The Bantam Fowl by T. F. McGrew is an illustrated reference to the small breeds and varieties that had become an important part of the poultry fancy by the beginning of the twentieth century. The 1903 issue combines descriptions of appearance with breeders’ accounts of mating, selection, management and exhibition.
A guide to a varied family of birds
McGrew introduces Bantams as a subject that had grown far beyond a handful of familiar miniature chickens. His aim is to make the material concise enough for amateurs while retaining observations of interest to experienced fanciers.
The book draws on correspondence, earlier writing and the author’s own observation. This gives it a useful mixture of descriptive reference and first-hand testimony, with breeders sometimes explaining where their own preferences differ from a formal ideal.
For a heritage-poultry collection, its strength is this range. It places many small varieties beside one another and explains the particular features that their admirers considered important.
Game Bantams and their differences
The first major group concerns Game Bantams. Shape, carriage, wing position and tail are considered alongside the color patterns that distinguish Black Breasted Reds, Brown Reds, Birchens, Duckwings and Piles.
The discussion also reaches Malay, Indian Game and Old English birds. English and American descriptions appear together, making it possible to follow differences in taste and practice across the Atlantic.
These are exhibition and breeding discussions. The illustrations help readers connect terms such as hackle, saddle and wing bar with particular parts of the bird, rather than encountering them only as words in a standard.
Asiatic varieties and miniature form
Brahma, Cochin and Japanese Bantams occupy much of the central section. Light and Dark Brahmas, several Cochin colors, and the distinctive appearance of Japanese birds receive separate attention.
Breeders discuss the relationship between size, body shape and constitution. The text makes clear that obtaining a small bird is only part of the task: proportion and the ability to maintain a useful breeding strain also matter.
Drawings of birds and feathers support the discussion of plumage. The sections on Cochin mating and color are especially useful for understanding how breeders tried to connect the appearance of parents with the qualities of their offspring.
Sebrights, Rose Combs and other kinds
The miscellaneous group includes Sebrights, Black Rose Combs, Booted Bantams and several less common kinds. Lacing, comb shape, leg color and other identifying characteristics recur throughout these accounts.
McGrew preserves practical disagreements as well as ideal descriptions. A keeper interested in the history of selection can see how a desired feature might be pursued over several generations, and why the best-looking individual was not always considered the most useful breeding bird.
The result is broader than a picture catalogue. It records the reasoning, difficulties and expectations behind the appearance of the birds in the illustrations.
Exhibiting, housing and care
Separate sections turn to exhibiting and judging, historical diseases and remedies, and housing and care. Small houses, runs and related arrangements appear in drawings accompanying the management discussion.
The health chapter belongs to the veterinary knowledge of its period. It is useful evidence of what poultry writers then recommended, but its remedies should not be treated as a present-day treatment plan.
This free ebook suits Bantam enthusiasts, poultry historians and readers researching the relationship between breed standards and domestic livestock keeping. Its many bird portraits also make it useful for comparing historical representations of familiar varieties.
Using this digital copy
The PDF contains 72 digital pages, including the original illustrated cover, preliminary matter, the main text, a contents index near the end and period advertising. The opening matter preserves introductions to the first and second editions. Printed page numbers and PDF page positions differ; use the printed numbers with the index. Enlarge the smaller feather illustrations when studying patterns.
Book details
- Author: T. F. McGrew
- Publisher: Reliable Poultry Journal Publishing Company, Quincy, Illinois
- Year: 1903
- Edition: 1903 issue, with introductions to the first and second editions
- Digital length: 72 PDF pages
- Language: English
- File size: 9.21 MB
