POULTRY FEEDS AND FEEDING 



dropped to n to 14 days and by the middle of September 

 the chickens are often divided into two lots, broilers and 

 roasters, the former being fed 12 to 14 days and the 

 latter 6 to 10 days. The question of length of time of 

 fattening depends materially on help conditions especially 

 in the dressing room, and also on the supply of chickens 

 on hand. It is always necessary to adjust the length of 

 period to these two factors in order to handle the fatten- 

 ing station successfully. The market for which the 

 chickens are being produced also affects the best length 

 of time to fatten the chickens. 



The weather and environment materially affect fatten- 

 ing. During hot summer weather the chickens are some- 

 times very adversely affected by the extreme heat, making 

 them lose their appetite and in some cases causing large 

 mortality. Placing 20,000 chickens in one room produces 

 a large amount of body heat making it difficult to keep 

 the room comfortable in hot weather. The most success- 

 ful fattening stations have their sides made up entirely 

 or largely of glass or wooden shutters which can be 

 opened to secure the best possible ventilation. In the 

 early fall the broilers or small chickens consist largely 

 of late hatched or poorly developed chickens and while 

 the weather conditions are better for fattening, the gains 

 secured are usually less than earlier in the fattening sea- 

 son, on account of the quality of the stock. 



Late in the fall the chickens are more or less affected 

 by cold and wet weather which is apt to develop colds 

 and roup or sickness among all of the poultry. The 



172 



