The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-04-16
81
90UIN
FATTENINe POULTRY
INCREASES PROFITS
Fowls Should Not Be Sent to Market
Unless They are In Condition.

is marketed in first class condition,
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 e filling
a fowls body with large deposits Of
oily fat such as is often found in old
hens. This, when cooked separates
from the meat, leaving 1t almost as
tough as hat of an old, thin fowl. A
good fowl should have large, soft nus.
cIes 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 a much.
higher price a pound. p
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 in
to the carcas giving 1t an undesirable
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
q surer indication that the fowl Is ten
der than is a soft breastbone. It Of
ten is found that old fowls, properly
fattened, are more desirable than
younger ones killed directly from the
farm range, where exercise toughens
the muscles.
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 larg-
er profits it Is difficult to obtain the
skilled labor necessary to handle this
class of work, and 1t is not practical
with small flocks. In machine feed
ing the operator inserts a rubber tube
in the fowls throat and presses a lev
er which fills the crop with a mixture
of meals and milk.
Pen fattening is best for turkeys
and is satisfactory with young broiI,
ers, but the most popular method is to
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 Q good lice powder. as
birds infected with lice win not fatten
well. Neither do chickens or fowls OF
low vitality fatten readily. Lice pow
der should not be used the last week
before killing as it is liable to give q
bad flavor to the flesh.
Poultry should be starved twenty
four to thirty six hours before receiv-
ing the fattening ration and should
be fed sparingly the first few days.
The ration is increased gradually un-
til they have all they will clean up
In about fifteen to twenty minutes
twice a day. The first feed is given
as early in the morning as they
see to eat, and the last as late at
night as they can see to clean up the
feed in good shape. Feelings should
be at the same hours each day. as ir-
regular feeding lessons the appetite.
If the birds have more for q meal or
two than they can digest. they lose ap-
petite and lose weight. Care should be
taken to keep up a good appe-
tite.
A good ration consists Of three
pounds of corn meal, three pounds of
buckwheat middlings or ground buck
wheat with the bulls removed. three
pounds of low grade wheat flour OF
good white wheat middlings, and a
small quantity of charcoal. These are
mixed with sour skimmilk or butter
milk (the latter preferred) to the con
sistency of batter allowed to stand
In a warm place and sour twelve hours
before feeding. One quart Of milk US
ualIy is sufficient for n and a half
pounds of feed. Where milk cannot be
| obtained one fourth to one third of
the ration could consist Of meat
scraps, although this will not give as
profitable results as the skimmilk or
buttermilk.
Young broilers should have in ad-
dition to the above, a small feeding at
noon Of cracked corn and wheat. as
they are otherwise more liable to go
"off their feed"
Many farmers think that as corn
contains a larger percentage of fat
than any other grain, it can be fed
profitably as an exclusive fattening
feed. At the Pennsylvania State Exper-
iment station fowls fed on shelled
corn exclusively gained in three weeks
less than one fifth OF a pound each at
a cost for feed Of from 80 to so cents
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