Cramming with Liquid Food. 8i 



ulio do not use it constantly there is some danger of tearing or scratching the membranes of the 

 throat ; it is therefore an excellent plan to cover the end with india-rubber, w liicli makes it very 

 little larger — this precaution will avoid accidents which might produce disease. 



"All this is very simple, and I have only described it at length to make sure of being 

 thoroughly understood, and because it is of the greatest importance. 



" The prepared food is placed in a vessel from which it may be easil}' dipped out with a 

 long-handled spoon ; then when all is ready we take the bird by the wings near the shoulders and 

 place him with his head in front, between the knees, so as to hold him without hurting or stifling 

 him. He will struggle a little the first few times, but will soon become accustompd to it. When 

 he is quite quiet we place the right forefinger in the handle of the funnel, seize the fowl's head 

 with the left, and stretching his neck well out, open his beak with the help of the right hand still 

 holding the funnel. 



" When the beak is properly open we must manage to keep it so for a moment with only 

 the left hand, and quickly introduce the funnel the whole length of the tube, taking care not to 

 hurt the inside of the throat. 



"The left hand holds everything quite easily — the fowl's head in the palm and the three last 

 fingers, holding the funnel with the thumb and forefinger. 



"We then take the paste, with which we fill the funnel, except it should be too much at first, 

 keeping the neck properly stretched out. We lay down the spoon with which we have taken up 

 the paste, and with the right hand hold the fowl's crop until we feel that it is full, which we can 

 hasten by passing the hand over it a few times. Then we put the astonished bird down, and go 

 on to another. 



" The meals should be given regularly three times every twenty-four hours, eight hours between 

 each feed — six a.m., two p.m., and at ten p.m. in town houses ; at four a.m., twelve noon, and eight 

 p.m. on farms. 



" To facilitate the operation and avoid accidents of forgetfulness, and vain attempts which 

 fatigue and irritate the fowls, proper accommodation must be provided according to the number of 

 birds to be fattened, consisting of two, three, or four open pens, in which there ought not to be 

 more than ten together. These pens, raised from the ground, are placed in some quiet situation, 

 in a stable or some other temperate place, protected from draughts, and there ought always to be 

 an empty one to spare. W^hen all is ready we cover the bottom of the empty pen with fresh straw, 

 and then proceed to the feeding business, passing every fowl as soon as filled into the empty pen. 

 We continue thus until all are done, and the straw ought to be changed every day in each pen 

 as soon as empty ; for good raisers, and especially those who raise for themselves, never leave the 

 birds on the dirty straw, as it always imparts a bad flavour to the flesh. 



" It is necessary to watch the birds carefully, and if a bird makes no progress, to kill it 

 immediately. We must be careful also to select for this treatment onK- birds in good condition 

 and healthy, for we should try it in vain upon weak fowls, who instead of fattening would only fall 

 sick and die, without any profit to the raiser. The time taken for fatting is from fifteen to twenty 

 days, according to the species and the individual birds ; a longer time only makes the fattened 

 fowls grow thin again." 



The fattening by means of food in a semi-liquid state appears to be coming more and more 



into favour in France, and macJiines for cramming with food so prepared have now been employed 



for years by the largest French feeders. They are considered to disturb and excite the fowls less, 



the whole meal being injected at one operation ; and the time saved is very great. In ^11 nf tlicu) 



II 



