KILLING 409 



forcing feed into the crop with a specially constructed machine. 

 The feed is placed in a metallic vessel or cylinder, and then by a 

 plunger, operated by foot power, is forced into a tube which is 

 passed down the bird's gullet and into the crop. With practice 

 this can be done very rapidly, and, when done by skilful operators, 

 tends to produce the choicest quality of flesh. The development 

 of artificial feeding in this country will depend upon an increased 

 demand for a superior quality of meat. The profits from machine- 

 fed poultry are large, even counting the increased cost of labor, 

 because of the great gain in weight and improved quality of meat. 



Regardless of the method practised, the following points 

 should be borne in mind : The object is constant growth ; restricted 

 exercise; no overfeeding; birds allowed to become hungry be- 

 tween feedings; period not too long, or loss will follow. 



Killing. — If dressed poultry is to reach the consumer in the 

 best possible condition as regards flavor, wholesomeness, appear- 

 ance, and perfect state of preservation, it must be properly killed. 

 Much of the loss resulting from the shipping and storage of dressed 

 poultry that soon spoils is due to improper sticking and bleeding 

 and to neglect before killing. 



Preparation for Killing. — In the preservation of good market 

 qualities in a well-fed fowl or chicken, it is well to starve it for 

 twenty-four hours before killing, supplying it, however, during 

 this time with fresh, clean water. This period of fasting empties 

 the crop, and partially the intestines also. A distended crop 

 makes the bird look unattractive, and the contents will discolor 

 the flesh during storage. The same is true of the intestines; if 

 full, a discoloration soon appears, and the contents offer a fertile 

 field in which putrefactive bacteria may grow and multiply when 

 taken from storage, or even during display. 



Methods of Killing. — The essential point in slaughtering is 

 to empty the blood-vessels, and to do this in such a way as to 

 facilitate the plucking of the feathers. With dry picking this 

 is of special importance. It is estimated that fully thirty per 

 cent of all poultry shipped into the larger cities is improperly 

 bled, and much of it in such poor condition as to be retailed at 

 a loss ranging from two to five cents a pound, when compared with 

 similar birds which had been well bled and are in good order. 

 Insufficient bleeding not only gives to the carcass a bad appear- 

 ance, but makes it spoil quickly, the flesh loses its firmness sooner, 

 and its flavor is not so good. The common odor of stale flesh, and 



