National Agricultural Library

Broilers and Roasters : The Specialties of the Market Poultryman

Farm-Poultry Publishing Company. Boston, MA

Why Only Broilers and Roasters are Considered.

This book will treat especially, and almost exclusively, of broilers and roasters because these are the two classes of market poultry in which one making a specialty of growing poultry (chickens) for market is interested. It might be said that broilers and roasters are the only chickens grown for market by specialists, for the business poultry keeper, whatever branches he follows, tries to work his surplus young stock into one or the other of these two channels of trade, while the entire product of "fowls," as old hens are classed on the market, may be said to be a by-product of egg farming, the hen, as a rule, not going to market until her owner feels that her days of profitable laying are over. The "capon" is a roaster. The "fry" of the west and south is, when a small fry, about the size of the largest broilers in demand in the eastern market. The large fry is not in special demand in the big markets, and what stock of this grade comes in is worked off as just " chickens " at a figure generally considerably lower than the price for the sizes most in demand. It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to say that the least salable sizes are not sent to the market by experienced growers. If for any reason they do not market their chicks as broilers they hold them until they will fill the bill as roasters.