THE LEGHORNS 



129 



go. They are willing to pay for quality and are always 

 looking for soine reliable farm to deal with. It is hard, 

 I admi?, (pardon a slang expression) "to get next" to the 

 steward, as this personage is usually hemmed in and 

 guarded as closely as the president of the United States, 

 .and when a business card with the words "Dressed Poul- 

 try or Eggs" on it, is sent down, the usual reply is, "Mr. 

 X. is very busy and cannot see you." 



Dealing With Hotel Stewards 



Nevertheless, perseverance has its reward and you 

 at last enter his august presence. The first question 

 which is hurled at your head is "why should I change 

 my supply as I am very well satisfied?" If you have 

 confidence in yourself and your output you at once be- 

 gin to show him why your broilers are better than those 

 of the other fellows. Then question of price arises. I 

 would say here that most of the larger, strictly high- 

 class hotels pay about the same for squab broilers, any- 

 where from $1.00 to $1.20 per pair and for broilers weigh- 

 ing IH to 1^ lbs., $1.20 to $1.60 per pair. Being a con- 

 vincing talker we will say that you are given a trial order 

 of ten pairs. When received, and if the shipment lives up 

 to your description, you have a standing order. A farm 

 cannot be too careful with each shipment made. I remem- 

 ber a case when I almost lost the contract through the 

 carelessness of my packer, by his putting in a pair of 

 broilers which were most inferior to the rest and also 

 had torn breasts. It took a good half hour on my part 

 assuring the "power that be" that this would not oc- 

 cur again. 



Specimens Must Be Uniform 



What is most essential is that shipments must be 

 uniform, they must be dry picked; they must not show a 

 lot of dark pin feathers and when dressed should present a 



This illustration shows the pickers at work and the 

 broilers being killed by the sticking process. The tub at 

 the right Is where the broiler is thrown as soon as picked. 

 This is filled with cold water and takes out the animal heat. 

 The crate on the left is filled with cockerels awaiting killing. 

 Notice the box at the killer's feet which is filled with bran. 

 The bird hangs over this and is allowed to drip after the 

 sticking. After the shipment is made, the bran and blood 

 are mixed up in a mash and fed back to the broilers which 

 are coming on. This is greatly relished by them. 



nice yellow skin, with well rounded breast and plump, 

 meaty legs. The heads are always left on with the feath- 

 ers half way down the neck. The feet and legs should 

 always be well washed and the mouth, bill and face 

 thoroughly cleansed and all signs of blood reinoved. 



A great deal depends on your pickers. They should 

 be extremely careful not to tear the breast or any sec- 

 tion of the broilers, as the stewards are always particular 

 on this point. 



Best Method of Killing and Packing 



The best method of killing, in fact the only right way, 

 is by sticking or cutting the jugular with a long, sharp- 

 pointed knife, then allowing the bird to bleed a bit and 



The above illustratic 

 box contains 20 pairs of 



in paraffine paper. The boxes have holes bored in all four 



rculation of air, also for a drain for 



heavy sheet of parafCine paper is 



■-- then a thin layer of excelsior 



the melting ice. Anothe. . 

 placed over the top broiler 

 and the lid is nailed on. 



plucking at once before the feathers become set. So skill- 

 ful and quick is the expert picker, that I have seen a 

 broiler nearly featherless, jump out of the picker's lap, 

 showing that quite a little life remained. 



Each broiler should be wrapped in parafiine paper, 

 for some might drip a little blood from the mouth and 

 unless thoroughly wrapped would soil the rest. Also this 

 prevents the ice from coming next to the skin, and yet 

 keeps the shipment in perfect condition. As each bird is 

 finished it is thrown in a large tub of clean, cold water, 

 in order to take out the animal heat. Before wrapping 

 each broiler's head, mouth and feet are washed and any 

 'oose feathers plucked off, so as to present a nice, neat 

 appearance. 



Shipping Packages By Express 



The packing box should have holes bored in the bot- 

 tom, sides and top, to allow a circulation of air and the 

 melting ice to run off. The box should also be perfectly 

 clean with no odor, and as light as possible to reduce ex- 

 pressage to a minimum. 



PERISHABLE, KEEP COOL, should be printed in 

 large letters on each tag, so the Express Co. will not put 

 your shipment under a pile of other goods. In all my ex- 

 perience of shipping broilers I have never had a shipment 

 arrive in bad condition, simply through taking every 

 precaution. And I would say that the shipper cannot be 

 too careful, for it is always "up to him." 



Removing the Down From Squab Broilers 



A squab broiler will usually pick with quite a little 

 down showing, and we obviate this by using an alcohol 

 flame and holding the bird just far enough above this so 

 . it is not scorched and yet so all the down is taken oflf. 



