El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-21
BETTER EGGS
AND LESS
EXPENSE
POultrymen Of Nation Have
Two Important Subjects
to Discuss.
BUSINESS REACHES
HUGE PROPORTIONS
CBy Frederick ]. Haskin.J

Chicago this week is especially inter
ested in the development and improve
ment of the quality of eggs. The dele
gates will devote considerable amount
I Of attention to the work along this
line which has lately been undertaken
I by the department of agriculture. Re
/ cOgnlzing the Importance Of coOpera-
! ton between the producers and the
] sellers the department Of agriculture is
| sending several specialists upon this
{ and kindred subjects, who will be in at
] tendance at the convention upon the
/ special invitation Of the dealers.
The Increase In the price Of poultry
I mas been In line with that Of other
/ products during the past 10 wears, and
/ yet Il Is not dIe entirely to the farmer
] or producer, who receives only about So
/ percent Of the price the consumer pays.
! The balance, or 40 percent is the profit
OF the various m1ddlemen who handle
/ the poultry before it reaches the con-
sumer and also the freight transpor-
/ tat-On and cold storage expenses. The
/ freight on live poultry averages a lit
l tie more than percent Of the market
I price. On cold storage poultry il is q lit
/ tie less. The prices for other trans
pOrtation and the storage facilities vary
I IN d1I1erent parts OF the country
EndenvOr to Cut Expenses
The possibility Of reducing these ex-
penses viii be another matter cOnsid-
cred by the dealers, since the cold stOr-
age OF these products handled by the
& AlEllUEA6 OF the association VIII De
considered with reference to economy
and the highest degree Of sanitary
safety Investigation OF old storage con
dttlOns which conflict with the pure
food laws has called special attention
to this subject in a number OF states.
The department of agriculture is en-
deaToring TO standardiZe the cold stOr-
age requirements for dressed poultry
and IS now conducting some expert
ments as to the most economical meth
DDS.
The Chicken Output.
Over 30O.O00.0 900 chickens were pro-
duced in the United States last year
and O,00O, 600 other fowls we're utilized
for food, which is sufficient proof Of
the growing Importance Of poultry as
a food product Great attention has re-
Gently been given to The Development
Of improved varieties OF American
fowls, and scientific study is continual
y going on as to the best methods Of
feeding and fattening the fowls for the
market
The feeding Of poultry on a well
managed farm is now being conducted
more carefully than the feeding OF the
average child. Among the recent innO-
vatiOns is a poultry feeder and eXer-
ciser, a machine which is already prov
ing invaluable in developing plump
young market chickens The machine
dispenses slowly a certain amount OF
grain by a lever adjustable in height
to the size OF the chickens This ma
chine supplies the grain in such man
ner that the chickens have TO scratch
for IL, thus giving them the exercise
necessary to the Development Of firm
flesh. While these exercising feeders
are now being placed in most uptOdate
poultry houses, they do not supply more
than a small percentage Of the food
given. Each day fowls being put in
condition for marketing receive also a
warm mash, which mag consist Of varl-
GUS ingredients according TO the the
cries Of the breeder and the results Of
When a fowl has been properly fat
tened, oil replaces much Of the water
in the flesh so that when IT is cooked
the meat becomes juicy and tender.
Consumers who do not know how de-
nCiOuS a properly fattened chicken IS
viii generally ask for the same quality
in the future. after having once Sc
Gated to appreciate the difference. they
viii be willing TO pay slight advance
IN price to provide for the extra ex-
penSe or proper Iarrenlng. The people {
OF France and England have appreCi-
ated the difference for some years the [
French farmer being especially skiIlful |
In the art Of poultry fattening.
ButtermiIEz for Chickens
A certain amount OF milk or butter
milk is now almost unanimously con-
sidered essential in all the formulas
ems. For this reason, poultry and dairy
Ing combine economically Buttermuk I
and skim milk are used interchange /
ably. There seems to be no difference
in the condition of the fowl whether |
the milk IS given sweet or sour, and |
generally it is fed as sour milk.
Large diaries having no poultry farm |
aIracned are now doing a thriving busi- !
ness in cOndensing buttermilk, which :
they put in barrels for feeding chick |
ems: One large dairy in Kansas ships /
carloads Of condensed buttermilk to 4
chicken feeding stations hundreds OF I
miles away. AS many diaries have a /
surplus OF buttermilk in the spring, I
this appears to be profitable way OF 4
ulSDOSlnE of If HXrnnr that If frw0fwa1 ]
rather expensive machinery and that I
the condensed milk, being bulky, re- !
CURES large amount OF storage space. Z
Inc outtermllk, according to the meth I
Cd most in vogue, is reduced TO one /
fourth Its original volume by evapOra- [
ton and drawing Off the whey Milk !
Indefinitely without any fermentation. ]
Sample barrels have been kept in good
condition for three years.
The buttermilk IS mixed with grain /
meal OF some kind, according to the ]
formula preferred by the Individual /
farmers, and during cool weather ia Z
included In warm mash, given twice a 4
day. Too much milk, however. may be I
included in a poultry diet resulting IN /
q DIeached appearance which. in some \
parts OF the country, is unpopular in
the market To. remedy this butter col
orlng is sometimes added to the food.
was used for cOlOriug at an
agricultural experimental station last
year and produced an admirable yellow ,
low chickens are in market demand. 4
although as a matter OF fact there IS I
no difference in the uutritive value be-
tween a yellow and white bird.
Meat Is Necessary
In addition to milk and grain, mar
ket poultry are always given a certain \
amount Of meat I'm some form. When
milk is scarce some farmers try to 1
substitute beef broth, out the result IS
not satisfactory. The meat packers now
put up beef scrap meat and meat meal
for poultry food BOof talloW is also
used IN the feed mixture, although
some dealers claim that taIlOw fed /
fowls lack firm flesh. There is also a /
small demand for celery fed fowls. but
this is talked Of more than the demand !
warrants. The flavor is secured by add
Ing celery seed 10 the other food but I
comparatively little Of this Is being |
done in this country
The demand for capons in this cOun-
try Is increasing, although It Is not vet Z
prevalent I'm the west It IS stIu re- I
garded as one Of the newer features In I
the American poultry trade. although
capontzing chickens has been prevalent /