. The complete poultry book. Poultry. CHAPTER VL Fattening, Caponizing, and Marketing Poultry. By the time the chickens are four months old they will be large enougii for tlie table, and in the condition of fatness which most persons will prefer. If, however, it be desired to market a portion of the surplus, tlioy will sell to better advantage to be made still fatter, which may be done by conliningtheni in pens such as those shown in Fig. 28, which represents a long coop, two feet liigh and two feet broad, and divided into comj)artmeiits nine inches wide. These divisions should be tight, t^o t
. The complete poultry book. Poultry. CHAPTER VL Fattening, Caponizing, and Marketing Poultry. By the time the chickens are four months old they will be large enougii for tlie table, and in the condition of fatness which most persons will prefer. If, however, it be desired to market a portion of the surplus, tlioy will sell to better advantage to be made still fatter, which may be done by conliningtheni in pens such as those shown in Fig. 28, which represents a long coop, two feet liigh and two feet broad, and divided into comj)artmeiits nine inches wide. These divisions should be tight, t^o that the fowls may not see each other, and should project a few inches beyond the front of the coop. The bottom of the coop should be made of triangular slats running lengthwise of the coop, with the angle up- ward, so that the drojjpings may fall through, and a shallow pan filled with dry. earth should be placed under each compartment to catch these droppings. A ledge four inches wide should project beyond the bottom of the coop, to hold the vessels of food and water, and a small curtain (not shown in the cut) .should be tacked in front of each compartment, in such manner that the compartment may be darkened for a couple of hours after the fowl has fed, as the darkness and quiet will render digestion more perfect. The curtain should be lifted au hour or two before the next feeding time, however, that the chicken may come to his meal with an appetite. A young fowl placed in one of these compartments and properly fed, may be made to lay on a couple of pounds of fat in two or three weeks. The best food for fattening is buckwheat meal, or corn meal and barley meal mixed, and if it be scalded and mixed with milk it will be all the better. Remember that water constitutes a large proportion of fat, and that it must be given either in the food or separately. Give no more soft food than will be eaten up clean each time, but a little whole grain may be kept constantly within reach, and a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectpoultry, bookyear1882
