The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-10-03
BABY CHICKENS THE LATEST DISH

II chickens could talk great out
cry of mitigation might be heard from
the poultry yards against a new indus
try just beginning. They have good
grounds for protest, for IL the new in
dustry succeeds, and spreads over the
country, the lives of vast majority
OF the chickens would be curtailed TO
the limit Of about six weeks.
The industry is perhaps due to the
fact that the present demand for
SQUADS is ahead of the supply. A sub
stitute was needed and someone hit up-
on the idea of serving baby chickens
In place Of the latter. 1t is alleged
that the consumer can't tell the DIFF
ference, and 1t Is even said that the
young chickens are more tender and
superior In flavor. Some declare them
the greatest delicacy that ever tickled
human palate. Be this as it may, the
new industry is gaining great Roadway
and hotel and restaurant men are Of
ferfng high prices for baby chickens.
At present the demand is far ahead of
the supply, for the simple reason that
very few poultry breeders are aware
that such demand exists. MANY
western poultry breeders are vet in
ignorance of the new industry, which
may In the end revolutionize the entire
chicken business.
Whether it will interfere with the
SQUAD industry cannot yet be told.
The very fact that chickens are being
substituted for squads shows how
great Is the demand for the latter.
1t may be remembered that the suuab
industry owes its origin to the scarcity
OF quails. When the quail supply
failed squads were substituted, and
now when the demand for the latter
Is ahead of the supply, baby chickens
are pushed into the breach. If the
new chicken business succeeds as we'll
as the squads there is no telling what
may be used when substitute for
chicks Is demanded.
The poultry yards where the baby
chickens are raised for market re-
semble squad farms in the manner of
construction. Woven wire fences are
used and the whole business is con-
Quoted inside an Enclosure of this
kind, the chicks not being permitted to
roam about in the old-fashioned way.
The feed is the same as that given
to chickens destined to live a longer
life, but is more plentiful, as the OBJ
ject is to fatten them as much as DOS
sible at an early age. All are raised
In incubators and the Matching is so
timed that new brood is turned out
every day in the month This is made
necessary by the market demand. The
buyers demand that certain number
be furnished regularly every day. and
make contracts with the chicken
raisers to this effect The fact that it
is rather difficult to furnish a given
number daily owing to the possibility
of disease, accidents or the like is
one of the few drawbacks to the bust
ness.
AS soon as the chicks are Matched
they are taken from the incubator and
carried to the pens or yards Each
group has a separate yard in which
is brood-house kept warm by means
of lighted lamp inside. Each yard
is surrounded by a woven wire fence
which Is SO arranged that it may be
thrown open when 1t is desired that all
the chickens should run together.
Around the small yards is high wire
fence surrounding all the pens to pro-
tect the chickens from danger of rats
or prowling animals. When the chick
ems are large enough to grow feath-
ers, or about 6 weeks old they are
put in boxes and sold alive to hotels
and restaurants. 1t is usual for the
owner to have contract with a par
ticular buyer who generally agrees