Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-10-24
'FATTEN|NG RoASTERS
BY VIM. c. Monahan-Exten-
SIGN Instructor la 1o..,

Many poultry keepers having ample
range prefer to hold their spring cock
erels until they reach the rooster size
rather than to dispose of them as
broiierS. A soft rooster is a quickly
grown chicken of either sex not over
six months old and weighing upwards
of four pounds. The majority of roast
ers are, of course, surplus cockerels
and the most popular market size var
les between four and six pounds Or
dinarily, the sooner a cockerel reaches
marketable size the more profitable
he is. The spring chicken sold at
Thanksgiving time is an expensive
product and consequently October
should find, most cocllerels in market.
Preparation for Killing
When the expensive frame of the
chicken is built it is good business to
put on to it as much flesh or finish"
as it will readily take. Many times the
farmer does the costly work of build
ing the frame and the packer with
few days of skilful feeding reaps the
profit by supplying the finish. The
profit secured by finishing a chicken
not merely the difference between the
feed cost and selling price of the added
pound but to this is added the in
creased value given the entire weight
of the bird.
What to Feed and How to Feed It
Finishing is essentially fattening
process and the basis of feed Is sour
milk and corn meal. One of the most
successful rations consists of mix
ture of equal parts corn meal or hon.
my and feed flour or white middlings
wet with sour milk and fed on sloppy
mash.
After a few hours of fasting the
birds should be worked on to full feed
gradually until they get all that they
will consume in from twenty to
minutes of feeding twice
a day. For very limited time feed
ing may be done three times a day
but it requires more discrepancy on
the part Of the feeder and had best be
only when nearing the close
of the fattening period. Roasters sell
dom require more than ten to fifteen
days of fattenirg and during that
time they need no grit nor oyster
she'll neither should they have any
whole grains. An effort ought to be
made to keep them quiet by allowing
but very restricted housing space and
darkening their quarters between feed
ing times. Lice should not be allowed
to irritate the birds; a single applica-
ton of blue butter" will entirely Grad
icate them
Packing for Shipment
During the hot weather when for
long shipments dressed poultry is
most safely packed in ice there is little
need in taking much pains concerning
the looks Of the package. A barrel
makes convenient container. In the
fall and winter, however, especially
with fancy roasting chickens it pays
to put up a neat, attractive package.
The one dozen size box is most an
ular on the market. The sizes of the
boxes vary with the grade of birds to
be shipped. Roasting chickens weigh
ing 1880 pounds to the dozen require
a box approximately 20x19x6 inches
inside measure
The birds should be thorouohIy
cooled before packing. Ordinarily this
is best done by immersing in cool
water CATER the head and feet are.
washedD for about an hour and then
oy chilling thoroughly in the same or
1resh water to which ice is. added.
Iney must be dried before being
hacked and tina head looks halter when