276 PROGRESSIVE POULTRY CULTURE 



An enormous waste of life among fowls results from 

 bad management, neglect, accidents, disorders, diseases, 

 parasites and enemies. 



By careful control and good management many of 

 the destructive conditions can be corrected and large 

 losses, thereby, prevented. 



BY-PRODUCTS 



It is an important part of the management of the 

 poultry business to save and utilize or sell the by-pro- 

 ducts. 



FEATHERS: At the time of picking the fowls the 

 feathers should be sorted, the soft feathers being kept 

 separate from the quill feathers. 



Feathers which are dry-picked may be spread upon 

 the attic floor of a dwelling house or in a loft that is 

 not dusty and there left to cure. 



The feathers may be used in making pillows, etc., for 

 the home or may be sold to neighbors or to dealers. 



If there are large quantities) of feathers to be dried 

 a special room should be provided for the purpose. 

 The feathers spread on drying screens or frames cov- 

 ered with fine wire netting may be thoroughly dried 

 and cured by means of steam heat. 



The white feathers sell at the highest prices. On a 

 large plant the feathers are expected to sell for a sum 

 sufficient to pay for the killing and picking of the 

 fowls. 



Any feathers not used or sold should go into the 

 compost heap. 



BLOOD AND OFFAL: In killing the fowls for the table 

 or for market the blood should be saved. It is rich in 

 nitrogen and may be used in a mash of meal, middlings, 

 etc., to help balance the ration in the place of expensive 

 beef scraps. If not used to feed the fowls it may at 

 least be utilized as a fertilizer. It, together with the 

 offal, may be mingled with dry soil, kept from wetness 

 and used in the garden. If there is no other way of 

 disposing of these parts they may be added to the com- 

 post heap. 



