POULTRY FEEDS AND FEEDING 



COMMERCIAL POULTRY FATTENING 



Commercial poultry fattening has been developed to a 

 large extent in the poultry producing sections of this 

 country where the chickens are raised largely on general 

 farms and have to be shipped long distances to market. 

 This work has been developed at a considerable profit 

 in the Central West and somewhat but to a less extent in 

 the northern section of the South. Many of the poultry 

 fattening stations now have a feeding capacity of over 

 20,000 chickens at one time. The possibilities of profit 

 depend on a great many conditions but the general farm 

 chickens usually come to market in a thin and unfinished 

 condition making a brief fattening period in a fattening 

 station reasonably profitable. The fattening stations may 

 be developed in connection with the purchase of eggs alone 

 or small stations are often developed in connection with 

 the purchase of eggs and of milk products. 



The object of fattening chickens is to increase weight 

 and improve quality. The fat in growing chickens is de- 

 posited as tissue between the muscular fibres making the 

 meat tender and juicy as well as improving its flavor and 

 digestibility. This fat on an especially highly fattened 

 chicken will be deposited directly beneath the skin, es- 

 pecially on the back, while in mature fowls, more par- 

 ticularly hens, body fat is also freely stored about the in- 

 ternal organs. The percentage of gain in weight in fat- 

 tening chickens is in inverse proportion to the weight of 

 the chickens ; the smaller chickens easily making the great 

 est percentage gains. The most profitable gains and 



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