332 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



As a thorough trial of the Barred Plymouth Rocks has been made during former 

 years, it was thought advisable to discontinue keeping this breed and a change has been 

 made to White Plymouth Rocks, for that reason no record of eggs has been kept during 

 the year. 



About sixty chickens about equally divided between White Plymouth Rock and 

 Black Minorcas have been raised this summer without any loss whatever from sickness. 



The White Plymouth Rock Cockerels being quite promising as table fowl their 

 fitness for this purpose has been tested. A number of turkeys were also procured for 

 the same purpose. 



FATTENING POULTRY. 



The importation into this province of dressed fowls reaches large dimensions each 

 year, it is estimated that twenty thousand turkeys alone were imported into Winnipeg 

 last season. This represents a large sum of money, all of which should be retained in 

 the province. In addition the demand for dressed fowl in many other districts is large 

 and increasing, much of which could be supplied from here. 



Recognizing the importance of this subject, some attention has been paid during 

 the past season to the fattening of poultry. Ten turkeys, five male and five female, 

 hatched on a neighbouring farm in May, were purchased. Five of these were penned 

 up and fed with a mixture composed of 50 per cent wheat, 25 per cent oats and 25 per 

 cent barley. The ration was fed chopped and wet with milk in the morning and the 

 whole grain fed for the evening meal. 



The five running at large were allowed to gather the bulk of their food in the fields, 

 only a very small quantity of grain being given them morning and evening to attract 

 them to the roost. 



The five penned birds were given all they would eat up clean twice a day. 



In addition to the ten turkeys ten cockerels were selected for the same purpose, six 

 of them being White Plymouth Rocks and four Black Minorcas. These were fed with 

 the same kind of food and in the same manner as the turkeys. 



The penned fowl both turkeys and chickens were, when dressed, much plumper and 

 in every way more inviting than those which had been running at large, but the close 

 confinement and heavy feeding appears to injure the chickens otherwise, the White 

 Plymouth Rocks being badly "off their feet," while those running at large were quite 

 healthy and active. 



The turkeys were apparently more fond of oats than either barley or wheat, and 

 towards the latter portion of the fattening period the proportion of this grain was 

 increased with benefit. 



RESULTS WITH TURKEYS. 



Lbs. Oz. 



Oct. 14. Weight of 5 birds in pen 32 12 



Nov. 25. " " 53 00 



Gain 20 04 



Amount of grain consumed 1 20 pounds, or 6 pounds of grain to 1 pound of increase. 



Lbs. Oz. 



Oct. 14. Weight of 5 birds running at large 32 12 



Nov. 25. ** " " 42 00 



Gain 9 1 



