COLLECTING BIRDS FOR FATTENING. 



for suitable birds, that they have to pay prices 

 which leave a very small margin of profit. 

 Some time ago, a farmer living in West Kent 

 gave me figures with regard to what he had 

 done during twelve months in the sale of 

 chickens to higglers who collect for the fatten- 

 ing establishments. Commencing the year with 

 a stock of fifty breeding hens, he sold in twelve 

 months, as the produce from these birds, £%"] 

 worth of chickens — that is, each hen gave him a 

 return through her chickens equal to about 35s. 

 Of course, he had to provide the food for these, 

 but those famiiiar with the cost of stock-raising 

 will know that the margin of profit in such a 

 case is very much greater than is usual. Hitherto 

 a large part of the deficiency in supply has been 

 made up by Irish lean birds, but the indications 

 are that these may fall off now that fattening 

 has been commenced in that country ; and it is 

 certainly true that of late there has been a de- 

 cided advance in the price of Irish lean poultry. 

 The chief difficulty experienced by those who 

 have commenced fattening in other parts of 

 the country than the South-Eastern district of 

 England, has been in securing a supply of 

 suitable specimens, but- the deficiency will in 

 time be overcome, as farmers and cottagers 

 find it is profitable to rear such birds. 



" Most of the fattening establishments in 

 Sussex send out or have connections with col- 

 lectors, who go by the name of ' higglers.' These 

 men scour the country round, buying up chickens 

 as soon as they are ready, and it is not too much 

 to say that the success of many of 

 Collection {]-,g fattening establishments depends 

 ChickenB. largely upon this part of the work. 

 One old fattencr, who has made a 

 very comfortable competency out of the business, 

 told me that he always did the buying himself, 

 as he felt that it was too important to leave to 

 anyone else. Many of these higglers know ex- 

 actly what birds arc likely to be ready, and those 

 who raise the chickens have no difficulty what- 

 ever in selling their birds ; in fact, frequently 

 there are as many higglers call as there are 

 birds to sell. The higglers generally have 

 regular rounds on certain days of the week, and 

 the custom is for them to pack the birds in large 

 crates, carrying them away as soon as possible 

 to the fattening establishments. Sometimes they 

 will travel as far as twenty miles away from 

 their centre, if there is any shortage of supplies. 



" In Belgium and France a somewhat dif- 

 ferent system is adopted, and one which might 

 with advantage be followed here. On one side 

 of the city of Malines, in Belgium, there is a 

 great district where large numbers of fowls are 

 ieared and it is on the other side that the 



fattening section of the country is met with. 

 Markets have been established at various 

 centres, where producers and buyers meet upon 

 fixed days. The former take their fowls as 

 they are ready, and there dispose of them to 

 the best advantage. In many of the great dis- 

 tricts of France such markets are found, and it 

 would be a manifest advantage if the system 

 could be followed in this country, especially in 

 places more remote from the fattening centres. 



" The prices obtained in England for lean 

 birds vary considerably according to the time of 

 year, and, of course, with the quality of the 

 fowls ; but of late years there has been a dis- 

 tinct tendency towards increase in prices. The 

 time of year when prices are highest is in 

 April, May, and June. The prices range from 

 IS. 8d. to 3s. 6d., according to the season 

 and the supply. Both of these extremes would 

 be exceptional, however ; only very poor speci- 

 mens would be sold at the former price, and the 

 season would be a very bad one, with great 

 scarcity of supply, when the latter price was 

 generally obtained. It may, however, be ac- 

 cepted that the majority of chickens suitable 

 for making the best class of fowls, and which 

 range from eight to ten or twelve weeks old, 

 would realise from 2s. 6d. to 3s. each, and at 

 such rates it is evident that the raisers have a 

 considerable margin of profit. In fact, many per- 

 sons add greatly to their incomes by this work. 

 Reference has already been made to Irish sup- 

 plies. At one time birds could be obtained 

 from Ireland costing about 2s. to 2s. 6d. each, 

 but now 3d. and 4d. per bird more than that is 

 the usual expense, inclusive of carriage. At the 

 same time, however, it must be acknowledged 

 that there has been of late perceptible im- 

 provement in the quality of the fowls brought 

 from the Green Isle. 



" Birds which are put up for fattening in 

 lean condition give the best results, and the 

 fatteners prefer specimens which are thin. It is 

 undoubtedly the case that such specimens as are 

 already partially fatted, do not give the same 

 returns as those just described. Of course, it is 

 with poultry as with every other kind of stock ; 

 all the birJs do not fatten alike, and there is a 

 considerable difference in this respect. Some, 

 for reasons which cannot be clearly understood, 

 fail to put on flesh to the same extent as do 

 others. This sometimes is a question of tem- 

 perament, but there are frequently causes for 

 which no satisfactory reason can be afforded. 

 The skilful fatter, however, very quickly deter- 

 mines which birds are thriving least satisfactorily, 

 and frequently by giving a greater amount of 

 attention to these, he is able to overcome their 



