POULTRY FLESH AND FATTENING 
nicely, they do not gain as much as the American breeds. 
Black chickens are not fed at all. Brahmas and Cochins are 
not considered good feeders at the age when they are com- 
monly sold. Chickens in fair flesh at the start make better 
gains than those that are extremely lean or very fat. But, con- 
trary to what the amateur might assume, the moderately fat 
chicken will continue to make fair gains, while the very lean 
chicken seldom returns a profit.” 
The idea has been somewhat prevalent that there is some 
guarded secret about the rations used in crate-fattening. This 
is a mistaken notion. The rations used contain no new or won- 
derful constituent, and althought individual feeders may have 
their own formulas, the general composition of the feed is 
common knowledge. The feed most commonly used consists 
of finely ground grain, mixed to a batter with buttermilk or 
sour skim-milk. The favorite grain for the purpose is oats 
finely ground and the hulls removed. Oats may be used as 
the sole grain, and is the only grain recommended as suitable 
to be fed alone. Corn is used, but not by itself. Shorts, 
ground barley or ground buckwheat are sometimes used. 
Beans, peas, linseed and gluten meals may be used in small 
quantities. When milk products are obtainable they are a 
great aid to successful fattening. Tallow is often used in 
small quantities toward the finish of the feeding period. The 
assumption is that it causes the deposit of fat-globules 
throughout the muscular tissues, thus adding to the quality 
of the meat. The following simple rations show that there 
is nothing complex about the crate-fed chicken’s bill of fare: 
No. 1.—Ground oats, 2 parts; ground barley, 1 part; ground 
corn, 1 part; mixed with skim-milk. 
No. 2.—Ground corn, 4 parts; ground peas, 1 part; ground 
oats, 1 part; meat-meal, 1 part; mixed with water. 
A ration used by some fatters with great success is com- 
posed of simply oatmeal and buttermilk. 
The feed is given as a soft batter and is left in the troughs 
for about thirty minutes, when the residue is removed. Chick- 
ens are generally fed three times per day. Water may or may 
not be given, according to the weather and the amount of 
liquid used in the food. 
The chicken that has been crate-fattened has practically the 
same amount of skeleton and offal as the unfattened speci- 
men, but carries one or two pounds more of edible meat upon 
its carcass. Not only is the weight of the chicken and amount 
of edible meat increased, but the quality of the meat is greatly 
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