UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



^ BULLETIN No. 1052 |U| 



Contribution from the Bureau of Chemistry ^S^^/^^^ 



W. G. CAMPBELL, Acting Chief .SWy*^3L 



Washington, D. C. ▼ March 13, 1922 



RATIONS FOR FEEDING POULTRY IN THE PACK- 

 ING HOUSE. 



[From the Food Research Laboratory. 1 ] 



CONTENTS. 



Purpose of investigation 1 j Discussion of results 17 



Methods of procedure 2 j Compounding rations 22 



Results of investigation 3 1 



PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION. 



Poultry fleshing or finishing is rapidly becoming a very important 

 specialized phase of the poultry industry of the United States. It 

 does not seem to be feasible to fatten poultry extensively on the farm 

 for the reason that dressed poultry, being highly perishable, requires 

 chilling and holding, the facilities for which the farmer ordinarily 

 lacks. Moreover, the shrinkage in weight which occurs when the 

 fattened birds are shipped alive from the farm to the packing house 

 usually offsets the gain obtained during the fleshing period. As 

 practiced in the modern poultry-packing plant, fleshing may be con- 

 sidered a manufacturing process whereby the range birds received 

 by the packer are put in condition for the market. This is accom- 

 plished by intensive feeding for a period of from 7 to 14 days, fol- 

 lowed by dressing, chilling, grading, and packing. 



The twofold object of fleshing poultry is to add a substantial amount 

 of flesh to the fowls and to improve the quality of the edible portion. 

 The finishing process adds weight to the edible parts more rapidly 

 than to the inedible parts, thus increasing the value of such poultry 

 to the consumer. The producer's gain lies in the fact that the 



1 This bulletin was compiled by ./. B. Hepburn, Junior chemist, and R. C. llolder, assistant chomist, 

 un<l<-r th ■ direction of H. A. McAleer, chief, and M. E. 1'ennington, formerly chief, Food Research Lab- 

 oratory. The Chemical part of the investigation, which covered a period of four years, was done by A. W. 

 Broomell, a. i». Oreenlee, f. B. Hepburn, R. C. Holder, E. B\ Kohman, H. A. Shonlo, and O. C. Swan. 

 Thf- feeding work was done by if- 0. Bowman, J. M. Borders, it. L. Cochran, L, ic. iiarkor, A. C. Kllng- 

 man, P. L. Banford, if. L. Efhrader,C. B. Sldler, it. L, Skinner, and P, B. White. D. 0. Kennard assisted 

 In the compilation of the data hare reported. 

 807M 23 Hull. 1052 1 



