PLUCKING 413 



A number of special appliances have been designed with the 

 idea of systematizing and facilitating the killing and plucking of 

 chickens, and one of the most popular of these is known as the 

 Cornell killing and picking box. 



Beheading. — The practice of beheading chickens is at present 

 largelj^ confined to farms where one or oilly a few birds are killed 

 for family use or retail trade. Poultry killed in this way is not 

 in demand at the larger markets; it does not keep well and is 

 unattractive when displayed for sale. The customary way is to 

 grasp the bird by the legs and wings, — brought together and held 

 in the same hand, — the head and neck being placed on a heavy 

 piece of wood or chopping-block, and the neck severed about one 

 inch from the base of the skull with a sharp hatchet. The ac- 

 curacy of the blow can be assured if the head is held firmly on 

 the block by means of large nails driven in the edge of the block 

 about one inch apart, the neck being placed between these, and 

 the body drawn away from them until the skull and jawbones 

 are against the nails. This distends the neck and does not permit 

 the bird to flop or move its head. 



After beheading, the body should be held firmly and the neck 

 pressed against an old piece of burlap to prevent spattering until 

 the bird has become quiet. For home consumption this method 

 is quick, and, if the fowl is scalded and meat cooked immediately, 

 the plan is a good one. The market objects to a beheaded bird, 

 on account of its spoiling sooner. Besides, the head indicates the 

 breed and sex, also the condition of the bird when killed. Behead- 

 ing, therefore, is not permissible in the killing of dressed poultry 

 for shipping and storage. 



Plucking. — There are two distinct methods for removing 

 feathers, — dry picking and scalding. 



Dry ■picking consists in plucking the feathers immediately 

 after sticking, without immersing the body in hot water, and 

 is called for by nearly all markets, especially the wholesale 

 trade. The advantages of this method may be summed up 

 as follows: (1) Better preservation. (2) Better appearance of 

 the finished carcass. (3) It is possible to save the feathers, 

 and have them in better condition for sale. (4) There is no 

 danger of ruining the meat by parboiling it with the hot water 

 used in scalding. 



Dry picking is an art, and perfection in it calls for consider- 

 able practice. The knack of grasping the feathers and removing 



