The next point is food. As with all animals, varicti/ is the
great secret. If you only keep a limited number of fowds,
the leavings from the table will secure this. And even when
you have many, the fear of trespassing on time-honoured bad
habits, and the sweeper’s perquisites, should not prevent you
from giving your fowis what is the cm/ best thing for them,
viz., tile constant variety afforded by what is called in India
the sweeper’s tin, in other countries the pig’s pail. It will
be better to give the man an extra eight annas a month —
though this is not necessary if his wages are, as they should
be, sufficient for him to live upon — than to deprive the
fowl-yard of its perquisites.
Taking all round, a fowl will thrive well on 2 oz. of mixed
grain in the day, supjilernented of course by green vege-
tables, onions, &c. For thirty-two fowls, then, four jiounds
of grain will be enough; and we should recommend 1 lb.
barley, 1 lb. gram, i lb. boiled rice, i lb. bran, and 1 lb. of
whole wheat✪ Fowl Feed.
Housekeeper and Cook 119
Tlie last thing at night, or after dinner, the cook should
have orders to put on a big pan, containing the remains of
the day’s vegetables, cabbage leaves, cuttings of turnips,
])otato peelings, &c. These should remain on the embers
all night, and be warmed up next morning on the fire where
the kettle for early tea has been boiled. The mess should
be given hot to the sweeper or fowl-man, who will strain
away excess of water and mix in the ground barley, grain,
and bran. The consistency should be such that it will just
crumble in the hand. The fowls should then be let out, and
the food given to them while still warm. It must never be
thrown on the ground, but be spread in shallow earthen
saucers. It is well to have plenty of these, to prevent
crowding. After this the fowl-house should be cleaned out,
the eggs collected and given in, the door closed again and
kept locked. Water must be given in earthen saucers, and
it will be found a great preventative of disease if a feAv drops
of Douglas’ mixture be mixed with it. A recipe for making
this is given at the end. At twelve o’clock the fowls should
be again fed Avith boiled rice, in which a fcAv handfuls of soft
food — Avhich should have been saved for this purpose from
the morning’s meal — should be mixed. If the fowls have a
run Avhere grass is not to be had, a little should be gathered
and thrown to them. The last thing before I'oosting-time
the foAvls should have their Avhole wh'eat mixed with a little
of the gram. TAvice a Aveek at least they should get a little
animal food ; a liver boiled and minced is best, as it is cheap ;
but if the soup meat is given regularly, as it should be, this
is not necessary.
The great mistake in India is not giving enough varidi/ or
enough gree?i food.
Diarrhoea is almost always caused by too much Avhole
grain, and when it appears the ration of boiled vegetables
should be increased. Keeping the key of the foAvl-house
door has a very beneficial result in the number of eggs the
birds lay. The sweeper will remark it is “dp Id ikbnl se"
(“your honour’s mightiness”), but he is a fulsome flatterer.
One warning may be given. If you have a clean, thriving
set of foAvls, don t make a lazaretto of their run by turning
the kluni.suman .s bazaar chickens into it. Put them in (juaraii-
tine, and give them a kerosene bath first. The same remark
Page 81 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
The next point is food. As with all animals, varicti/ is the
great secret. If you only keep a limited number of fowds,
the leavings from the table will secure this. And even when
you have many, the fear of trespassing on time-honoured bad
habits, and the sweeper’s perquisites, should not prevent you
from giving your fowis what is the cm/ best thing for them,
viz., tile constant variety afforded by what is called in India
the sweeper’s tin, in other countries the pig’s pail. It will
be better to give the man an extra eight annas a month —
though this is not necessary if his wages are, as they should
be, sufficient for him to live upon — than to deprive the
fowl-yard of its perquisites.
Taking all round, a fowl will thrive well on 2 oz. of mixed
grain in the day, supjilernented of course by green vege-
tables, onions, &c. For thirty-two fowls, then, four jiounds
of grain will be enough; and we should recommend 1 lb.
barley, 1 lb. gram, i lb. boiled rice, i lb. bran, and 1 lb. of
whole wheat.
Housekeeper and Cook 119
Tlie last thing at night, or after dinner, the cook should
have orders to put on a big pan, containing the remains of
the day’s vegetables, cabbage leaves, cuttings of turnips,
])otato peelings, &c. These should remain on the embers
all night, and be warmed up next morning on the fire where
the kettle for early tea has been boiled. The mess should
be given hot to the sweeper or fowl-man, who will strain
away excess of water and mix in the ground barley, grain,
and bran. The consistency should be such that it will just
crumble in the hand. The fowls should then be let out, and
the food given to them while still warm. It must never be
thrown on the ground, but be spread in shallow earthen
saucers. It is well to have plenty of these, to prevent
crowding. After this the fowl-house should be cleaned out,
the eggs collected and given in, the door closed again and
kept locked. Water must be given in earthen saucers, and
it will be found a great preventative of disease if a feAv drops
of Douglas’ mixture be mixed with it. A recipe for making
this is given at the end. At twelve o’clock the fowls should
be again fed Avith boiled rice, in which a fcAv handfuls of soft
food — Avhich should have been saved for this purpose from
the morning’s meal — should be mixed. If the fowls have a
run Avhere grass is not to be had, a little should be gathered
and thrown to them. The last thing before I'oosting-time
the foAvls should have their Avhole wh'eat mixed with a little
of the gram. TAvice a Aveek at least they should get a little
animal food ; a liver boiled and minced is best, as it is cheap ;
but if the soup meat is given regularly, as it should be, this
is not necessary.
The great mistake in India is not giving enough varidi/ or
enough gree?i food.
Diarrhoea is almost always caused by too much Avhole
grain, and when it appears the ration of boiled vegetables
should be increased. Keeping the key of the foAvl-house
door has a very beneficial result in the number of eggs the
birds lay. The sweeper will remark it is “dp Id ikbnl se"
(“your honour’s mightiness”), but he is a fulsome flatterer.
One warning may be given. If you have a clean, thriving
set of foAvls, don t make a lazaretto of their run by turning
the kluni.suman .s bazaar chickens into it. Put them in (juaraii-
tine, and give them a kerosene bath first. The same remark