THE COMMERCIAL FATTENING OF POULTRY. 31 
Gains were produced at 1.89 and 1.41 cents, respectively, per 
pound cheaper in 1911, and 6.30 and 2.68 cents less in 1912 on broilers 
than on roasters, in two experiments. 
There was great variation in the results secured in fattening. 
This was due to the difference in the ability of the birds to take on 
flesh, to their weight, and to the effect of weather conditions. The 
variation in birds makes their selection in fattening of considerable 
importance, if the labor of the extra work can be handled economi- 
cally. The influence of the weather in fattening allows a chance of 
error in comparing fattening experiments conducted at different 
times. 
The bleach produced by fattening with buttermilk varies according 
to the amount of milk solids consumed by the birds. 
The average cost of fattening hens in November and December was 
10.92 and 8.74 cents in 1911 and 10.83 and 10.43 cents in 1912, 
respectively, per pound of gain at two stations. This is higher than 
the average cost of fattening chickens for the entire season at the 
same stations but less than the cost of fattening chickens in Novem- 
ber and December. Hens cost 7.7 cents per pound in 1911 and 10.3 
cents in 1912, into the feeder, so that their flesh can be bought cheaper 
than produced at this time of the year. Cheaper gains were secured 
in fattening hens in 1911 on the rations used in fattening chickens 
than on a ration of corn chop with 15 per cent of shorts mixed with 
buttermilk. 
Chickens cost 17.6 cents per pound into the feeder in July, 1911, 
while the gains cost 7 cents per pound at this time; in November, 
1911, they cost 9 cents per pound into the feeder, and the gains cost 
10.5 cents per pound. This influences the profit in fattening and the 
best length of time to fatten, making it advisable to feed longer in 
the first part of the season. The cost of picking, grading, and packing 
(including freezing) was about 7 cents per head, making the total 
average cost of a pound of dressed poultry in July, 20.5 cents, which 
gradually decreased through the season to 13.1 cents in November, 
1911. 
The best results were secured with the following three rations: 
No. 1, 3 parts of corn meal, 2 parts of low-grade wheat flour, and 1 
part of shorts; No. 2, 3 parts of corn meal and 2 parts of low-grade 
wheat flour, and No. 3, 5 parts of corn meal, 3 parts of low-grade 
wheat flour, 1 part of shorts, and 5 per cent of tallow. The same 
feeding value is secured in a ration of 3 parts of corn meal and 2 parts 
of oat flour but at an increased cost of 37 cents per 100 pounds of 
gain. Four parts of corn meal, 2 of low-grade wheat flour, and 1 of 
shorts gaVe very good results during the latter part of the feeding 
season, or in cool weather; that is, the proportion of corn meal and 
low-grade wheat flour may be increased in cool weather. 
