Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-12-20
Fattening Poultry for Market.

As the season for fattening poultry
for market will be on us ere long, few
suggestions in regard to doing so sue
cessfully, cleaned from considerable
and extended experience, will not be
out of place.
In marketing poultry in our large
cities there are far too many farmers
who. keep all their shipments until a
few days-say two or three before the
holidays, and then rush in all at once.
This is the time thousands and thou
sands Of packages of poultry reach the
commission men to be disposed of, and
the quantity is so large that the prices
rule low. This is very good for the
buyers, especially for those rather weak
in the pocket-book, but then farmers
are compelled to receive very low
price. A couple of weeks before, or a
couple Of weeks after the holidays, is
generally better, for the prices usually
rule higher then than during the glut
which is caused by the immense supply
sent in for Christmas and New Years.
\ good thing is for farmers to take a
first class paper and keep posted in re-
gard to prices, and ship when the prices
seem to warrant it. There is even more
art in finding good market and sue
cessfully and profitably disposing of the
products of the farm, than by produc-
ing them, though few farmers and stock
breeders fully realize that fact.
Three weeks is long enough to fatten
fowls; and to make it easier and more
profitable to do so, the bird should be
kept growing briskly from the start by
IA liberal allowance Of good feed, plenty
of exercise and good care. A stunted
bird or animal will not pay to fatten, as
a rule While turkeys cannot bear con
fnement and will rapidly lose flesh
when confined, as we have found out to
our cost, chickens when properly han
died, will fatten more quickly, and will,
consequently, pay well to take up and
fatten, for the simple fact is that each
day the fowl requires certain amount
| OF feed merely to sustain the functions
Of the body, and the fewer number of
days required to complete the process,
the greater the degree of profit A
darkened room is the best place to fat
ten fowls, the room to have deep sand
floor. Feed them in the morn, and
have water troughs convenient for them
to get their water; allow about half an
hour for feeding, and then darken up
the room excluding all the light, though
aifording ventilation. At noon give an
other feed, as before, repeating in the
evening Do not give them any perches,
for they can and will make themselves
comfortable on the sandy floor If
roosts or roosting benches were sup
piled, the efforts made on getting ON
them would delay their fattening ma
terially.
In fattening poultry the cheapest and
best food is undoubtedly corn in its diff
ferent forms. One or two feeds of
whole corn can be given, and scalded
corn-mcal, corn-meal mush, mush
made of corn and oats ground together,
boiled beans, &c. Where milk is plen-
tiful, and on farm we usually find
plenty of skim milk, thick milk, &c, let
the fowls have as much of it as they
will take. and it will materially hasten
the fattening. Watch your birds care
fully. and if you notice any OF them
commencing to NOPE around under this
system Of high feeding, turn them out
into the yard and let them run until
more are taken up to fatten. Under
proper management the fattening will
be accomplished in about two weeks,
and should not take much longer, for
natural y the fowls cannot endure the
stuiling process Very long without
showing bad effect. being deprived of
exercise and dayliely. 80 Ponlhy .jonrnni