60 POULTRY FATTENING. 



fore them is a constant supply of food, made of maize- 

 meal and buckwheat-meal mixed with milk, for several 

 cows are kept on the farm. A little phosphate of lime 

 is given for bone and feather formation. Each room is 

 warmed, and yet there is a constant supply of fresh 

 air, but it must pass around the stove ere entering, so 

 that the birds are kept in an even temperature. Treated 

 ill such a way, many chickens are ready for killing at 

 six weeks old, whilst all meet their fate ere they attain 

 two months. At this latter age many weigh 3 lb. each, 

 and the prices per pound varies from Is. 3d. to lid., 

 according to the season. They are killed on the 

 spot, and dispatched in various ways, the German 

 Parcel Post being cheaper than ours, and so tends to 

 develop business. In summer ice is used for packing. 

 In 1890 9,000 chickens were reared in this manner, in 

 addition to nearly 1,000 sold alive at two to three days 

 old. Several hundred fat fowls of four to five months 

 were sold, but these are reared outside and fattened in 

 cages, on the French plan, accommodation being pro- 

 vided for 300 birds in another building. It is desirable 

 to mention that the establishment referred to was after- 

 wards given up, for reasons which it is unnecessary to 

 detail, as our object is to show the plan adopted. 



So far as other parts of Prance are concerned than 

 those already mentioned, there is not much to add to 

 what has been already stated. We recently visited 

 several fattening establishments in the La Bresse 

 district, where great quantities of birds are dealt 

 with every year. Here the pens are rather better 

 made than those seen in Sussex, being built of 

 thin rods inserted into strong wooden frames, and 



