Yol,  LXXXII. 
Published  Weekly  by  The  Rural  Publishing  Co., 
333  W.  30th  St.,  New  York.  Price  One  Dollar  a  Year. 
NEW  YORK,  JUNE  16,  1923 
Entered  as  Second-Class  Hatter,  June  26,  1879,  at  the  Post 
Office  at  New  York,  N.  Y„  under  the  Act  of  March  3,  1879. 
No.  4747 
The  Story  of  the  South  Shore  Soft  Roasters 
What  They  Are  and  How  They  Grow 
Part  II 
GGS  FOR  HATCHING.— Very  few  roaster 
growers  produce  their  own  eggs  for  hatch¬ 
ing.  This  is  a  specialty  in  itself.  The 
eggs  are  gathered  frequently,  kept  in  a  cool 
place,  and  delivered  to  growers  as  early 
as  possible  after  they  are  laid.  Usually 
ter  buyer  keeps  in  touch  with  the  breeders 
and  sees  that  his  growers  get  desirable  hatching 
eggs  promptly  when  needed  and  at  a  fair  price.  The 
usual  going  price  for  such  hatching  eggs  is  from  $5 
to  $7  per  100.  It  requires  experience  and  skill  to 
produce  such  hatching  eggs,  which  are  desired  at  a 
time  when  egg  yield  has  slowed  up  and  the  normal 
breeding  season  is  over  for  the  year.  Hatching  to 
meet  the  greater  demand  and  to  catch  the  high 
prices  for  soft  roasters,  Winter  chicken  or  capons 
begins  as  soon  as  good  hatching  eggs  can  be  had 
after  the  most  severe  Summer  heat  is  over,- usually 
by  the  middle  of  August  or  the  first  of  September, 
and  may  continue  through  to  the  first  of  January  or 
even  later.  Hatching  for  this  quality  stock  is  done 
in  incubators,  and  the  chicks  are  brooder  reared. 
Some  growers  who  cater  to  the  Fall,  Thanksgiving 
and  Christmas  roaster  trade,  hatch  in  March,  April 
and  May.  A  number  of  these  hatch  and  rear  under 
hens.  I  grew  a  number  of  Black  Langshans  last 
Summer  by  this  natural  method.  They  were  hatched 
April  22  and  fed  heavily  on  milk,  having  mainly 
hard  grain  and  practically  free  range  on  grass.  They 
Averaged  to  dress  9  to  9%  lbs.  each  at  Thanksgiving 
time. 
APPROXIMATE  RATE  OF  GROtVTH. — In  grow¬ 
ing  any  young  stock  to  get  maximum  best  results  it 
the  roas 
is  a  good  thing  to  have  a  table  of  probable  weights 
at  different  ages  as  a  guide.  Such  an  expectancy 
table  is  only  approximate  in  accuracy.  Flocks  vary 
widely  in  growth  at  different  periods  under  care  of 
the  same  grower,  and  there  is  even  wider  range 
with  different  growers.  It  takes  a  considerable 
amount  of  “hen  sense”  to  grow  good  market  chick¬ 
ens,  and  an  infinite  amount  of  patience  and  attention 
to  details.  With  heavyweight  roaster  breeds  the 
following  table  shows  probable  weights  at  certain 
ages.  Some  skilled  growers  are  able  to  better  this 
considerably : 
Approximate  Average  Weights 
Weight  Age 
2  lbs .  10  weeks 
4-  lb.  pullet.  .  ] 
5-  lb.  cockerel  } .  20  weeks 
r>i/2-lb.  capon.,  j 
6-  lb.  pullet..] 
7(4-lb.  cockerell .  25  weeles 
<S-  lb.  capon..J 
10-lb.  capon  .  30  weeks 
On  the  plants  of  skilled  roaster  growers  I  have 
weighed  and  photographed  pullets  weighing  7%  lbs. 
each  at  22  weeks;  small  roasters  weighing  5  lbs. 
.each,  dressed,  at  4 y2  months;  10-lb.  capons  at  24 
weeks;  14-lb.  capons  at  30  weeks,  and  capons  weigh- 
in  23  lbs.  to  the  pair,  dressed,  at  six  months  old. 
Big,  soft  roasters,  capons,  that  will  dress  10  lbs. 
each  and  upward,  are  in  good  demand  in  May  and 
June.  Some  specially  grown  capons  make  top 
weights  of  12  to  14  lbs.  each  when  dressed. 
STARTING  THE  CHICKS.  —  Strong,  sturdy 
chicks  are  required.  They  are  not  fed  for  from  48' 
to  72  hours  after  hatching,  depending  somewhat  upon 
the  chicks,  their  activity  and  clamor  for  food.  Regu¬ 
lar  feeding  is  necessary.  The  quantity  must  be  suf¬ 
ficient  to  satisfy  and  at  the  same  time  avoid  spoiling 
their  appetites.  Rapid,  continuous  growth  is  desired, 
making  plenty  of  size  and  good  frame  first  and  lib¬ 
eral  upholstering  with  tender,  juicy  meat  later. 
Nearly  every  grower  has  some  particular  method  or 
hobby  which  he  considers  his  “secret”  for  getting 
results.  The  only  real  secret  is  to  start  with  the 
right  sort  of  stock,  give  them  good  care,  plenty  of 
good  food  in  variety  (and  this  means  to  includt 
mineral  food  and  vitamine),  and  keep  them  (/rowing. 
THE  FEEDING  RATION.— A  very  good  plan  is 
to  start  them  off  with  a  few  feedings  of  rolled  oats 
and  to  follow  this  up  with  some  good  commercial 
chick  food.  Clean  sand,  chick-size  granite  grit, 
cliick-size  crushed  oyster  shells,  and  clean,  cool, 
drinking  water  should  be  accessible  at  all  times.  If 
they  can  have  an  outdoor  run  on  grass  it  will  help. 
Greens  and  raw  vegetables  should  be  supplied.  A 
good  quality  of  cut  clover  hay,  for  litter  in  a  small 
scratching  box,  is  desirable  for  confined  chicks.  They 
will  eat  quantities  of  it.  A  fresh  supply  of  sprouted 
oats  may  be  given  daily  in  similar  manner.  Raw 
potatoes,  particularly  freshly  pared  potato  skins,  are 
valuable  for  confined  chicks.  If  skim-milk,  or  sour- 
milk  cheese,  are  available,  feed  both  freely.  Otlier- 
Avise  supply  first  quality  fine  beef  scrap  from  the 
start,  hopper  fed. 
An  excellent  dry  mash  for  hopper  feeding  can  be 
made  by  grinding  together  10  lbs.  sound  old  corn,  10 
lbs.  sound  hard  wheat,  5  lbs.  heavy  white  oats,  5  lbs. 
LIVE  AND  DRESSED  SOFT  ROASTERS 
In  the  center  of  above  picture  are  a  number  of  dry-picked  soft  roasters,  weighing  from  10  to  12(4  lbs.  each.  At  the  left  is  a  Brahma-White  Rock  capon,  weigh¬ 
ing  a  little  over  12  lbs.  At  the  right  is  a  Brahma  capon,  weight  14  lbs.  Birds  like  these,  according  to  season,  bring  from  3Gc  to  45c  per  lb.  alive  at  the  grower’s 
door.  Photo  by  Dr.  P.  T.  Woods. 
