The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-23

were Immediately taken to disseminate
the information thus secured among those
most interested.
Prior to this time, in fact, since 1885.
experimental work with poultry had been
conducted at the Central Experimental
Farm and some of the branches thereof
but the proposed 'tattening stations
We're special extra, so to speak. and
were for the purpose of taking directly
to the farmer what every farmer had not
been able to see for himself-the methods
and appliances used in countries where
the chicken fattening industry had been
developed. This special work was placed
under. the supervision of Frank c. Hare,
now connected with the United States
Department of Agriculture, and on the
splendid foundation laid by him the plan
has been developed, to the great advant-
age of the industry in Canada.
English Trade Desired
1t must be rememberer that the pri-
mary object of these demonstrations was
to educate the producer to so finish, dress
and pack his chickens as to make them
acceptable to the then more desirable
markets of England. At that time a
great change was taking place in Great
Britain in the matter of classes of food
stuffs most in demand Whereas the
English diet used to be one of beef and
bread and bread and cheese, it was be-
coming in large measures one of bacon,
ham and chicken. This naturally brought
about a great demand for these staples
Canadian ham and bacon were moving
we'll in the channels of English trade, but
our chickens were much below par, for
reasons explained above. Therefore, we
adopted the English method of fattening
in order to make them acceptable to our
relatives across the sea.
The earliest test of this method was
conducted at Ottawa. Chickens of aver
age quality were purchased alive on the
market at the rate of IS cents per pair.
They were placed in fattening crates and
fed heavily for a few weeks on finely
ground grain and skim milk. These birds
cost 6% cents per pound, and every ounce
of chicken meat was vastly improved in
quality.
Now, the greatest cost of producing
these chickens was during the many
weeks they were growing. The fattening
process involved but a short space OF
time and right here the money value was
put into the stock. Consider the following
figures, which are enlightening to any
one acquainted with .le possibilities of
this finishing process.
Three representative chicl sls were Sc
lected from the lot just as purchased and
dressed before fattening. Bled and
plucked, they weighed pounds ounces,
and the edible portion, the meat remain
ing after the removal of the heads, feet.
intestines and all bones weighed y
pounds 6 ounces after boiling. These
similar chickens after fattening weighed
16 pounds ounces when bled and plucked,
of which pounds ounces was edible
after cooking. In other words one fat
tened chicken carried as much meat as
three that had not been crate fed.
Practical Demonstration Work
AS above stated, the ideas was to take
this work directly to the farmer, to teach
him to finish his own chickens and SO
secure all the profits to be derived from
them. Accordingly, fattening stations
were established, two az first, but many
more later the complete success of the
plan became apparent.
These stations were located on farms
In direct charge of the farmer himself
The equipment in each case consisted of
a few fattening crates, shaping frame
and boxes for packing. Chickens of good
utility type were secured for fattening