Breeds of the Grassy Downs’

BBRREEEEDDSS OOFF TTHHEE GGRRAASSSSYY DDOOWWNNSS

By Mick Bassett and the Team of Aviculture Europe

Photo Gareth Lloyd Hughes, courtesy of the Southdown Sheep Society of Great Britain.

In the South of England - and only there as far as I know - are many 'Dew- Ponds' - natural ponds as a watering place. These are old, hundreds and hundreds of years old, man made on the top sides of the 'sea side' of the grassy 'Downs' - the chain of hills that sub verse Southern England in 3 main ridges right too Wales in the West and Kent in the East. A downland - often referred to as Downs is an area of open chalk hills. (The word 'down' derives from a medieval Germanic or Norse word ‘dun’, a hill). These dewponds have been made as long as sheep have been grazed there, so since late Neolithic/ early Bronze age times. The Dewpond is made shallow and lined with mud and hay etc. trampled in by men and oxen, to give a water repellent lining. The ponds literally fill with dew that comes in from the sea in the morning and from the mist and fog; they usually never dry out. They were often the only water source on the High Downs, so although there is a track along the Downs Top, dating back thousands of years and ancient when the Romans invaded, it was never used by them as no water for the numbers of troops they had.

Sheep farming then was very different - indeed the Downs themselves would be almost unrecognisable today. The strange thing, although shrubs and trees will completely take over ground in less than 30 years, the track has ALWAYS remained 'clear' and passable, in some parts as wide as a modern country road! The present closely-grazed turf is the result of continual grazing by sheep. Various set out Walks and Rides give you the opportunity to see more of the fantastic scenery and countryside of the Downs. Try www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ for an over-view of the area.

Left: Sheep at a dew pond, 1932. Photo Kirk Lincoln Dickenson.

A very popular route is the 160 kilometre long ‘South Downs Way’ following the old routes along the ridges of the South Downs. Both the North and South Downs come together at the Wessex Downs, just inside the Hampshire http://my.opera.com/blackpatch/blog/ border. The eastern end, where it reaches the coast between the towns of Seaford and Eastbourne, produces the spectacular scenery of the Seven Sisters; a series of chalk cliffs that formed where the South Downs meet the sea and are gradually being eroded by the sea.

Above: View of the Seven Sisters. Photo courtesy of John Hawkins.

Another very interesting route is the 'Ridgeway' track that by passes many old ‘Stonehenges' like Avebury, Stonehenge, West Kennet Long Barrow, Waylands Smithy and one of the most famous, Dragon Hill (or White Horse Hill). In a tiny village on the sides of the Downs near Avebury is King Alfred’s Blowing Stone; a stone with holes in that you are supposed to be able to blow like a trumpet, the means whereby King Alfred (The Great) summoned his Saxon troops, but it didn't work for me! The South Downs have a long history; there are archaeological remains from Neolithic times. Until the middle of the 20th century, sheep-rearing was the main occupation of those living on the Downs. Several poultry breeds originated here, the most famous being the Sussex Hen, in Sussex and the Dorking, in Surrey. It is reported that the ‘Rouen’ duck was brought to the south coast & improved by the British breeders around the early 1800's. So we can say Rouens are certainly 'Southern' breeds. Then of course we have the Orpington Ducks and Chickens, which originated south of London, in Kent, which is a little nearer the North Downs. Campbell ducks (original & Khaki) originated in Uley/Gloucestershire, which is a bit away but on part of the Route between the South/North Downs and Wales, where the Malvern Hills and the Downs almost 'meet'. As for the Fancy Pigeons… 43 breeds are registered as being of British origin, but none of them really originated in The Downs. Most occurred in and around Towns; the Mid-lands, East Anglia and Scotland being hot beds in the early days. The West of England Tumbler would be the nearest to a Downland breed of Pigeons, as they were developed in and around Bristol. The city of Bristol has its own area named ‘Durham Downs’ or just ‘The Downs’. It is in the county of Somerset, this is immediately North of the county of Dorset, in which the South Downs are located.

Dorking and Sussex The well-known old English fowls have been noted as a breed for any number of years, and so kept and described, as old books and records prove. The five-toed Kent, Sussex and Surrey fowls - and the ‘fighting Cocks’ - have been attributed to the Roman introduction, which is much likely, as Kent possesses a Roman road throughout. Both Columella and Pliny, Roman writers, described birds of ‘Dorking type’ with five toes.

Different from what you might think, in ancient times, poultry in the southern farmyards was not merely one of the neglected appendages of the villa and farm, but was chosen and bred with much care, attention and discretion, and that not only as a source of profit, but also for pleasure and even sport. Before any poultry shows existed there were fanciers, and the table fowls of Kent were noted in history, and these, with those of Sussex and Surrey, were truthfully pronounced by competent judges to be as “table fowls, the very finest and best in the world”.

Harrison Weir describes how in May, 1829, when scarcely five years old, he traveled with his mother by coach to Tunbridge Wells. Many of their relatives and friends living in Kent and Sussex were farmers, and here it was that he first saw the Kent and Sussex white-shanked five-toed black-and-red poultry, kept and known at the farms beyond time of remembrance. More than 60 years later he started writing a book - ‘Our Poultry’ published in 1902 – and described the Kent Fowl as follows: “The farmer and the poultry fancier of to-day has but little or no idea of the superior and long-tested quality of the then ancient breeds of fowls nurtured and kept about our southern homesteads, nor how much they were cared for, appreciated and valued. Both the cocks and hens were most carefully and thoughtfully selected, not only for their fineness of flesh, thinness of skin, their form and size, but also for their uniformity and beauty of color; in this respect districts and farms were known as having a certain specialty, and the fowls were not, as many modern writers ignorantly state, unculled or unmatched”.

Right: Old Kent Fowl, by H. Weir, 1851.

At the first ‘National’ Poultry Show, specifically for live poultry, held in the London Zoological Society’s grounds at Regent’s Park in 1845, the classification included Old Sussex or Kent fowls, Surrey fowls and Dorkings. Up to about 1850 they were the "best all-round fowls” ever known. Then with the importations of the Shanghai, the Cochin, the Brahma, there arose a craze for size; and as a consequence these coarse breeds were crossed and intercrossed with the old English breeds; the result being those pure breeds — the outcome of centuries of cultured selection and attention, the perfected strains of ‘their forefathers’ in past ages — were mongrelized, in some cases almost past recognition. From 1900 the Dorking was gradually winning its way again into the position as the best of all fowls for table purposes. This had to be done by a reversion to the old southern breeders' tactics of choosing the best-breasted, closest-feathered, pure white-shanked, having white feet and toe-nails, with white ear-lobes, or that of infusing the blood and purest breed of the old English white-shanked Game-cock. The old southern fowls, again were close-feathered, hearty and good feeders and foragers; a breed of super-excellence, of large size, fleshy, well feathered, full tailed, and particularly handsome. The Dorking was standardized in Great Britain in 1865, the clear white fleshy shanks and the white ear-lobe being distinctive, unmistakable indications of the pure breed. At present time, Dorkings have red earlobes.

Left: Prize Dorking cockerel by H. Weir, 1895.

Below: Dorking cockerel, 2009, with red earlobes. Being a European/old English fowl, it should have white ear-lobes and it is a pity this characteristic was neglec- ted during time. Photo Luuk Hans.

Above: Dorking hen, in ‘Our Poultry’ published in 1902.

The Sussex was not yet described as a ‘breed’ in the first ‘Book of Standards’ of 1865. In those days the classification “Sussex” included birds with various characteristics of shape and colour. A Standard for the Breed was drafted in 1903 and the Sussex was officially recognised as a 4-toed breed in the colours Speckled, Light and Red, later followed by Brown, Buff, White and Silver.

In the 1940s another colour of Sussex was created, known as Coronation, (same pattern as Light Sussex but with blue instead of black markings) however after a couple of years of standardisation it became extinct. It has been re- created again and was re- standardised in 2002.

Right: Sussex Barn-Door Fowl. Note the 4 toes. Drawing by H. Weir, 1851.

Above: Pair of speckled Sussex. Illustrations by J. W. Ludlow from the Illustrated Book of Poultry by Lewis Wright, published in 1880.

Worldwide the Light Sussex is the most common and is fairly popular with backyard poultry keepers. The ideal Sussex has a: broad and flat back with wide shoulders, a broad and square breast and a long and straight, deep breastbone. All varieties are single combed with face, lobes and wattles red. Legs and skin are white. They lay a reasonable number of eggs and excess cockerels produce good table birds.

Left: Light Sussex pullet. Photo: Dirk de Jong, 2009.

Orpington Chicken and Duck Orpington Ducks and chickens were a creation of (the firm of) William Cook from ‘Orpington House’, St. Mary Cray, Kent. To be more precise: By the 1890’s, the firm of William Cook involved all of Cook’s children; his eldest child, Elizabeth Jane; eldest son, William Henry, as manager; younger sons, Messrs. A. Lockley and Percy A. Cook; and youngest daughter, Miss L. Cook. The trading name became ‘W. Cook & Sons’ in November 1896.

The Orpington Ducks were created by crossing Aylesbury, Rouen and Indian Runner Ducks in about equal parts. Blue Orpington Ducks were available for sale in 1896 and first exhibited at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, London, in October 1896. The creation of the Buff Orpington Duck was announced to the public in October 1897 and the Buff Orpington Duck was put on public display for the first time at the Dairy Show in October 1897.

Left: Buff Orpington Ducks, 1908. Owner: Mr. A. Gilbert from Kent, UK.

Orpington Ducks are of medium size and slightly erect in carriage. They rarely fly and are a good back garden all rounder. Although originally kept for their eggs and flesh, they are now more regarded as an exhibition bird, for their plumage and colouring. They are also good broodies.

Right: Orpington Ducks in New Zealand. Photo: Cilla Taylor and Des Kan.

We recommend our earlier published article on the Orpington ducks, which can be read on http://www.aviculture- europe.nl/nummers/10E05A10.pdf

Orpington Chickens William Cook intended his Orpington chickens to be a dual-purpose and hardy breed. The Black variety was the first, launched in 1886, followed by the White, the Buff, the Jubilee and the Spangled. William Cooks original strain was developed from Black Minorca cocks x Black Plymouth Rock, the female offspring were mated to Black Langshan cocks to yield the Black Orpington. Other colours were created by using different breeds. After his death in 1904, more colour varieties were to follow, some created by e.g. Arthur C. Gilbert, his son-in-law [married to the younger daughter].

Left: Old Style Black Orpington, from a photograph, in Our Poultry, 1902, by Harrison Weir.

The Orpingtons are magnificent birds, particularly when seen in small flocks roaming freely. They are known for their calm, docile nature, soft profuse feathering and reliable brooding ability. Although created as a multi-purpose bird, they have become a breed more commonly used for exhibiting.

Above: Black Orpington hens. Photo E. te Selle/Archives Aviculture Europe.

We recommend our earlier published articles on the Orpington chickens, which can be read on http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/08E03A04.pdf and http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/08E03A05.pdf

Campbell ducks The 'Campbell Duck' which first appeared around 1898, was a creation of Mrs. A. Campbell of Uley, Gloucestershire. (photo to the left) Later, Mrs. Campbell further developed this early version and produced the Khaki Campbell Duck, which was announced to the public in the spring of 1901. In an article in C. A. House’s book, ‘Ducks: Show and Utility’, (1925), Mrs. Campbell told how she, towards the end of the nineteenth century, began to make a number of crosses between an extremely egg-productive female Fawn and White Runner and Rouen and Mallard drakes, with the intent to create a new duck variety that would have a large annual production of eggs, be hardy and adaptable and finally would have a high fertility. The original Campbell was the result of this inter-breeding. There are two photographs of the original Campbell, shot right on the Campbell’s farm, showing a pair and a flock. The photos appeared in the book “Our Poultry” by Harrison Weir, 1902. Weir stated that, at the time of their introduction (1898), “…. Mrs. Campbell's initial creation of Campbell Ducks were not entirely fixed of form and colour, but, both for the production of eggs and ducklings, were enjoyable for home consumption and profitable for market purposes”.

Right: Photograph of the original Campbell, in Our Poultry, 1902.

The first mention of the Khaki variety appeared in the Poultry Press in January 1901. In 1902, in his New Book of Poultry Lewis Wright describes the two varieties: “. . the original Campbells are somewhat like Rouens in appearance, but much lighter, with a plain head of a greyish brown shade, and no streak running from the eye: the drakes have grey backs, and a pale claret breast, the legs yellow. . . The other sub-variety is more recent, and is known as the Khaki or Khaki-Campbell duck. The drake is khaki colour all over except the head and stern, which are bronze green; the duck is entirely khaki colour, a delicate lacing of darker buff showing on each feather.” Mrs. Campbell intended the birds as a utility duck and never wanted the Khaki Campbell to become an exhibition bird; she reluctantly produced ‘official descriptions’ around 1908-9. It was accepted to the Poultry Club Standards, initially in 1923, and a finalized draft appears in the edition of 1930; but it was a compromise between the utility and exposition ducks and this compromise has remained to this day.

Above: Young Khaki Campbell ducks. Photo: Denise Moss.

Today, some strains kept by commercial breeders lay about 300 eggs per year. Exhibition Khaki Campbells do not have the same characteristics as production types. Still, they are growing in popularity as an egg-layer and backyard duck. Campbells are extremely hardy, are excellent foragers, and are at home on land as well as in water. They eat large quantities of slugs, snails, insects, algae, and mosquitoes from ponds, but do not require swimming water to stay healthy. They are non sitters, reluctant to fly off and reacted nearer to a fowl. Bred as a back garden duck two females will give a dozen eggs per week if fed well. Above: Foraging Khaki Campbell ducks and drakes. Photo granted by Carole Bryant, Berigora Farm, Australia. www.berigorafarm.com.au

Rouen duck The Rouen Duck originated in Normandy, France, as a direct descendant of the Mallard, and, being famous for their large size, had probably arrived in England by the 1750’s. They were a trade for the French coasting captains, who, in passing to return home, sold them to rich landholders, or were purchased alive in the environs of Rouen by the English, to enrich their farm-yards, and improve their degenerate or bastard species. English breeders began to redesign the bird through selective breeding; its size doubled, its sleek body was transformed into a thickset boat shape, and its plumage colours improved upon.

Left: Prize Rouen Drake, by Harrison Weir, from a photograph, in Our Poultry, 1902,

At the end of the 19th century, the Rouen Duck was kept a great deal in the south of England. According to William Cook, in his book “Ducks: and how to make them pay” (1894), one could go for miles in some parts of the south, and find that every farmer had Rouens. This was specifically noticeable in Kent. They were not, at first, bred for exhibition — or, at least, only a very few — but merely for the table and eggs. Still these ducks were also favourite because of their looks. Cook: “Many people in towns keep this variety of duck on account of their colour, as they do not show the dirt, and another reason is because they are so carried away by the brilliant colours of the drake. There is no domestic water fowl which comes up to Rouen drakes as regards colour. They are really a picture in themselves when they are in full plumage”. The Rouen was praised in many ancient poultry books as the largest duck that there is, and being far superior to either the Aylesbury or the Pekin, concerning the quality of flesh. E. T. Brown, in Ducks, Geese and Turkeys, 1918, states: “The flesh of the Rouen is of a fuller and of a finer flavour than that of the other varieties, and although the birds attain to a great weight there is rarely a coarseness visible. I have seen a pair of Rouen ducks weighing twenty-five pounds, whose flesh was tender and juicy”.

Above: Rouen ducks. Photo: Dirk de Jong.

The Rouen is a slow grower and they do not start laying quite so early in the season. Their eggs weigh 80 grams, egg shells are greenish with lighter or bluish tones. It is quite a plump, imposing bird and obviously not able to fly. The broad and deep breast and deep keel are most striking. When moving around, the keel (horizontal belly-line) should not touch the ground. In colour they look like (oversized) mallards. Weight according to the English Standard (BWA): Drake 4.5 – 5.4 kg. (10-12 lb) Duck 4.1-5 kg. (9 - 11 lb).

We recommend our earlier published article on the Rouen, which can be read on http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/07E01A07.pdf

West of England Tumbler The West of England Tumbler is the only true dual-purpose Flying Tumbler native to the British Isles. It originated in Bristol and the surrounding West Country in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and believed to be bred down from the Cumulet and Muffed Tumbler, with Flying Tippler and Roller also used.

It is a typical Flying Tumbler type, a true dual-purpose Flying Tumbler, full of vigour and always alert. The prime importance in the show pen as with any flying breed is condition; both feather and body condition are often the deciding factor, taking every other fact into account. It has a very large following in Great Britain and there are several Societies catering for the breed in all areas of the country.

Left: 1913 Ludlow print of a red grizzle clean leg West of England Tumbler.

Right: West of England Tumbler, by Piet Steeman, Belgium. Photo: Aviculture Europe.

We recommend our earlier published article on the West of England Tumbler, which can be read on http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/08E03A03.pdf And http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/08E05A06.pdf

We couldn’t resist to also highlight a few cattle breeds, although the list is probably much longer. Still we hope to give you an indication of the ancient ‘breeds of the grassy downs’.

The Southdown Sheep The South Down Sheep is an ancient breed with its origins on the Sussex Downlands. In its relatively unimproved state these polled, grey-faced sheep grazed the Downs of Southern England from time immemorial. The sheep that were used to perform the task of fertilising the uplands were very different from those you see on the hills and downs of southern England today. In the 19th century Almost every farm with downland or chalky soil would have had a flock of downland sheep.

Photo: Gareth Lloyd Hughes of the Southdown Sheep Society of Great Britain. The today South Down sheep is a medium wool breed but primarily raised for meat, which is known for its tenderness and flavor. At the end of the eighteenth century it was improved by John Ellman of Glynde, Sussex (and others) and it now has a white woolly face, although its face was dusky before (and still is so in Australia and New Zealand). Both rams and ewes are polled (=hornless). These small sheep are renowned for their extreme hardiness. Almost without exception every British meat breed has used the Southdown to improve their breed. Other known sheep of the ‘Downs’ group are Shropshire's, Hampshire's, Oxford's and Suffolk Downs.

New Forest Pony The only horses associated with the south downs area are the New Forest ponies in Hampshire. The New Forest Pony or New Forester is one of the recognised Mountain and moorland or Native pony breeds of the British Isles. This Native pony is of uncertain parentage but it is indigenous to the New Forest, in Hampshire in southern England, and has lived in its namesake since at least 1016 when rights of common pasture allowed local people to graze their animals within the forest. These rights still remain today and many ponies can still be seen running loose there.

Right: New Forest pony. Photo: FreeFoto.com

The breed is valued for its hardiness, strength and sureness of foot. New Forest ponies should be of riding type with a well built and ample frame, muscular hind quarters and a good depth of body. They should have sloping shoulders, strong quarters, plenty of bone, straight limbs and good hard round feet. The larger ponies, while narrow enough for small children are quite capable of carrying adults. The New Forest Pony is considered to have a gentle temperament, and the ponies are noted for their intelligence, strength and versatility and are nearly always willing-to-please. New Foresters are amongst the most approachable of all the native British pony breeds, perhaps because of their history of frequent contact with man.

The Wessex Saddleback or Wessex Pig There is no precise origin of this breed of domestic pig; according to its name in the West Country of England, (Wessex), especially in Wiltshire and the New Forest area of Hampshire, although it could include counties such as Sussex, Berkshire and Dorset. It was created around 1850 by crossing the Hampshire and Sussex breeds. The Hampshire breed was black or dark spotted and roamed semi-wild in the New Forest. The Sussex had a wide white band covering the entire middle section of the pig. The head and hams were black although sometimes the fore-end would be white and the rear end black or visa-versa. The resulting Wessex Saddleback had a fairly long straight snout with a slightly dished face and medium sized, forward pointing ears. The back was long and straight and the tail was long and stout with a long tassel of black hair. It was traditionally used as a "baconer" and grown out for bacon and hams. The Wessex Saddleback is a tall, rangy animal, adapted to foraging in woodland, its traditional use. This use survived longest in the New Forest, where pigs are still allowed to forage in woods for mast (acorns, beech-nuts and chestnuts) – but the now- a-days New Forest pigs no longer include pure-bred Wessex Saddlebacks. The Wessex is currently considered extinct in its country of origin. However, some Wessex Saddlebacks had been exported to other parts of the world, and the breed survives in small numbers in Australia, New Zealand, and perhaps elsewhere.

Photo: British Saddleback, a hybrid breed formed by crossing Wessex Saddleback and Essex Pig. Photo: Maureen Hoyle.

Sussex cattle Sussex cattle are a red breed of beef cattle, descending from the red cattle that once roamed the Weald of Sussex, Surrey and Kent. Sussex Oxen were often used for ploughing the fields and as draught cattle for pulling loads. They have dark red coats and white tail switches. Their summer coat is thin with many sweat glands but in colder climate the winter coat of the breed can grow thick and is often curly. So they are suited to both hot summers and cold winters. They have a placid temperament but can be very stubborn. Improvement of the breed did not begin until the late 18th century.

Right: Sussex cattle. Photo: Charlesdrakew.

Sources: o Harrison Weir's Our Poultry, vol. II, 1902. o Lewis Wright, New Book of Poultry, 1902. o C. A. House, Ducks: Show and Utility, 1925. o E. T. Brown, Ducks, Geese and Turkeys, 1918. o The Downland Shepherds, Barclay Wills, published in 1989 containing many of the best parts of all three of Wills' books on Sussex. o The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. o www.domestic-waterfowl.co.uk o www.britannicrarebreeds.co.uk o Wikipedia Copyright ©2007 Aviculture-Europe. All rights reserved by VBC.