The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-15
EXPERIMENTS PROVE
VALUE OF MACHINES
Department of Agriculture. in
Bulletin, Gives Figures
on Efficiency.
FATTENING IS STUDIED
Data to Indicate How Several
Different Varieties Of
Feed Compare.
FATTENING IS STUDIED

tn. Department; of Agriculture has
been carry ng on experiments for ten
years In the commercial fat;ering Of fowl
FOR the market and has proved tina; labor
saving deN ices reduce the cost OF flttening
by reducing both the total amount OF
labor and the proportion II skilled labor
required. The use of labor saving me-
chauic,l devices has enabled one man to
care for 1000 20 5000 birds The results
Of the Departments experiments are pub
lishcd In bulletin. The Comm, retail
Fatten!rs OF Poultry" which has Jus;
been issued and can be had hy applyin.
20 the Department AZ WASHINGTON, H. &.
Prov .ded stations are kept clean. mo
rhar''t feature. may he used to good
advantage In handing poultry CONNER
H.tliy, according to the Departments In
rcst.-l'prs. \ mixing machine is partlc-
ulatly a good inves; meut when one IS fat
tenlug a large number q; chickens The
new Bulletin gives illustrations OF chick
ems In feeding batteries waiting to b. fed
and OF pouring the Feed into tn. troughs
II also shows other labor saving devices
such as the spraying machine and "A rack
FOR sQuattcd and hanging dressed poultry
The advantages % a portable feeding bat
terry are emphasized In the Departments
experiments, The portable fccdins bat
terry tunnel out the birds IN better con-
dlt'or and reduced the COS, %: Ia Dor PEE
pound or gain. II also eliminated some
OF th' hruisius ~ the birds caused 10y
rehandllng where stationary batteries are
used
An expert manager. who receives
higher wages than the regular laborer,
inds fe"diuS station ~ a necessity un-
less the manager 81 the packing house
understands how Ia fatten chickens and
watches work closely enough - that ne
can direct successfully ordinary help
which has had some experience
tn" conclusion ~ the Departments ex-
perlinents which is just being published
is made for the seasons Of lHll aud 1871.
The experiments were mad" AZ four
separate feeding stations and there fore
four sets 81 figures are given The
average cost and tn, amount IL feed
consumed In fattcning 39i.14i chickens
In IN" four experiments during the season
of 1911 were respectively az follows .
Grain per pound Of gain. 3.62, S33. l44
ard AIS pounds cost of fees per pound
OF gain, 1Si 7.2o. rs and S.7l cents
total cost per pound OF gain. 3.lS, eco
S.es and 1927 cents. The averages In
1912 for 49sssl chickens Were: Grain
per pound of gain. AL, 3.5s. 372 and
AS pounds cost ~ feed per pound ~
gain, So, 40, 6.6l and . % cents total
cost per pound of gain, 1897. 9.69, 7sa
and ll.5t cents
Tallow. while making the IA; on the
birds more pronounced. increased the
cost OF gains Thick condensed butter
milk In place OF talow produced better
results. Oat -four produced greater gains
than low grade wheat -four. but the latter
feed produced cheaper gains. Beef scraps
added to the butternlk in fatt,ning
ration ala not Increase the gain. The
aI'icon OF continental feeds ala not
Increase the appetite of the birds or help
the gains Grit is OF no value in fatten-
Ing for any period under fifteen days
Under commercial conditions In the
middle West the best results are got by
fattening for about fifteen days until the
middle or September and then gradually
shortening the period to six or eight days
The birds ate more feed on three fee II
a day, bur used feed wore efficiently when
fed only twice. Gains were produced at
Is" ana l4l cents respectively per pound
cheaper In 1911 and 6.30 and 2Gs cents
less In 1879 ON broilers than ON roasters
In two experiments.
There was great variation in the results
secured in futtcning This was due to the
difference In the ability of the birds to
take on hesh to their weight and to the
erect or weather conditions, The varia-
tioii III birds makes their selection in
fattenng of considerable Importance, II
the labor of the extra work can be
handled economically. The influence Of
the weather I'm fattenng allows "A chance
or error IN comparing experiments con
Quoted at different times. The bleach
produced 10y fattening with huttcrmil'l
varies, according to the amount OF milk
solids consumed by the birds. The aver
age cost of fattening hens In November
and December was 1922 and ga cents
in 1871 and 1888 and lO42 cents In
1919 respectively per pound of gain at
two stations This IN higher than the
average chst OF fattcning chickens for the
entire season AT the same station, hut
less than the cost of fattening chickens
In November and December.
Hens cost ~ cents per pound in 1911
and 1913 cents In 1872 into the feeder. 81
that their flesh can be bought cheaper
than produced nj this time OF the year,
Cheaper gains were secured in fattening
hens In 1911 at the rations used In fat