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SUPERSTITIONS 76 Chickens have been kept for their eggs and meat for thousands of years and during this time many superstitions have arisen about them. ese are usually steeped in country folklore, some amusing, others questionable but all a rich part of our heritage. Here are a few of them. In Europe it was earlier thought to be unlucky if a hen laid an even number of eggs, and should this occur one should be removed or no chicks would hatch from them. If all the eggs laid at a single laying happened to produce cockerels, this was thought to be lucky. - If a hen (not a cock bird) crowed, this was said to be a prelude to the coming of evil. CHICKENS IN SUPERSTITIONS 77 CHICKENS IN SUPERSTITIONS It was said that immediately aſter the death of a farmer all his chickens would roost by midday, rather than in the evening. - A Persian superstition suggests that cock birds should crow at nine and twelve in the morning and at night. If they do this their owners can expect sudden good fortune. - Housewives would pass a lighted candle over set eggs, or make crosses on them, to save them from foxes and weasels. e setting of eggs (putting in a position where they can hatch) had fertility taboos for country people until the late 19th century. It was thought unlucky to carry fertile hens’ eggs over running water, or to position them to ‘set’ on a Sunday or in the month of May (considered to be the month of witchcraſt). - Spring flowers were said to influence the number of eggs that would hatch. If a posy containing less than thirteen primroses were taken into a house, so the number of eggs that hatched would be indicated by the number of flowers in the posy. - It was considered unlucky to sell eggs or to take them indoors aſter sunset. - e persistent crowing of a cock bird between dusk and midnight is said to foretell a death. - A cock bird crowing outside a back door was said to foretell a stranger visiting the housewife.

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Page 1: Chicken Nuggets

SUPERSTITIONS

76

Chickens have been kept for their eggs and meat for thousands of years and during this time many superstitions have arisen about them. These are usually steeped in country folklore, some amusing, others questionable but all a rich part of our heritage. Here are a few of them.

In Europe it was earlier thought to be unlucky if a hen laid an even number of eggs, and should this occur one should be removed or no chicks would hatch from them.

If all the eggs laid at a single laying happened to produce cockerels, this was thought to be lucky.

-If a hen (not a cock bird) crowed, this was said to be a prelude to the coming of evil.

C H I C K E N S I N S U P E R S T I T I O N S

77

C H I C K E N S I N S U P E R S T I T I O N S

It was said that immediately after the death of a farmer all his chickens would roost by midday, rather than in the evening.

-A Persian superstition suggests that cock birds should crow at nine and twelve in the morning and at night. If they do this their owners can expect sudden good fortune.

-Housewives would pass a lighted candle over set eggs, or make crosses on them, to save them from foxes and weasels.

The setting of eggs (putting in a position where they can hatch) had fertility taboos for country people until the late 19th century. It was thought unlucky to carry fertile hens’ eggs over running water, or to position them to ‘set’ on a Sunday or in the month of May (considered to be the month of witchcraft).

-Spring flowers were said to influence the number of eggs that would hatch. If a posy containing less than thirteen primroses were taken into a house, so the number of eggs that hatched would be indicated by the number of flowers in the posy.

-It was considered unlucky to sell eggs or to take them indoors after sunset.

-The persistent crowing of a cock bird between dusk and midnight is said to foretell a death.

-A cock bird crowing outside a back door was said to foretell a stranger visiting the housewife.

Page 2: Chicken Nuggets

CHAPTER SIX

Chickens in Slang

CHICKEN SLANG

80

Chickens are so popular and widely kept that they have engendered a rich pageant of slang terms. Some of these are flattering, others not. But they are all a reflection of life and how, when in general use, language is corrupted. Here is a range of ‘chicken-speak’.

• Bad egg – a person who is less than honest and has poor moral standards.

• Brood over it – to worry and consider a problem thoroughly.

• Chick – a young girl.

• Chickabiddy – young woman.

• Chickadee – North American song bird but also used to refer to pretty girls.

71

C H I C K E N S I N L I T E R A T U R E

To swallow gudgeons ere th’are catch’d,And count their chickens ere th’are hatch’d.

S A M U E L B U T L E R ( 1 6 1 3 - 1 6 8 0 )

- All my pretty ones?

Did you say all? O hell-kite! All? What! all my pretty chickens and their dam,

At one fell swoop.

W I L L I A M S H A K E S P E A R E ( 1 5 6 4 - 1 6 1 6 )M a c b e t h

Page 3: Chicken Nuggets

CHAPTER FOUR

Chickens in Literature

CHICKEN SAVANT

70

Literature reflects life and it is inevitable that chickens are part of this. Here are a few quotations that amuse, create thoughtful reflections on life or give an insight into history.

I want there to be no peasant in my kingdom so poor that he is unable to have a chicken in his pot every Sunday.

H E N R Y I V ( 1 5 5 3 - 1 6 1 0 )H a r d o u i n d e P é r é f i x e , H i s t o r y d e H e n r y l e G r a n d ( 1 6 8 1 )

- I swear, she’s no chicken; she’s on the wrong side of thirty, if she be a day.

J O N A T H A N S W I F T ( 1 6 6 7 - 1 7 4 5 )

-

81

C H I C K E N S I N S L A N G

• Chickened-out – to give up

• Chickery-pockery – dishonest dealings

• Cock and bull story – elaborate lie.

• Cock-eyed – turned or twisted towards one side.

• Cock of the walk – to be the boss.

• Cock sure – to brag.

• Chicken – to be afraid.

• Chicken feed – paltry sum.

• Chicken-fixing – a nautical term used by sailors in the 1880s when a name could not be remembered.

• Chicken food – naval term.

• Chicken-hammed – being bandy legged.

• Chicken hearted – timid and cowardly.

• Chicken-livered – faint-hearted and cowardly.

• Chicken nabob (1811 term) – A person who returns from the East Indies with a modest fortune of fifty or sixty thousand pounds

• Chicken perch – rhyming slang for church.

• Don’t cackle if you have not laid – don’t complain if you have not finished your part of an agreed arrangement.

• Egg on your face – caught telling an untruth

Page 4: Chicken Nuggets

CHAPTER SEVEN

Breeds and Fame

FAMOUS ASSOCIATIONS

84

Many well known people have kept chickens as a hobby, while others originated new breeds or played significant roles in taking them from one country to another.

Cochin

CHAPTER FIVE

Chickens in Supers t i t ions

Country-born predictions about chickens and how to look after them.

CHAPTER SIX

Chickens in Slang

A language all of its own - and highly revealing!

CHAPTER SEVEN

Breeds and FameMany well known people have kept chickens as a hobby, while others originated new breeds or played a significant role in taking them from one country to another.

Index 94

CHAPTER THREE

Keeping Chickens

Range and sizes Ways to keep chickensPoultry sheds and equipmentFeeding chickensHandling and inspecting chickensWhat are capons? Killing chickensPlucking chickensAdvantages and disadvantages of

keeping a cock birdRaising new chickensKeeping chickens healthy

CHAPTER FOUR

Chickens in L i te ratu re

Amusing, thoughtful and meaningful quotations about chickens and their life-styles.

Page 5: Chicken Nuggets

CONTENTS

Introduction 6 CHAPTER TWO

Gett ing to Know Chickens

Identifying chickens – cock birds and hens

Chicken terminologyChicken psychology A chicken’s visionA chicken’s hearingA chicken’s communication skills Feathers – their shapes and colours Colour range of chickensTypes of combs and their usesPecking order – and you!Chickens in love – and how do they

do it!

CHAPTER ONE

Where d id Chickens Or ig inate?

Which came first – the chicken or the egg?

Chickens are related to dinosaursAncestors native to jungle fowl in

South-east AsiaHow chickens spread throughout

the worldChickens in the British IslesChickens in mainland EuropeChickens in the AmericasChickens in Asia

85

F A M O U S B R E E D S

• Marco Polo – Silkie Breeds

• Sir John Sanders Sebright – Sebright breed

• Laurence of Arabia – especially fond of the Minorca (earlier known as the Red-faced Spanish)

• Queen Victoria – Cochin chickens given as a gift

• William Cook – Orpington breed

• Major F. T. Croad – Croad Langshan

• Gregor Mendel – Andulasian – genetic experiments

Minorca

Sebright