INCREASE OP FLESH ON YOUNG CHTCKENS. 7 



throughout the entire 14 days and a deposition of flesh which is 

 practically uniform. It is probable, also, from additional observa- 

 tions which are not sufficiently numerous to tabulate, that gains in 

 weight and good appetites are maintained with Ration C for a period 

 much longer than 14 days. Whether a longer period than 14 clays 

 is profitable remains to be determined. The results at hand, how- 

 ever, indicate that young birds should be fed at least 14 days if 

 profitable results are to be obtained. 



LOSS IN WEIGHT DUE TO KILLING AND CHILLING. 



The practical feeder is frequently called upon to decide whether 

 his fleshing gains are sufficient to be profitable. To do this he must 

 know not only the live weights before and after feeding, but the final 

 weight after dressing and chilling, since it is on the basis of the latter 

 that his sales are made. The losses due to the removal of blood 

 and feathers and the loss by evaporation during cold air chilling are 

 shown in Tables 7 and 8. 



The birds designated "before fleshing" in Table 7 were selected at 

 the same time and from the same stock as the birds to be fed. They 

 were killed at once and the carcasses studied as described on page 8. 

 The shrinkage due to dressing was also determined. 



Table 7. — Loss in weight on killing and chilling young chickens, before and after fleshing . 





Ration. 



Blood. 



Feathers. 



Loss ou 

 chilling. 



Total 

 shrinkage 

 in killing, 

 dressing, 



and 

 chilling. 





Per cent of final live weight. 







4.1 

 3.5 

 3.9 

 3.9 



5.7 

 6.4 

 6.2 

 6.3 



0.7 

 .6 

 .6 



.7 



10.50 





M::::: 



lc 



10.46 

 10.67 





10.92 



It will be seen from Table 7 that feeding stimulates feather growth, 

 a fact well known to the practical man. It is difficult to determine 

 exactly the amount of blood which the chicken loses, but the figures 

 presented may be taken as fair. While there is but little difference 

 between the slaughter losses of fleshed and ranger chickens, the 

 former probably lose a little more weight. Of the birds considered 

 in these experiments, those fed Ration C lost a little more weight 

 than their companions on Ration A or B. 



Such being the case, a further analysis becomes necessary to 

 determine the relation of this loss to the ultimate weight of chicken 

 ready for the consumer. These figures, which are presented in 

 Table 8, indicate that the 0.25 per cent increase in dressing loss is 

 more than compensated for by the 3.77 per cent greater gain in total 

 weight remaining when Ration C is used. Table 8 shows also the 



