The age-herald., 1898-12-15
CHICKENS READY
 FOR MARKETING
From the Montreal Herald.

From the Montreal Herald.
 Two small shipments of fattened pou1s try have just been sent by the Dominion de- partment Of agriculture to Great Britain. One lot was sent from the poultry illustra- ton station at Bondville. Quebec, to the well-known poulterers, John Bailey & Sons, London, and the other lot was sent from the poultry illustration station at Carleton Place, Ontario, to Alderman James Rud- din. Liverpool, England. They went in cold storage by the steamship Vancouver from St. John, N. B., on December l.
 Professor Robertson says that there Is a great and growing demand in Great Britain for properly fattened poultry. The foods which are coming into more general use than they have been in Great Britain are cold ham and chicken. The chickens are put up in crates and fattened for periods of from three to five weeks before they are killed The chicken-fattening business has become one of great magnitude in the counties of the south of England, and in- creasngly great quantities are being im- ported from France. Two years ago the imports of poultry into Great Britain ex- ceeded $2500, ,000 worth. The quality of the flesh is said to be very much improved in whiteness, tenderness, and flavor by this special fattenlng process.
 The following are some of the interesting details of the fattening of the poultry at the illustration station at Carleton Placei One hundred and thirty-three chickens, when put up weighed 575 pounds, being an average of four pounds five ounces each; after being fattened for forty-three days | .,J,l de I,afn 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 ra ther late season at which the chickens were put into the GOODS for fattening, most of them began to moult 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 S3 pounds, of which 5S was gained during the last week. The relative smallness of the gain was accounted for mainly because of the moulting.
 The quantity of food consumed during the whole period was 1,73S pounds of ground grain and 2,5S9 pounds of skim milk. The quantity consumed per pound of increase in the weight of the chickens was 1-10 pounds of ground grain plus 7la pounds of skim milk. The cost per pound of in crease was practically cents for the food consumed. The fattening gave increased value to affrhf af xxrhin oh a chickens were put up. The chickens, when put in, were worth at the outside cents per pound, which would be equal to 25A cents each. The same chickens, when fat tened, were better value to the consumer at 10 cents per pound, which would be equal to 6sA cents per chicken. To give each chicken the increased value of 43 cents the food consumed was worth 151a cents. That does not allow anything TOT the l'bor or fattening the chickens.
 Three specimen chickens from the illus- tration station at Carleton Place were killed. The three weighed 20 pounes. lS ounces after the feathers were picked off. When the same chickens were dressed, with heads, legs and wings off, ready for cooking, they weighed 14 pounds 14 ounces. The chickens were cooked by steaming for two and quarter hours, until the flesh was tender. After being left one hour to cUOf, lDc lHIec WSlSHSu II pOuiiuS O OunCCSs The edible portion was then separated from the bones. The total weight of the edible portion was g pounds ounces, the total weight of the bones 2 pounds 1 ounce. The loss of four pounds was due to evaporation and to turn of the scales in the fre- quent weighings
 Professor Robertson put up number of chickens to fatten at his own place. He bought ordinary chickens in the Ottawa market. When he got them home he killed three representative ones. These weighed, after pluckng, 8 pounds 8 ounces. After the chickens Cover ninety altogether) had been fattened for thirty-six days, three other representative chickens were killed. They weighed, when the feathers were off, 16 pounds ounces. The following table shows the difference in the quantity of the edible part from the chickens killed before being fattened and the chickens killed after being fattened for a period of thirty-six days:
 Before After
 Fattenng. Fattening.
 Lbs Oz. Lbs. Oz.a With feathers off. .. .. S 16 4 Ready for cooking. .. .5 2 Il 6