Old breeds?

[Snadger]

Ok............the Dorking was fetched over by the Romans 2000 years ago as a dual purpose breed!

What were we heathens using BEFORE THAT?

I have heard Jungle Fowl mentioned before but there are no Jungles in the UK!

[Hilary B]

There weren't any chickens in Britain before that Snadger, only ducks, geese and pigeons....

[bluemoon]

The Romans are responsible for our rabbit problems too.

[Snadger]

The Romans are responsible for our rabbit problems too.

And we are responsible for the Aussies huge rabbit problem!

[Snadger]

There weren't any chickens in Britain before that Snadger, only ducks, geese and pigeons....

So thats why historians only dig up huge or tiny eggcups then is it?

[HayleyB]

It solves the chicken and the egg dilemma, it's the Romans that came first

[Snadger]

It solves the chicken and the egg dilemma, it's the Romans that came first

It all comes back to "What did the bladdy romans do for us............"

[Flummery]

...well, apart form the roads, and the wine, obviously!

[Snadger]

So where did the Romans get the chickens?

[Flummery]

The jungles of Italy?

Didn''t they own most of the world by then?

[Hilary B]

I believe that the Jungles from which Jungel fowl originated were in India (Rome traded that far).

Rabbits were brought by the Romans, as was the Edible Dormouse, but the reason we have a PROBLEM with rabbits is the persecution of the beasties that were able to hunt them in the warrens, such as stoats and polecats. This probably started from the time of William the B*****d (which title he used as a signature, but in Latin).

[Snadger]

To prolong things even further.......... Jungle fowl harken from India...............Sooooooooooo????

We can still get Indian Game.............. so I wonder whether they are as close as I'll get to the oldest known dual purpose bird, the forerunner of the modern chicken?

[HayleyB]

Nah, the forerunner of the modern chook is the veloceraptor, honest my lot are throw backs

[Snadger]

Nah, the forerunner of the modern chook is the veloceraptor, honest my lot are throw backs

Cripes, If I go back much further I'll finish up with a coop full of primordial slime!!!!!!

[Pumpkin Becki]

The Romans were mainly interested in the cockrels for cock fighting (yeah, they introduced us to that too). Some regiments banners bore depictions of specific breeds of cockrel to show the opposition how hard they were.