The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-06-20
Poultry Fattening.


men interested in the poultry industry
lately visited the Ivillc Poultry Farm,
at Baynards, near Horsham, Eng, the
property of Mr.. c. +. Brooke, Master
of the Poultcrcrs' Company. The
business of rearing and fattening
chickens has been carried on for a
considerable time in various parts Of
Sussex and Surrey, and notably in
the districts around Heath6eld and
Uckfcld. In some of the largest es-
tablishmcnts as many as 5000 chick
ems may be undergoing the fattening
process at one time; at the other cx-
treme We find small farmers or cottag-
crs who only prepare a few birds at
once. The district is secured by hig-
glers, who buy chickens from the
breeders, often giving as much as IS.
Sd. to is. in the spring for we'll grown
birds nine or ten weeks old. Quite
recently demand has sprung up for
birds of only a month old, at which
age they can be served up as great
dclicacics at the table. As seen re-
Gently, the establishment was in full
working order, and the various pro-
cesscs of rearing, fattcning, examining.
killing, shaping and dressing fowls
were illustrated and described. The
Indian game and the Dorking cross is
found to be the best for producing
birds for the table, as they readily
lay on flesh at the parts where it is
most desired. The examining house
is capable of accommodating total of
632 fowls, and the birds enter upon
this, the last stage of their career, at
ages ranging from four to seven
months. The pens or cages are ar
ranged in horizontal tiers, one above
the other, all round the house, which
is kept scrupulously clean. Each pen
holds one bird, an arrangement which
prevents any waste of energy in un-
scemly quarrcls. For two weeks be-
fore killing the birds are fed solely by
cramming. The food consists of a
mixture Of barley meal, oatmeal and
skim milk, together with the best beet
and mutton fat obtainablc, the proper
tion of fat being increased day by day.
The examining machine is light con-
triyancc which the attendant can
wheel along in front of the pens. To
feed bird he takes it out of the pen
and places his left hand on the crop,
into which with his right hand he
guides an India rubber tube from the
machine. By pressing treadle with
his foot, he forces food into the bird s
crop, tic contact of his left hand with
which enables him to Judge as to the
amount which should be allowed. ~
careless or inexperienced attendant
might easily burst the crop BY sur
charging.it, buta smart man will safely
feed 100 birds from the machine in
the space of twenty minutes. Feed
ing in the crammiEg house takes place
twice day, at a. M. and 4:3O p. m.
The birds show no aversion to the
examining operation; indeed, the
clamor that is raised as soon as the
machine appears and the number OF
hungry fowls to be seen stretching
their necks beyond the bars Of their
pens raise in the mind of the onlook-
cr suspicion that just once in a gen
Grafton bird may lose its meal unless
it enters upon an audible rcmon-
STRANGE with the attendant. AS soon
as the feeding is over the blinds OF
the skylight arc drawn down, and the
birds are left in quiet and seml-dark-
ness to digest the meal they have re-
cciycd and to acquire an appetite for
the next. The pens are only large
enough to permit the birds to turn
round, so the wear and tear of muscle
which would be involved in running
about are avoided. Besides the
plump young birds which are thus fed
up, old and qurrrclsome fowls are fat
ted and sold for making soup.
The output of birds from this farm
is about 5000 ycar.-.Sctent!f'
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