306 Farm Poultry 



condition to have it bleed to death. If the fowl 

 becomes paralyzed the muscles are relaxed and 

 the feathers are easily removed. Too much stress 

 cannot be laid on the importance of thorough 

 bleeding. Americans prefer to have all flesh free 

 from blood. The keeping quality is thought to be 

 considerably enhanced by thorough bleeding. In 

 all the operations of killing and picking, care should 

 be taken to avoid bruising the flesh, tearing the skin 

 or breaking the bones. 



It is customary to suspend fowls by the feet 

 before they are killed. In the case of heavy fowls 

 they should be so suspended that they will not 

 strike each other with their wings when flopping, 

 or strike their wings against any hard object. Fowls 

 bleed best when suspended head downward at the 

 time of killing. 



Dry-picking. Immediately after killing, the 

 feathers should be removed carefully and cleanly. 

 Dressed fowls should be sent to market, if pos- 

 sible, without the skin being broken at any place. 

 It is usually customary to commence picking im- 

 mediately after sticking. " Green ducks" and broilers 

 are usually picked while the bleeding is taking place. 

 As soon as the incision is made with the knife, the 

 birds are stunned by a blow on the head and then 

 picking commences at once. It is essential in dry- 

 picking to remove the feathers as soon as possible 

 after the birds are killed. 



