The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-11-24
How to Fatten Chickens.

How to Fatten Ceickens.
It is hopeless to attempt to fatten
chickens while they are at liberty.
They must be in proper coop; and
this like most other poultry appurten-
ances, need not be expensive. To fat
ten twelve fowls coop must be twelve
feet long, eighteen inches high, and
eighteen inches deep, made entirely Of
bars. No part of it solid-neither top
side nor bottom. Discretion must be
used according to the size of the chick
ems put up. They do not want room,
indeed, the closer they are the better
provided they can all stand up at the
same time. Care must be taken to
put up such as have been accustomed
to be together, or they will fight. If
one is quarrelsome, it is better to re-
move it at once; as, like other bad ex-
amples, it soon finds imitators. A dis
eased chicken should not be put up.
The food should be ground oats,
and either put in trough or on a flat
board running along the front of the
coop. 1t may be mixed with water or
milk the latter is better. 1t should
be well Stacked, forming a pulp as
loose as can be, provided it does not
run off the board. They must be well
fed three or four times day-the first
time as soon after daybreak as possible
or convenient, and then at intervals of
four hours. Each meal shonld be as
much and no more than they can eat
up clean. When they are done feed
ing, the board should be wiped, and
some gravel may be spread. 1t causes
them to feed and thrive.
After fortnight of this treatment,
you will have good fat fowls. If how
ever, there are but four or six to be fat
tened, they must not have 80 much
room as though there were twelve.
Nothing is easier than to allot them the
proper space; it is only necessary to
have two or three pieces of wood to
pass between the bars and form par
tition. This may also serve when
fowls are put up at different degrees of
fairness. This requires attention, or
fowls will not keep fat and healthy.
As soon as the fowl is sufficiently fat
tened it must be killed, otherwise it
will still get fat, but it will still lose
flesh.
If fowls are intended for the market,
of course they are or may be all fattened
at once; but if for home consumption,
it is better to put them at such inter-
walls as will suit the time when they
are required for the table.-When the
time arrives for killing, whether they
are meat for market or otherwise, they
should be tasted, without food or water,
for twelve Fifteen hours. This ena-
bles them to be kept some time after
being killed, even in hot weather.
RECEIPT FOR CURING HAMs.-To
one gallon of water take one and a
half pounds of good salt, one half
pound of good sugar, and half an
ounce saltpetre-to be increased to this
ratio to any quantity required to cover
the hams. AS soon as your pork is
cold cut out the hams and pack them
closely in your cask. Sprinkle each
layer with fine salt-put on a weight
and pour on the brine Immediately,
and before the juice of the ham has es-
capped. 1t will require from four to six
weeks for the salt to strike through, ac-
cording to the size of the hams. 1t
will be necessary, perhaps, to add a
little salt on top of the hams; some
times, if they are very large, they alb
sorb so much of the salt as to leave the
brine so. weak it may sour. 1t would
be well to take them up after they have
Beenin a week or two and examine them
if necessary add little more salt.
Great care should be taken not to salt
too much, as by doing as you lose the
flavor of the ham, and but just enough
should be used to keep them. As the
3snn absorbs the salt from the brine
it should be fed by adding little salt
on the top, and the hams should be well
struck through. When the hams are
large l take ont the fiat bone and cut
off the round socket bone with a chisel
leaving always the large bone. With
care / never have failed to keep hams
sweet
How TO KEEP HAMs.-Formerly l
tried keeping hams and shoulders in
salt, and also in grain, but they would
dissolve the salt or mould in the grain.
n