One didn't have to have an actual farm to raise poultry. One could even manage to keep a small flock of hens, or ducks, or other poultry in the city if one had a bit of space. Poultry-keeping was considered an acceptable means of earning an income for ladies, and of course it also provided a supply of fresh eggs for the household table. Hens and geese might seem dull, but some of the tales from The Strand's "Animal Actualities" column indicate that even poultry had quite a lively lifestyle at times!

Raising Poultry

The Crystal Palace Poultry, Pigeon and Rabbit Show (Illustrated London Almanack, 1860)

Ducks (Leisure Hour, 1860)

The Doctor's Ducks, and How He Reared Them, by Eliza Clarke (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1879)

The Family Poultry-Yard, by Eliza Clarke (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1879)

Our Pigeon-Cote, and How We Stocked it, by Eliza Clarke (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1879)

How to Rear Fowls (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

Tips on raising poultry for hobby, home use or profit.

Poultry (Collier's Cyclopedia, 1882)

How to Keep Poultry for Profit, by Lewis Wright (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1883)

Pheasants (Girl's Own Paper, 1889)

Tips on rearing pheasants.

Poultry Keeping: A Recreation and Source of Income for Girls, by Theo (Girl's Own Paper, 1889)

Doves' Down, or, Pigeon Life, by Emma Brewer (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

An interesting series on doves and pigeons, including an article on the passenger pigeon, which was still quite common in Britain!

Eggs and Chickens in Midwinter, by Theo (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

Chickens for Use and Beauty, by H.S. Babcock (Century Magazine, 1890B)

Michaelmas Geese (Pictorial Museum of Sport & Adventure, ca. 1890)

A look at geese overall, historic, domestic, and wild.

Pheasants and Their Maladies, by La Baronne H. de Boerio (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

Artificial Hatching, by A. Lockart (Girl's Own Paper, 1891)

Flowers, Bees and Poultry (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1896)

A monthly guide to raising all three.

Profitable Duck-Keeping, by T. Wilson-Wilson (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

On Show: Poultry, illustrated by J.A. Shepherd (The Strand, 1897)

A comical look at animal shows.

Prize Poultry, by W.M. Elkington (Windsor Magazine, 1902A)

Poultry Tales

From 1898-1900, The Strand ran a series of reader stories titled "Animal Actualities." Many of these anecdotes featured the exploits and adventures of various types of poultry, so we've listed those here. Visit the Animal Actualities page for the complete series.

Animal Actualities 1: A Lost Reputation (The Strand, 1898)

A farmyard duck ends "a formidable Cerberus's" reputation for canine belligerence.

Animal Actualities 2: An Undesirable Attachment (The Strand, 1898)

A goose develops an unwelcome tendresse toward a rooster.

Animal Actualities 6: The Faithful Cochin (The Strand, 1898)

How Granny, an elderly hen, stood by her man...

Animal Actualities 8: The Disappearing Chickens (The Strand, 1899)

Who or what was causing the farmyard chicks to vanish?

Animal Actualities 11: Sauce for the Goose, Sauce for the Gander (The Strand, 1899)

Geese harass police!

Animal Actualities 12: Instinct Gone Wrong (The Strand, 1899)

A male chick develops a maternal instinct... or obsession...