Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-11-06
COPYRIGHT. 1915.


When the weight of market poultry
can be increased on an average of
more than three pounds per bird, at n
cost of 8 to II cents per pound, the
advantage of conditioning poultry is
apparent. Since the fattening in
creases the value of every pound, IL
will be realized that conditioning iS
highly profitable. In this article Pro-
fessor Krum gives directions for fat
tening poultry for market.
ONLY a small proportion of poul-
try is marketed in first-class con-
~ dition, properly fattened. Yet
the process of conditioning poultry is
so simple, and the increase in the
| quality and market value makes the
net profits so much larger that there
is no excuse for the great quantity of
| poor table poultry to be found, even
in the best markets.
BY fattening we do not mean filling
n fowls body with large deposit of
| oily fat, such as is often found in old
hens. This, when cooked, separates
| from the meat, leaving it almost as
tough as that of an old, thin fowl. A
| good fowl should have large, soft
muscles with sufficient fat interlacing
| them to make them tender, juicy and
| fine favored This not only makes
them desirable for home use, but they
will sell in good markets for much
| HlBneT price per pOunu.
| How to Select Good Bird
A good buyer of choice stock looks
for a round plump bird that was dry
picked and not scalded, as the latter
process tends to harden the skin and
meat Scalding also lessons the mar
ket value, as it forces dirty water into
the carcass, giving it a very undeSir-
able appearance and takes out much
of the sweet flavor.
If the meat is soft and tender 1t will
| be possible easily to pinch with the
thumb and forefinger entirely through
the large muscle in the wing. This is
a surer indication that the fowl is ten
der than is soft breastbone. 1t often
is found that old fowls properly fat
tened, are more desirable than
younger ones killed directly from the
farm range where exercise toughens
the muscles.
Three Ways of Fattening
The best way to fatten poultry is to
restrict exercise and feed in one of
three ways: Machine, crate or pen.
While the machine method gives
larger profits it is difficult to obtain
the skilled labor necessary to handle
this class of work, and it Is not prac-
tical with small flocks In machine
feeding the operator inserts a rubber
tube in the fowls throat and presses
a lever which fills the crop with a mix
ture of meals and milk.
rem IdIlenlnB Is DeSL IOr turkeys
and is satisfactory with young broilers,
but the most popular method is crate
feeding. The crate is about two feet
square and has a bottom of stats or
one-half inch mesh wire cloth. a
coop of this size will hold six or eight
mature birds or ten to twelve young
ones. The coop should be located in
a cool, shady place In hot weather and
in a warm, comfortable room in cold
weather.
The fowls should be busted thor
oughly with a good lice powder, as
birds infected with lice will not tat
ten well. Neither do chickens or
fowls of low vitality fatten readily.
Lice powder should not be used the
last week before killing as 1t is liable
to give bad flavor to the flesh.
Feed SparingIy ut the Start
Poultry should be starved twenty
four to thirty-siX hours before being
given the fattening ration and should
be fed sparingly the first few days.
The ration is increased gradually until
they have all they will clean up in
about hfteen to twenty minutes twice
a day. The first feed is given as early
in the morning as they can see to eat,
and the last as late at night as they
can see to clean up the feed in good
shape. Feedings should be at the
same hours each day, as irregular
feeding lessons the appetite. If the
birds have more for "a meal or two
than they can digest, they lose appe-
tite and lose weight. Care should be
taken to keep up good appetite.
A good ration consists of three
pounds of cornmeal, three pounds of
buckwheat with the hulls removed
three pounds of low grade wheat flour
or good white wheat mddlings. and
a small quantity of charcoal These
are mixed with sour skim milk or but
| termilk (the latter preferred) to the
consistency of batter allowed to stand
in warm place and sour twelve hours
before feeding. One quart of milk
usually is sufficient for one and a half
pounds of feed. Where milk can not
be obtained one-fourth TO one-third of
the ration could consist of good meat
scraps, although this will not give as
profitable results as the skim milk or
buttermilk.
Young broilers should have, in addi-
ton to the above, a small feeding at
noon of cracked corn and wheat as
they are otherwise more liable to go
'off their feed"
Whole Corn Not the Best Feed
Many farmers think that as corn
contains a larger percentage of fat
than any other grain, it can be fed
prottably as an exclusive fattening
feed. At the Pennsylvania State Ex-
pertinent Station fowls fed on shelled
corn exclusively gained in three weeks
leSS IMAM One-HIIn OF pound each at
a cost for feed of from 80 to 60 cents
per pound of gain, while similar birds.
fed cornmeal, mixed with buttermilk
gained one-half pound each, showing
that in the case of the whole grain too
much energy is wasted in grinding il.
ration of several finely ground
grains, mixed with buttermilk gave
the best results and produced a gain
at cost of seven cents for each pound
gained.
Cost OF Gain Under 8 Cents a Pound
In 1911 fattening experiments were
carried on at four of the government
experiment stations with nearly 395.-
900 fowls and the results were pub
lished by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, at Washington,
ID. c., in Bulletin No. 81, which can
be obtained through your congressman
or by writing directly to the Depart
: ment of Agriculture. In these expert
ments various rations were fed and
the fowls averaged 3.S9 pounds of
feed for each pound of gain in weight
the feed costing III cents. The great
est gain was made early in the season,
while in November and December the
average cost per pound gain was from
9.S to 11.6 cents.
The ralions giving the best results
were No. 1, consisting of three parts
cornmeal, two parts of low grade
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