The times., 1898-12-25
PROFIT IN CHICKENS.
Statistics Showing the Benefit of
FgtteEing Them.

(from the Montreal HcTald-l
Two small trial shipments of fattened
poultry have just been sent by the Do
minion department of agriculture to
Great Britain One lot was sent from
the poultry Illustration station at Bond
Vile. Quebec. to the weli-known poulter-
ers, John Bailey & Sons, London, and the
other lot was sent from the poultry IL
lustration station at Carleton Place. On
tario. to Alderman James RGddin. Liver
pool, England. They went in colo stor-
age by the steamship Vancouver from St
John, " B.. on Dec. ].
Prof Robertson says that there is a
great and growing demand in Great Brit
ain for properly fatteIed poultry. The
foods which are coming into more gen.
eral use than they have been in Great
Britain are cold ham and chicken The
chickens are put up in crates and fatten-
ed for periods of from three to i've weeks
before they are killed. The chicken-fat-
| tening business has become one OF great
magnitude in the counties Of the south
of England, and increasingly great
| quantities are being imported from
| France. Two years ago the imports Of
poultry into Great Britain exceeded 81
| 0,0e0 worth. The quality of the flesh is
| said to be very much improved in white
| ness, tenderness and flavor by this spe-
| cial fattening process.
| The following are some of the interesting
details of the fattening of the poultry at
| the illustration station at Carleton Place:
! One hundred and thirty-Ihree chickens.
| when put up weighed $40 pounds being an
| average of four pounds five ounces each;
after being fattened for forty-three days
| the chickens weighed 9l6 pounds. being an
] average of six pounds fourteen ounces
each That showed an average gain of
two pounds nine ounces per chicken, most
of which was an increase in the edible
portion of the bird.
Owing to the rather late season at which
the chickens were put into the coops for
fattening, most of them began to mouli
after the third week of fattening. Conse-
quently they gained very little during the
fourth and fifth weeks. The gain during
the first three weeks of the whole lot OF
chickens was 25S pounds. The gain during
the last three weeks was only S pounds
of which IS was gained during the lasi
week The relative smallness of the gair
was accounted for mainly because of tbs
moulting.
The quantity of food consumed durins
the whole period was 1.93S pounds o.
ground grain and 2,5S9 pounds of skin
milk. The quantity consumed per pount
of increase in the weight of the chicken:
was lilo pounds of ground grain plu:
Z 1-2 pounds of skim milk. The cost pc
pound OF increase WdS Stit'
for the food consumed.
The fattening gave increased value q
| every pound of live weight at which tn
chickens were put up The chickens
, when put in, were worth at the outside
cents per pound which would be equal {
} 25 3-4 cents each. The same chickens
, when fattened, were better value to tn
consumer at 10 cents per pound, whic'
would be equal to 6S 81 cents per chicken
To give each chicken the increased yaiu
of i3 cents the food consumed was wort
Is 1-2 cents. That does not allow anythin
/ for the labor of fattening the chickens
Three specimen chickens from the illus
, tration station at Carleton Place were Kill
i ed. The three weighed 20 pounds IS ounce
after the feathers were plucked of Whe
the same chickens were dressed. wit
! heads, legs and wings of, ready 70
! cooking, they weighed II pounds Il ounces
: The chickens were cooked by steamin
for two and quarter hours. until th
: flesh was tender. After being left on
hour to cool, the three weighed IL pound
s ounces. The edible portion was the
separated from the bones The tots
weight of the edible portion was spound
. ounces, the total weight of the bone
pounds ounce. The loss Of foar ounct
+ was due to evaporation and to turn
= the scales in the frequent weighings.
! Prof. Robertson put up number
chickens to fatten at his own place. T