278 POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



Cost of feed Cost of labor 



per per 



pound gain pound gain 



Packing house A 8.74 cents 1.63 cents 



Packing house B 7.70 cents 1.99 cents 



Packing house C 6.61 cents 1.37 cents 



Packing house D 9.95 cents 1.59 cents 



The cost was figured on the following prices of feed : 



Corn meal $1.39 to $1.74 per 100 pounds 



Low grade wheat flour 1.38 to 1.52 " " 



Shorts 1.18 to 1.25 " " 



Buttermilk 1 to 2 cents a gallon 



Fattening Rations. The best results were secured by 

 feeding either of the three following rations : 



1. 3 parts cormneal. 2 parts low grade wheat flour; 1 part 



shorts. 



2. 3 parts cornmeal, 2 parts low grade wheat flour. 



3. 5 parts cornmeal, 3 parts low grade wheat flour, 1 part 



shorts, and 5 per cent tallow. 



Oatmeal produced better gains than low grade wheat 

 flour, but was less profitable on account of its higher price. 



Buttermilk is used by the packing-houses in mixing the 

 food. No other animal food is given. Buttermilk or sour 

 milk is preferred to sweet milk. The milk or buttermilk 

 bleaches or whitens the flesh. All milk-fed chickens have 

 light-colored flesh. This whitening may be partly offset 

 by feeding yellow corn meal. If milk is not used, beef scrap 

 or other animal food must be fed. 



The feeder must use the foods that are reasonable in 

 price. No one grain is essential. In most sections of the 

 United States corn will be most largely fed because of its 

 cheapness. In the fattening districts of England oats are 

 considered the most satisfactory. In France buckwheat 

 and barley are largely used. Where oats that are good and 



