Club Archives

For some time we have hoped we could put together a "Club Archive" which contains items of poultry keeping from the past in our area. The Craven area was renowned for it's poultry, both in the show pen and in the nest box, with many prizes in the area going to exhibition birds and those who excelled in laying trials.  We hope to put together a list of influential breeders from the past to keep their names alive and to recognise their contribution to making the Aire Valley such a prolific and successful poultry breeding area. 

Recently we were given an insight into the world of the laying trials, when our Chairman Edward Boothman struck up a friendship with Rex Harling from Carnforth, whose father George had been a very successful poultry breeder, excelling in laying trials at Harper Adams College in Shropshire. All his certificates, papers and brochures from the 1920's onwards have generously been donated to the Club and can be viewed by Members at Club meetings and events by arrangement. Some of the brochures are from breeders in our area and in particular a very rare copy from Frank Snowden's poultry farm at Cowling and also one from Benson's at Cowling (Cowling had no less than 9 nine poultry farms at one time).

Also included is blood testing apparatus and an extremely rare item called a "Hensign" which was a type of harness worn by the hen which marked her egg as she laid it, with the idea to save having to trap nest individual birds. However this never took off and it is believed the Club owns one of very few in existance.

All very interesting stuff and we thank Rex for entrusting all this fantastic rare and informative archive to the Club.

If anyone has any information about past breeders in our area, the Club is happy to pay for items being copied or photographed if it can be then added to the Club's archive

If you would like to view the archive please contact the Secretary - Jayne Gillam

The history of poultry in Silsden

back