78 POULTBY FATTENING. 



specimens of table poultry cannot be questioned, and 

 to the same extent as in Prance its adoption should be 

 advocated. The best method of caponising, for which 

 special cases of instruments are sold by Spratt's 

 Patent Limited, is fully described in " Poultry 

 Keeping as an Industry for Farmers and Cottagers." 



In France the table poultry trade resolves itself into 

 three distinct branches : first, young chickens, from 

 seven to twelve weeks old ; second, adult fowls ;• and 

 third, fat (winter) poultry. So far as the - younger 

 chickens (jpetits poussins) are concerned, they are dealt 

 wilh fully in another chapter. But the following trans- 

 lation from the work of Madame Millet-Eobinet* will 

 give information as to the methods adopted in the 

 other two directions. 



"Fattening Adult Chickens. — One can fatten adult 

 birds by feeding in the ordinary manner, but the 

 fattening is less perfect, and takes much longer than 

 by means of cages. In all cases it is desirable to com- 

 mence the process by feeding whilst they avo running 

 in the open, and then a fortnight of the cages suf&ces 

 to complete it. Whilst where lean fowls are placed in 

 the cages, eighteen to twenty-one days are needed to 

 fatten them. . . . For adult fowls it is better to keep 

 them constantly shut up in a run, and above all do not 

 mix the cocks with the hens, not even with the capons, 

 which are timid, and wiU be tormented by the other 

 birds. 



" Means of Constantly having well-fatted Fowls. — 

 To have finely fatted fowls at aU seasons, it is necessary 

 to fatten in the spring those bred late in the autumn ; 

 * "Basse-cour, par Mme. Millet-Robinefc," edition 1892. 



