Britain bred splendid pure game fowl, but in commercial farming terms the pure breeds of poultry were of little interest compared to the hybrid bird. In the 1950s and 1960s many of the old breeds of poultry dwindled almost to the point of extinction, but a resurgence of interest came just in time to save them. This book illustrates many of these, describing the historical background and the breeds imported from Asia, America, and Europe. Bantams and large fowl are covered, and there is a chapter on turkeys.