318 FARM ANIMALS 



after they are killed and before they become cold. 



At present the general practice is to market 

 dressed poultry undrawn and commission men and 

 dealers claim that in this form it keeps better than 

 when drawn. The controversy on this point has 

 reached an acute stage and both sides are seeking 

 arguments with which to fortify themselves. It 

 must be admitted that the feces and other similar 

 materials contained in the intestines quite rapidly 

 ooze through the intestinal walls and penetrate into 

 the meat, giving it a disagreeable flavor. We have 

 become so accustomed to eat cold-storage poultry 

 which has been stored undrawn that the disagree- 

 able flavor thus produced has come to be considered 

 as normal. A comparison of such fowls with 

 fowls freshly dressed under clean conditions will 

 instantly dispel this idea. The difference is very 

 marked. Under careless conditions, however, it 

 is clearly apparent that drawn fowls are subject 

 to changes due to the use of unclean water an$ 

 uncleanly hands in drawing and picking the fowls. 

 It must be admitted, however, tnat if fowls were 

 picked and cleaned under such conditions as 

 prevail in the slaughter of large animals in packing 

 nouses the best possible results might be obtained 

 and without injuring the keeping quality of the 

 fowls. In fact it may be seriously doubted whether 

 undrawn fowls will keep as long as drawn fowls. 



The ordinary market classes of fowls are broilers, 

 roasters, fryers and capons. The first broilers 

 usually appear in January and weigh from one and 

 one-half to two pounds per pair. Roasters weigh 

 about eight pounds per pair. Fryers are inter- 

 mediate between roasters and broilers, weighing 

 about six pounds per pair, but need not be in 

 excellent condition and, therefore, usually bring 



