Fattening Chickens by Feeding Estrogens

THE deposition of fat in the chicken’s body is extremely slow during the period of most rapid growth. As rapidity of growth subsides a gradual increase in the rate of fat storage takes place. After sexual maturity is reached in either sex this fattening process is slowed down or ceases entirely. In strains which are slow to mature sexually, or when sexual maturity is eliminated entirely by caponizing, the fattening process proceeds for a much longer period of time. During this prolonged fattening period the chicken approaches a fully fattened condition. Early sexual maturity in the male prevents fattening during the last 12 to 14 weeks of the growth period. This is due primarily to the increased activity characteristic of the mature cockerel. In contrast the pullet stores increasing amounts of fat during the period just prior to and immediately following sexual maturity. Halnan and Cruikshank (1933) have shown that . . .