Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-06-08

When bullets are raised for egg produce
ton, they can produce no income for at
least seven or eight months Even after
they have begun to lay. it takes some
time for pullets to produce enough eggs
to provide a profit above cost of feed. But
this is not the case with cockcres. In
stead of being "A nuisance, as many
poultry keepers say. cockerels may tie
turned into cash at substantial profit
in four or five months from the time they
are Matched. And in SO doing they viii
help to support the pulets.
A DIFFERENCE IN BREEDS.
Cockerels of the heavier. dual purpose
breeds of fowls are better for making
profits than the lighter and more active
breeds White and Barred Plymouth
Rocks. Rhode Island Reds, Wyandottes
and Orpingtons are excellent breeds for
the quick development of high-class table
fowls Surplus cockerels from any of
these breeds grow rapidly after reaching
the age of two and one-half to three
months. These breeds of fowls are not
so active and restless as Leghorns, An
conas. Minorcas and many others
The tendency of very active coCkerels
is to develop muscles instead of putting
on flesh. Consequently, the flesh of ac-
tive fowls is more or less strngv for food
purposes. This is especially the case il
the cockerels have free range.
To overcome this tendency, it is we'll
to closely confine cockerels Of the more
active breeds. If this is done, there will
be no great difference in the meat quail
ties of cockerels from all breeds of fowls,
But many poultry raisers, from lack of
room or to avoid the trouble of caring
! for their cockeres "A sufficient length of
time to make their most rapid growth. dis
pose of them as fryers when six weeks or
two months old. This is too early to make
them profitable. Unless young cockerels
can he put on the market as flyers very
early when prices are high. they practical
/ ly cost to raise all they bring on the mar
ket. Only a few poultry raisers having
special facilities for Matching and raising
chicks very early can hope to make fry
ers profitable when marketed so young as
six weeks. Their profits come from the
much higher price fryers, sold to select
trade around Easter time and up to the
last of May
With the great majority of poultry
keepers however, Matching hardly begins
until the middle or last of March, con
tinuing TO about the end of May. Unde,
these conditions cockeres cannot he sole
as flyers until into June or July BY
that time market prices have declined
Cockerels cannot be sold as fryers then a
a reasonable profit because young chicks
need more care and grow less rapidly
during the first two or three months %
their life. It is a mistake to sell cock
erels, except for a special early trade
until they are at least four months old.
sEG.RECfATE THE COCKEREJS.
AS soon as their sex can be determined
the cockerels should be penned by them
selves There are several reasons 70
this. If allowed to run with older fowls
they do not get their proper share o
food for normal growth. If young pull
lets and cockerels run together. especial,
after they are three months old, the cock
erels get more than their share of FOO
at the expense of the pullets which ma,
become stunted
If cockeres are placed by themseiVe
when about three months old, they groN
up quite contented. are peaceably inclined
require less attention, and put on teS
rapidly If properly fed, Since they ar
confined. they do not run to muscle. Tn
flesh of cockeres kept under these cor
ditions is almost as tender and juicy a
the flesh of capons.
This Is especially the case with cock
erels of the heavier breeds of fowl:
When killed and dressed for market the
present an unusually attractive appear
ance; they command the best prices a
frYers or young roasters.
If the poultry raisers pen space Is lin
tied. it is a good practice to dispose {
a.. older fowls or double up some pens
I make a pen for the cockerels. This ha
= been my own custom and it has worke
a satisfactorily. The Cockerels come alon
= at IA time of the year when this can reac
q lily be done. Before the breeding seaso
1 comes around again, the cockerels hay
Y all been sold. Then the yard and hous
can be thoroughly cleaned and mad
ready for breeding fowls the followin
season.
The object of feeding cockerels Is
put on flesh as cheaply and as rapidly ;
a possible. The poultry keeper wants the
!, to pay a profit on feed and labor, 7
accomplish this the cockeres must be IL
= plenty Of protein. The function of pr,
ten is to form flesh: the function of ca
bohydrates is to generate heat and ia
In summer and early fall, the cockere
~ need less carbohydrates and more PR
TEN. Thus corn is n highly carbonaceo,
:, feed. An excess of corn especially
. summer, has the effect of overtaXing II
"a liver But this would upset the very OF
ject one has in feeding cockerels f.
flesh.
FEEDS EASY TO DIGEST.
A successful ration for fatteninE coo
l. erels is one part each by weight OF oa
N meal, cornmeal and oats, and one-ha
a part of fish meal. Good results have all
Is been secured by feeding equal parts
" weight of oatmeal and cornmeal W
& down with skim milk. These ratons a
2 easily diGestihle, so that the cockerels p
l. on flesh rapidly The predominance
oats also makes them cheap rations.