CHAPTER XII 

 Essentials of Poultry Fattenins 



Crate fattening of market chickens, which has 

 recently been growing in popularity, can be carried 

 on with profit by almost any farmer, says F. C. 

 Elford of the Ontario experiment station. The 

 work is simple; chickens gain in live weight i)4 

 to 3 pounds and each can be sold for a much higher 

 price than lean ones because they supply, weight 

 for weight, three times as much edible meat and 

 of superior quality. The breast meat is the most 

 palatable part of the chicken, hence large-framed 

 chickens with prominent breast bones cannot be 

 satisfactorily fatted. The legs, largely composed 

 of sinews, the meat of which is inferior, should 

 form as small a proportion of the weight as prac- 

 ticable. Feathers on the legs are an objection, 

 also black or dark-colored shanks and any develop- 

 ment of the spur in cockerels. 



Color is secured by feeding mashes, composed 

 mainly of ground oats and skim milk. Smallness 

 of bone, head and comb, and a minimum of ofifal, 

 are important requirements. Plump chickens of 

 any weight up to 5 pounds each dressed are more 

 readily disposed of than large fatted chickens; 4 

 pounds is the preferred weight. Early chickens 

 should be marketed either as broilers, weighing I 

 to Ij4 pounds each, or roasters, weighing 3 to 4 

 pounds. High prices are generally paid for such. 



In crate fattening pure-bred chickens make 

 greater gains in live weight than scrubs, and the 



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