FATTRNING FOWLS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2151, 6 August 1907, Page 1

FATTRNING FOWLS.

The process of fattening fowls says a writer in the “Twentieth Century Farmer,” depends on the principle that any healthy animal will take on fat or flesh rapidly if given a large amount of food coupled with a small amount, of exercise. Exercise hardens and toughens the flesh; its opposite leaves it loose and soft. A fowl to be fattened must not be loaded with fat. This will not do, for an over-fat- fowl, though voing is not usually tender. Over-fat inluces a poor quality of flesh. 'I h“ quality of the flesh is to ho improved in the fattening process, made juicy, loose and tender by the slight layers of fat between its fibres, not by groat wads laid outside the flesh. To get tliii desired effect, fowls must be penned for the fattening process, must he kept sleeping much of the time while not eating, and this retires the pens to ho placed in d; if positions, the fowls confined ’u (he smallest space possible that will show them to be kept clean, and as lar from noise and confusion as possible md especially fowls at freedom.

There arc men who make a speciality of fattening fowls for market and one who lias eaten a fowl fattened by one of tlies men will ever after remember the difference in taste between these fattened fowls and others fatteneed on range or some other easy labor method.

The coops must bo kept very clean and white as frequent white-washing will make them. You canin', fatten fowls in filthy coops. The water and food vessels are hung out si le the coops, within easy reach of the birds feed just enough for the birds to stuff at one time. Remove the food loft over, clean out the trough, and a certain time after put more food in it. If food is left in the trough fowls often sicken at- the sight of it and refuse to eat- it, but a sight of fresh, now food brings back the ri-p-

petite for another stuffing. Feed very early, also feed very late. Givo mealy food, but never sloppy. Vary tho food. Don’t give grains. Ground buckwheat, corn, oats, barley, mixed with milk and some kind of fat, in addition. Boiled potatoes with sweet green stuff of some kind, molasscss or sugar, aro considered excellent as a variety. Green foods they must have, but not too great an amount. In footling such foods one can almost dispenso with grit during tho fattening process, although many insist that it hurries the food out of the gizzard and into its proper channels.