IC06.] 



Poultry Fattening. 



73 



POULTRY FATTENING. 



Food is necessary to repair the waste of animal tissue, and if 

 food be given in excess of these requirements the surplus goes 

 to form extra flesh and adipose tissue or fat. This in a breeding 

 fowl is unnecessary, and even bad ; but in a fowl destined for 

 the table it is a desideratum, and when fattening is undertaken 

 ■all the preconceived ideas of feeding with balanced rations, &c., 

 must be thrown to the winds. 



Fattening Period. — It must be clearly understood that 

 fattening is an unnatural and artificial process, which cannot 

 be carried out for an unlimited period, but which must be 

 •carefully and strenuously pursued up to the limit which is 

 deemed advisable. This limit is fixed by the health of the 

 bird, for no bird will stand more than a certain amount of close 

 confinement combined with heavy and rich feeding. About 

 three weeks has been found to be the most suitable period, 

 but some birds are not able to bear the treatment as long as 

 this. During this period nothing but the most nourishing food 

 must be given ; that vv'hich produces the best results in this 

 country has been found -to be Sussex ground oats, mutton fat, 

 and milk (usually skimmed). 



Class of Bird Suitable for Fattening. — Before putting a bird 

 •up to fatten we must be sure that it is a suitable bird for the 

 purpose, of the right age, and likely to do well. First of all it 

 must be understood that all birds are not ready for the fattening 

 pens at a given age. It is largely a matter of size, which is 

 •dependent upon a variety of circumstances, such as date of 

 hatching, previous feeding, weather, &c. For instance, early- 

 hatched birds, i.e., those hatched in January, February,, and 

 March, are nearly always larger and more forward for their 

 ■age than those hatched in May, June, and July, while September 

 birds are smaller still. 



Then, again, if the bird has been " pushed along," i.e., fed 

 well from the start, far less fattening is required, and the bird 

 is usually large enough to go in the fattening pens earlier than 

 is the case with a sparsely fed bird, which has only had suffi° 

 •cient food to develop a good frame without much covering. 

 In this connection it is well to note that a bird fed entirely 



