316 THE RURAL EFFICIENCY GUIDE STOCK 



Drawing. If the market demands a drawn fowl, cut a slit about an inch 

 long from near the end of the keel bone, back of the vent and parallel with 

 it, large enough to insert the fingers. Insert the index finger and remove the 

 intestines. To remove the egg sac and lower end of the intestines, it may be 

 necessary to enlarge the slit to a half circle so that it joins the end of the vent. 

 Cut off the head, then draw the skin back about half an inch and cut off that 

 much of the neck bone. Next pull the skin forward and tie. 



Shrinkage. If the intestines are not removed, fowls lose from eight to 

 eleven percent. If the intestines are removed they lose from twenty-five to 

 thirty percent. The shrinkage will not exceed the smaller figures given if 

 they have been well fattened and have been deprived of food at least twelve 

 hours before killing. 



Plumping. To plump a fowl, dip it for about eight or ten seconds into 

 nearly boiling water, then immerse it in cold water and let it remain for 

 fifteen or twenty minutes. If the fowls are to be shipped allow them to become 

 thoroughly dry. 



Packing. Birds should be thoroughly cooled before packing. Pack them 

 neatly and cleanly and in packages that can be easily handled. Any farmer 

 delivering dressed poultry in town can greatly improve the looks of his 

 product by packing each bird in a small pasteboard box, back downward. 

 Proper packing will make a more salable product and should bring a higher 

 price. 



Points on the Care of Eggs. 



1. Gather Eggs Daily. Eggs should be gathered every day. They spoil 

 easily. 



2. Keep Eggs in Cool Place. Keep them in a cool, well-ventilated place. 

 An egg is over seventy percent water and the water evaporates through the 

 shell. 



3. Producing Infertile Eggs. Keep only two or three roosters for the 

 breeding season and kill the rest. Hens lay better without them. You will 

 not be troubled with rotten eggs if you have no roosters in your flocks when 

 not needed. 



4. Nests. Have a nest for every four or five hens. Keep the neste clean 

 and free from vermin. One of the greatest causes of poor eggs is poor 

 nests. Clean nests mean clean eggs. 



5. Clean Dirty Eggs. Clean the eggs before sending into market by 

 rubbing them lightly with a damp cloth in case dirt gets on them. 



6. Sell Eggs Every Week. Sell your eggs every week. Do not give 

 time for the water in them to evaporate. A stale egg is always shrunken. 

 In time it becomes light enough to float. 



7. Test Eggs. Test the eggs before sending them to market. Be sure 

 they are all good. The loss from bad eggs comes out of the farmer's profit 

 in the end. 



