ESSENTIALS OF POULTRY FATTENING 21-7 



cost of feed for a pound of gain is less. At four: 

 months, the pure breeds are fatted, of uniform qual- 

 ity and appearance and ready for market. At no age 

 are scrub chickens as salable as pure breds. The 

 type of fowls to be selected can be had in Plymouth 

 Rock, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red and Buff Or- 

 pington ; or if preferred, in a medium sized fancier's 

 breed. Plymouth Rock or Wyandotte may not be 

 satisfactory on account of great size, heavy bone^ 

 length of leg, or narrowness of body. Hence, it is 

 of primary importance to have a definite concep- 

 tion of the proper type to select. The breed is of 

 secondary importance. 



DESIRABLE TYPE OF FOWL 



Table type fowls should conform to the follow-, 

 ing standard: Mature weight, cock, 7 to 8j4 pounds;' 

 hen, syi to 7 pounds ; shape of body, broad, blocky- 

 and of medium length ; breast, carried well for-l 

 ward, full and broad, of medium depth ; breast bone, 

 long, straight, not deep nor pointed at the front; ■ 

 legs set well apart, short, stout, white or yellow, 

 without leg or foot feathering; head, medium size; 

 comb and wattles small; plumage, close feathered' 

 preferred; color not important; color of flesh un-: 

 important. 



To have chickens plump and well fatted, at the' 

 most profitable age, they should be placed in fat- 

 tening crates when three to four months old. This, 

 does not mean that chickens cannot be fatted prof- 

 itably when more than four months old; suitable 

 market chickens of any age will show gains. It is. 

 advisable to use fattening crates, but if only a small 

 number of fowls are to be fatted, packing boxes o£ 



