496 Experiments in Fattening Turkeys, [nov., 



for cocks and 4s. for hens. It will easily be understood that 

 the cost depends on many circumstances, particularly the 

 current prices of food stuffs. But this estimate refers to turkeys 

 raised on a farm where most of the foods required were grown ; 

 and, with corn, roots, and potatoes at average prices, the amounts 

 mentioned will not be found too high. 



From the 24th of November, 1903, when the experiments 

 described in the Journal were commenced, up to their conclusion, 

 a strict account was kept of the cost of all the food consumed 

 by the three lots of birds under trial, and the particulars thereof 

 are reproduced in the following table : — 



Lot. 



Cost per head of 

 food consumed in 

 first ten days. 



Cost per head of 

 food consumed in 



remainder of 

 fattening period. 



Total cost of 

 food consumed 

 per head. 



Total cost of 

 food consumed 

 per lot of ten 

 birds. 



No. 



s. d. 



s. d. 



s. d. 



s. d. 



1 



0 11 



0 6 



1 5 



14 2 



2 



0 11 



0 7| 



1 6h 



i5 5 



3 



0 1 1 



0 9* 



1 8J 



17 1 



' The cost is based on the market prices of the various articles 

 of food which were fed to the turkeys, and these were as follows : — 

 Potatoes, 6s. 8d. per barrel ; turnips, iod. per barrel ; barley meal, 

 6s. per cwt. ; Indian meal, 7s. per cwt. ; ground oats, 6s. per cwt. ; 

 linseed meal, ns. per cwt. ; animal fat, 12s. per cwt. ; and skim 

 milk, 2d. per gallon. 



At first sight it would seem that when the cost of food is 

 deducted the profits realised from fattening turkeys are not 

 very great, but we must not lose sight of the fact that by the 

 process of fattening the birds are so considerably improved, 

 both in weight and quality, that their selling value is materially 

 increased, for whilst a 13-lb. bird, for instance, might be sold at 

 iod. per lb., the value of the same bird when fattened up to 15 lb. 

 would be 1 id. per lb. 



It should be pointed out also that Diagram No. 1, on p. 386, 

 has been drawn on a scale of three-fourths of an inch = 6s. 8d., 

 instead of 1 in. = 6s. 8d. as stated. 



