Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-12-05
INTERESTING 10 FARMERS.
HOW TO FATTES FOWLS FOR THE
MARKET.

MARKET.
The following interesting dis
course on feeding fowls for the mar
ket we take from an exchange:
Fattening must not be begun until
the fowl has attained its full growth;
before this, in fact, you cannot fatten
well, although, Of course, all extra
food that will be digested is never
lost. The pullets are best taken
before they have begun to lay; the
male birds before their tails begin
to turn, that is, when the two sickle
feathers begin 10 top the straight
feathers Of the tail. The average
age will be four months in summer
aud five to six in winter, but will be
early according to the previous feed
ing has or has net been judieiously
generous. Fowls not well fed from
the first do not fatten well. Prop
erly fed chicks Of the larger breeds
come in nicely AT four or
five months, and are oil three
younger than this their flesh has
not firmness enough to make good
eating. Earlierage than this are,
however, attained by certain crosses,
probably because crossing gives n
more vigorous constitution general
ly. Such crOss. for instance, as of
a Houdau cock with a half-bred
Brahma or DOrking hens has pro-
duced chickens fit to market, with
out need Of special fatteniDg, at ten
weeks.
The food in fattening forms only
part Of the thugs to be considered.
rhe fowls should be kept quiet; all
excitement and activity uses up
just so much material. To secure
this confine ten or dozen together
in a small pen, taking care 10 put
together such fowls rs are ac-
customsd to run i'm company, other
wise they will quarrel The cocks
must be removed from the hens.
These cOops must lie kept scrup-
ulously clean and, above all, free
from vermin. Lousy fowls will
not fat,en easily. However, the
have 50 fine a flavor As those al
lowed to run. Turkeys must not
be eoop'.i or they will get lean.
The quarters should be warm;
this Is a prime requisite. Not hot,
Of course. but 50 warm rs to need no
assistance from the fat of the body
Of the animal. They should lie kept
dark for at least a part Of the time.
Some throw n blanket over the
coops for an hour or two after each
meal. Pitch darkness is not re-
quired, only a state that shall pro-
uuce the greatest amount Of quiet.
In all these arrangements, however,
care must be taken not to prevent
proper ventilation; the breeder must
enjeavor to obtain the greatest
| amount of health possible under the
unnatural circumstances. The
place must also he dry. There
should be no perches.
In the choice Of the particuli n
food TO he given, breeders are toier-
ably well agreed. We must avoid
a great quantity of vegetables, a.
these given in excess keep the
bowels too open, and the same l.
to he said Of green food in general.
Table scraps are to lie discontinued,
also all the animal food containing
much lean meat; % fat there is no
objection. given in small quantities,
except that il is said to deteriorate'
the fineness and flavor of the flesh.
Meat proves too exciting for our
present purpose.
All authorities are agreed upon
this pOint-that in America, at
least. corn is the best and cheapest
| food for the purpose. But even this
should not be given constantly and
to the exclusion Of all other food;
variety ought to be sought, keeping
in view the leading principle Of
maintaining digestive vigor as long
rs possible. Variety, indeed, can
begin with the corn itself, which
may be used in its different forms
raw, cracked and whole, cooked aud
uncOoked-but the whole grain
should be very sparingly used. A
| mush of warm meal, cooked in
SKINNED milk, will give a rich,
golden hue TO the flesh. The other
grains-oats, buckwheat, etc.-may
he fed occasionally for a change. In
| France buckwheat meal Is the arti-
Gle mainly relied on. Barley,
mixed half and half with corn
meal, is useful. Potatoes, which
are rich in stsrchy substances, can
he added to the dietary scheme. and
used largely in Liverpool, baked or
steamed. gwen three or four times
day, in fattening fowls, but ms they
have SO little oil, they cannot be so
good as a number of other articles.
They may be mixed with the meal
and 80 may, with great advantage,
the common yellow carrot
A good system Of feeling recon-
mended for variety is to give on the
first day scalded, mashed corn meal
with boiled potatoes; on the second,
turnips and oatmeal; ON the third,
rice and carrots. Miss Martineau
thinks well Of the stale cakes made
with ground oats or beans, brown
sugar, milk and mutton suef, crum-
nlei and given morning and even
ing. at the rate of n gill TO each
fowl. Mix is n good drink now
fowls when fatteniDg become very
particular about their drink, and
will not touch any water but the
freshest aud purest.
All the varieties Of food should De
cooked and, so far as possible, given
warm. salt and cayenne pepper are
TO lie used in moderate quantities,
aud a good rule is to increase the
amount Of them a little as the pro-
cess goes on, and as the digestive or
gat4s become accustomed 70 their
use and begin TO flag little. Char
coal seems 10 exercise a very favor
able influence.
After shutting the fowls ap lei
them fast for several hours, so as 70
give them a good appetite for their
| irst feed: If this is not done they
may continue to NOPE and Iced
daintily under their new circum-
stances. Feed every four hours
during the day, beginning early
and stopping late and giving Mt =
time only just what they will eat,
so ss not to disgust them or take the
J edge from of their appetites.