FARM ANIMALS 307 



more economic. In preparing chickens for market 

 it is usually best to separate the cockerels and 

 pullets into two flocks. They may then be fed on 

 a porridge twice a day, prepared of four parts corn 

 meal, two parts middlings, and one part beef scraps. 

 The mixed material should be moistened with 

 water or still better with milk. From experiments 

 in Maine it is recommended that the amount of 

 water or milk used should be enough to make a 

 rather thin porridge. If fed on a fattening ration 

 for four weeks they become meaty and soft and 

 some feeders have found that they are in a better 

 market condition than when fed on dry grains and 

 given more liberty. It is not profitable for poultry 

 raisers to sell chickens in a poor or medium con- 

 dition. They have an active digestion and make 

 good returns for the feed which they consume. 

 It pays therefore in all cases to put enough feed in 

 them to finish them up in a fat condition. One 

 month is about the limit of a profitable fattening 

 period and if proper attention is given to the chick- 

 ens during this time they can be put in excellent 

 market shape. In general it has been found that 

 they will do as well on a fattening ration when kept 

 in pens large enough to accomodate a hundred 

 as when placed in small latticed coops containing 

 only four chickens and kept with a small amount 

 of exercise. 



The Amount of Feed for Each Hen During the 

 Year. It is necessary to know how much a hen 

 requires during the year in order to be in a position 

 to estimate the proper amount of feed to buy or 

 set aside for the use of a flock of fowls. Among 

 Maine poultrymen it has been found that each hen 

 will consume annually from fifty to fifty-five pounds 

 of dry grain in additon to clover, roots and other 



