How To Fatten The Very Leanest And Scraggiest Of Poultry

This recipe hails from the mid- to late-19th century, recorded by Colonel Charles Ellice, who travelled and worked extensively throughout the British Empire, including postings in Scotland and colonial India. It appears in a much-used manuscript packed with household instructions, recipes for food and medicine, and notes on practical domestic management—reflective of both a military lifestyle and a Victorian zeal for thrift. At a time when maximizing the yield from scrawny or older birds was vital for both economy and sustenance, such 'fattening' regimens were standard practice on estates and in rural households. This particular technique draws on both agricultural science of the era (darkness reducing activity increases weight gain) and practical household waste management (utilizing any 'kitchen stuff' or fat to make a nourishing paste). Today the method offers a glimpse into how food security, animal husbandry, and kitchen ingenuity intersected in a 19th-century British officer’s life.

A small wooden poultry coop, ideally with a sliding or hinged door, would have been lined with straw or hay for cleanliness. Heavy drapes or broadcloth curtains were hung to completely block out light when not feeding. An iron or wooden bowl was used to mix up the paste of oats, sugar, and kitchen fat, with a sturdy wooden spoon. Food was offered on a shallow tray or feeding board, set inside the coop at feeding times. Milk was kept in a clay or tin vessel inside the coop, with regular cleaning to prevent spoilage. All cleaning was manual, using a brush, some ash, or lye soap, and fresh straw replaced to maintain hygiene.