Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-05-27

conditions is almost as tender and Juicy
as the flesh of capons.
This is specially the case with cock
erels of the heavier breeds of fowls.
When killed and dressed for market,
they present an unusually attractive
appearance; they command the best
prices as fryers or young roasters.
If the poultry raiser's pen space is
limited. it is good practice to dis
pose of older fowls or double up some
pens to make pen for the cockerels.
This has been my own custom and 1t
has worked satisfactorily. The cock
erels come along at time of the year
when this can readily be done. Be-
fore breeding season comes around
again, the cockerels have all been sold.
Then the yard and house can be thor
oughly cleaned and made ready for
breeding fowls the following season.
The object of feeding cockerels is to
put on flesh as cheaply and as rapidly
as possible. The poultry keeper wants
hem to pay a profit on feed and la
Dor. To accomplish this the cock
erels must be fed plenty of protein.
The function of protein is to form
flesh; the function of carbohydrates is
to generate heat and fat. In summer
and early Fall, the cockerels need less
carbohydrates and more protein. Thus
corn is highly carbonaceous feed.
An excess of corn, especially in Sum-
mer, has the effect of overtaxing the
liver. But this would upset the very
object one has in feeding cockerels
for flesh
Feeds Easy to Digest
successful ration for attending
cockerels is one part each by weight
of oatmeal, cornmeal and oats, and
one-half part of fish meal. Good re-
suits have also been secured by feed
ing equal parts by weight of oatmeal
and cornmeal wet down with skim
milk. These rations are easily di-
gestible, so that the cockerels put on
flesh rapidly. The predominance of
oats also makes them cheap rations.
In feeding cockerels in confinement,
the digestibility of the feeds given
them is very important for making
rapid growth. Cockerels If fed abund-
antly on indigestble feeds will not do
so we'll as If underfed with rations
easily digested. Growing chickens
digest very little crude fiber. Corn
Is about as easily digested as any
poultry feed, while wheat bran is hard
10 digest when cockerels are penned
closely
A mixture of equal parts of corn
meal and finely cut clover is sufficient
- 'uihS W iGCu WIFI meat meal, nS0
meal, or other concentrated high pro-
tein feeds. If fed in proper proper
tions together, these feeds are much
more easily digested than bran alone.
Corn is most valuable grain for fat
tening cockerels. 1t cannot, however.
be fed alone because 1t is deficient in
protein. But corn is a most desir-
t-ble feed for cockerels when it forms
part of the ration. To get good re-
suits in putting flesh on the birds, corn
should be fed in combination with rich
protein feeds and some bulky matte
rial. such as cut green clover, lawn
cuttings, or alfalfa. But no mistake
Will be made if whole oats or ground
oats forms an important part of both
grain and mash rations.
Practical System Of Feeding
The plan of feeding I have adopted
for fattening cockerels is to give them
wet mash in the morning, consist
ing OF eight parts by measure of
bran, two of midlings, two of ground
oats, with one measure of meat meal
ADDED twice a week. The materials
of the mash are thoroughly mixed dry
ana wet down with sour milk or skim
milk. Stale bread soaked in water or
skim milk is fed the last two or three
weeks, being mixed with the wet mash.
About, every week a handful of ground
sulphur is added to the mash as a
blood purifier.
AT noon the cockerels are given a.
half ration of wheat and oats in eoual
parts. The last meal at evening con-
Ssts of all they will eat up clean of
a grain ration composed of one part
each of whole corn, cracked corn.
wheat and oats. This last ration is
Kept up until the cockerels are large
enough to prefer whole corn. when
the cracked corn is discarded. Then
the ration is made up of two parts
whole corn and one each of wheat
and oats.
AS accessories the cockerels are fed
plenty of green feed during the Spring
and Summer months. They are pro-
vided with oyster shell, grit abund-
ance of fresh water, and a dry dust
bath.
1t will be observed that in these
rations the protein, or fiesh-forming,
feeds largely predominant. Corn as
a carbohydrate feed is supplied at the
evening meal only. On hot days even
this limited corn ration is reduced to
half the usual quantity, the ration