106 POULTBY FATTENING. 



may be made for them by combining equal parts of 

 ground oats, corn-meal, middlings, and ground meat, 

 baking the mixture in an oven. Stale bread of any 

 kind, crackers, or other cereal foods are also excellent. 

 As soon as the chicks are able to eat wheat and cracked 

 corn, they will require but little labour in feed, as it 

 will be necessary to give them only a morning and 

 night meal of soft food. The soft food may consist 

 of corn-meal, ground oats, and ground meat, equal 

 parts, scalded; but any variety, such as cooked 

 potatoes or turnips, chopped cabbage or onions, 

 milk or anything they will eat, may be given with 

 the soft food at noon. 



Broilers are sold entire, the feathers only being 

 removed. They must be dry-picked, the pin-feathers 

 removed, and the skin free from bruises or rents. 

 Pack in boxes or barrels and ship by express. They 

 cannot be sent to market alive in cold weather, as 

 they would perish. The cost per pound of broiler for 

 food only is 2^d. ; but the cost of the eggs for hatch- 

 ing, fuel, and warmth, labour, and interest on invest- 

 ment must be considered in the cost. If well fed the 

 chicks will double their weight every ten days until 

 they are forty days old. If forced, they will weigh a 

 pound each when six weeks old, and two pounds at 

 ten weeks. The space used on the broiler farms 

 under shelter is 5 feet by 1^ feet, with yards 15 feet 

 by 16 feet for 100 chicks. They never leave this 

 space until they are sent to market. The brooder is 

 one yard square. As the brooder-house is warmed by 

 the heat that escapes from the brooders, if the chickens 

 grow too large for the brooders (by which time they 



