In Zambia, as recently as 1988, a set was issued celebrating their industries to coincide with a trade fair. Their most expensive stamp priced 10 Kwach was reserved for their poultry industry. The design is by Mrs G Ellison and features a poultry keeper carefully holding his bird.

In the United States of America, 40 years before in 1948, the US Postal Department had celebrated the centennial of the poultry industry with a three cent stamp depicting a Light Brahma 'rooster'. The magnificent model was the grand champion at the 1948 New York Poultry Show and was bred and owned by Henry C. Wood of Newton, New Jersey. The stamp was designed by the well-known poultry artist Arthur O. Schilling of Rochester, NY.

The final stamp is from the Republic of Kenya in 1964, and features a magnificent cockerel rather similar in type to a White Leghorn or White Minorca. I remember when I worked at a youth club in an African township, and encouraged the members to keep poultry for their nutritional value. Many kept cockerels and hens running around their huts in the townships but for some the cock was a tribal 'totem' not to be killed and the fertilised egg carried 'the life' which was not to be eaten. We involved the youngsters in all aspects of poultry husbandry and the housing was made of local materials and raised on stilts to keep out the exotic tropical vermin. I purchased some hybrid growers and introduced them. They aroused great interest as they were snow white, like the bird on the stamp, and were prolific layers.

Adapted from 'Poultry Stamps', by Rev. Ray Trudgian.