POULTRY RAISING CHICKENS 315 



used, poultry products bring prices far above the average. Farmers are 

 realizing more and more thai the farm hen who "just eats her head off" can 

 be handled so as to produce a handsome profit. All the loss from poor 

 handling comes out of the farmer. The farmer should study his market con- 

 ditions and learn how to successfully meet the requirements of his particular 

 market. Where marketing is done to the best advantage, farmers find that 

 it is important to have their products put up in an attractive style. They 

 insist upon selling them on a quality basis. Such farmers study the details 

 of killing, dressing and packing that they may arrange their products in the 

 best manner possible. 



Killing and Dressing Chickens. 



Killing. The birds should not be allowed a bit of food for eighteen to 

 thirty-six hours before killing if they are to be sent off the farm undrawn. 

 If they are to be drawn (i. e., inwards removed), feed should be kept from 

 them at least ten hours before killing. In either case keep all drinking water 

 from them for at least eight hours before killing. If food is left in the crops 

 it quickly ferments and produces an uncanny appearance in the fowls. When 

 ready to kill, suspend the fowls by the legs and lock the wings together to 

 prevent flapping. You can take all sense of feeling from the birds by piercing 

 the brain with a knife run through the roof of the mouth or by hitting the 

 bird a blow on the head. After this is done, the blood vessels in the neck 

 should be cut. To do this, grasp the fowl by the comb or feathers on the 

 back of the head with the left hand ; with the right hand insert the blade of a 

 sharp knife in the neck back of the ear lobe and run the blade through the 

 neck. Give the blade a twist in withdrawing it. This will sever the artery 

 and cause the blood to flow freely. Another way to cut the artery is by 

 running the knife through the mouth into the back part of the throat. The 

 blood should be saved as it makes a fine food for laying hens and young 

 fowls. 



Dry Picking. Most markets prefer dry-picked birds. Dry-picking should 

 be begun immediately after killing, before the bird stops bleeding and the 

 flesh has a chance to become cold. Care must be taken not to tear the skin. 

 Pick up the breast and up the side to tail, unlock the wings and pick them 

 also ; remove the feathers from the back, and finish the job by plucking.. If 

 no time is lost, the feathers will come out easily. A slightly higher price is 

 usually received on the market for dry-picked fowls than for those which are 

 scalded before picking. The work of dry picking is, of course, a little more 

 tedious than after scalding, however, the dry-picked fowl is in better shape 

 for the market. 



Scalding. To scald a bird, it should be immersed in hot water a little 

 below the boiling point as soon as it is through bleeding. The bird should be 

 immersed three or four times. Holding it by the neck and legs, dip the breast 

 and then the back into the water. It is now ready for plucking. Be careful 

 not to over scald, as this will cause the outer surface of the skin to rub off. 



