Green’s Dictionary of Slang

poultry-stealing.

1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 67: Roost Lay, stealing poultry.
1901		Argus (Melbourne) 20 Sept. 6/4: Among these small fry of the profession may be included the [...] beaker-hunter, and the snagler, who are both on the roost lay, or poultry stealing.