30 



Kind of Food Used in Cramming Machine. 



Not all kinds of foods can be used in the machine. The food must 

 be in a semi-liquid condition in order to pass through the machine. 

 This necessitates the use of some kind of grain that will stay in sus- 

 pension in the milk, beef broth, or whatever liquid is used in mixing 

 the grain. Finely ground oats, with the hulls removed, or shorts, 

 answer the purpose well. We use almost entirely the former food. 

 Grain, like corn-chop or barley meaj, are not suitable, as they sink 

 to the bottom of the hopper and clog the machine. When cooked they 

 work well, but are not good foods, as is shown by experiments con- 

 ducted here. See page 33. 



The food is mixed to the consistency of ordinary gruel, or until 

 it drips from the end of a stick. 



Will it Pay to Buy a Cramming Machine? 



For the ordinary person, I think not. First-class chickens may 

 be had by feeding in the crate from the trough only; indeed, I have 

 had equally fleshy birds that have been fed for four weeks from the 

 trough as where we have fed them two weeks from the trough and 

 one week from the machine. 



Where one has a special trade for high-class poultry, I am of the 

 opinion that a more uniform product can be secured by using the 

 machine. Machine-fed birds should realize at least one cent more per 

 pound than trough-fed birds in order to pay for the extra labor, etc. 



Birds that are fairly well fleshed when put into the crate will do 

 better if put at once on the machine, instead of being crate-fed first. 



Fattening Chickens in July. 



Early in July, several groups of chickens were put in crates for 

 fattening. The results are given below. 



Lot I. consisted of 12 Barred Rock cockerels weighing, when put 

 up in crate, a total of 37 pounds. 



First week . . 

 Second week 

 Third week. 

 Fourth week 



Lbs. Grain 

 Consumed. 



17 

 24} 

 20 

 22 



Lbs. 



Skim-milk 

 Consumed. 



25 

 31 

 30 

 33 



Lbs. Gain. 



5 



8 



4 



Lbs. of 



grain to 



make I lb. 



Gain. 



1.8 

 4.8 

 2.5 

 5.5 



A verage 



gain per 



bird in 4 



weeks. 



2.1 lbs. 



Average of grain per lb. of gain in 4 weeks 3.2 lbs. 



They were sold to a Montreal firm at 15 cents per pound f.o.b. 



These chickens were rather leggy, and had high breast bones, 

 and would have dressed much better when they had reached a weight 

 of six or seven pounds. 



