Norwich bulletin., 1917-09-27
THE MUNICIPAL POULTRY
 MARKET IN HARTFORl
Pays We'll to Fatten It Even When
 Sold Alive.

A visit to the live poultry section of the Hartford Municipal Market would bring to the mind of either producer Or consumer the importance of the live poultry industry and the prevailing economic loss from selling birds which are not in the best marketable condi- ton. At a. m., on Thursday, September 18th, the live poultry market presented a very busy appearance. A total of g. loads of poultry. both wagon and automobile, were lined up and crowd ed about by ten times that many peo- pie, each one eager to pick out and purchase at the most reasonable price just the kind of bird which pleased their fancy. There was no need for any one to go away dissatisfied from were chickens ranging in size from one pound up to well matured cock erels and bullets with as great a range in quality. There were old hens of all kinds, both s1ackers and layers. A few guinea fowl were included in the cOllection.' The conspicuous absence of cock birds would indicate that far mers and poultry men have been cut ting down feedl bills and improving egg quality by disposing of such birds earlier in the season.
 The size of the loads ranged from 50 to 400 birds with a total of 3,641 birds on the market. This is, of course, the most busy time of year, as many
 
 have to be disposed of. The total for Thursday. September 9th. was 2,010 birds.
 The economic loss comes from the fact that many laying hens are sold and slaughtered, bullets which could prof1tably be kept as layers are also slaughtered and that practically all are taken from the range regardless of condition and sold without being fat tened. From a careful inspection of
 
 seem that about 50 per cent. of all the birds were old hens or fowl. of these at least 20 per cent. or about 364 were in good laying condition and well worth keeping. Had careful culling been practiced by the farmer or pou1- try man 1t would have saved him con- siderable money. Of the remaining 50 per cent. which were young stock, at could have been profitable kept through the winter for egg production. The loss from marketing birds which are out of condition is much harder to estimate but no less important. It Pays well to fatten poultry even when sold alive. ,l
 The range of price was from 26 to 33 cents per pound with very little choice for chickens or hens. the diff ference being paid for quality. The greater part of the birds were sold for 2S and 30 cents per pound.
 The total number of birds is grad ually increasing each year. The total 1s14. 7s,66s; in 1915. ss,77s aud in 1916, s5,341. These figures were ob- tained through the courtesy of MT. Flanagan of the board of health com 
 It Is interesting to note the section of the state where most of this poul- try Is produced. Practically all of the poultry sold in this market is pro- duced in the southeastern corner of the state, some loads arriving from towns as far as 40 miles distant from Some of the towns which are we'll represented are Colchester, Rockville. Manchester, Amston, Marl- l borough, Mansfield, Vernon and Nor wfch.
 The live poultry market offers a 1 very satisfactory outlet for poultry which the farmer and poultryman can | not find time to dress for m0rket. Un-t fortunately for both producer and