The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-01-30
LABOR IN COAIDGERCIAL
 HAPPENING OF POULTR.
Experiments in Fattening Fowl for Market Show How Large Num- bers Can Be More Ecanom-
 icaIIy Handled.

Washington, Jan. 2S.--Ehe Deparb-s nnent of Agriculture has been carry In the commercial fattening or fowl for the market, and has proven that
 mechanical 1abor-saving devices re- duce the cost of fattening by reducing both the total amount of labor and the proportion of skilled labor re- auired. The use of 1abor-saving me- cfanicaI devices has enabled one man to care for 4,00e to 5000 birds The results of the Departments experi- ments are published in a. bulletin "The Comm ercfaI F'attening of Poultry. z which has just been issued and can be had by applying to the Department at Washington D. c.
 Provided stations are kept clean, mechanical features may be used to good advantage in handling poultry
 partment's Investigators. A mixing machine is particularly a good inve,gt- ment when one is fattening a large number of chickens.
 The new bulletin gives illustrations Of chickens in feeding batteries wait ing to be fed and of pouring the feed l into the troughs. It also shows oth- CT 1abor-saving devices, such as the spraying machine and rack for squatted and hanging dressed poultry. l, The advantage of a portable feed ing battery are emphasized in the De- partment's experiments. The port able feeding battery turned out the birds in better condition and reduced the cost Of labor per pound of gain. It also eliminated some of the bruis- ing of the birds caused by rehand1ing where Stationary batteries are used. An expert manager who is paid higher wages than thB regular labor about a feeding station is necessity unless the manager of the packing house understands how to fatten
 Hai 1y enough so that he can successfully direct ordinary help which has had some experience.
 The conclusions of the Depart nent's experiments, which are just being published, are made for the sea- sons of 1911 and 1912. The expert Tnents were made at four separate feeding stations and therefore four sets of figures are given.
 The average cost and the amount of feed consumed in fattening 394.744 chickens in the four experiments dur ing the season of 1911 were, respec- lively, as follows: Grain per pound of gains 3.62, 3.s3, 4.45 and 4.18 fbs.; cost of feed per pound of gain, 7.83. 7.20, 7.15 and 8.71 cents; total cost per pound of gain, s.1s. $40. s.s6 and
 The averages in 1e12 for 498, ,6S1 chickens were: Grain per pound of gain. 4-42. 3.5S, SIP and 4.98 IDS; cost of feed per pound of gain, STA, 7.70;, 6.61 and s.95 cents: total cost and 11.54 cents.
 TailoW, while making the fat on the birds more pronounced. increased the cost of gains Thick condensed but termilk in place of tal1ow produced better results.
 Oat flour produced greater gains than low-grade wheat four, but the latter feed produced cheaper gains
 Beef scraps added to the butter milk in q fattening ration did not i'm condimental feeds did not increase the appetite of the birds or help the gains Grit is of no value i'll fat tening for any period under 15 days.
 Under commercial conditions in the Middle West the best results are se- cured by fattening for about 14 days until the middle of September, and then gradually shortening the period to or days.
 The birds ate more feed on three feeds a day but used feed more effi- ciently when fed only twice
 Gains were produced at 1.s9 and 1.41 cents, respectively, per pound I cheaper in 1911, and 6.30 and z6s cents less in 1912 on broilers than on roasters. in two experiments.
 There was great variation in the re- suits secured in fattening. This was due to the difference in the ability of the birds to take on flesh, to their weight, and to the effect of weather conditions The variation in birds makes their selection in fattening of considerable importance, if the labor of the extra work can be handled economically. The influence of the weather in fattening allows a chance of error in comparing fattening ex- periments conducted at different times.
 The bleach produced by fattening with buttermilk varies according to the amount of milk solids consumed by the birds.
 The average cost of fattening hens in November and December was 10.s2 and STA cents in 1911 and 1O.83 and 10.43 cents in 1912s respectively, per pound of gain at two stations This is higher than the average cost of fattaning ehinleans for taA aa41rA sass-