622 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



requirements for dressing and packing vary somewhat in different 

 markets, and the producer should learn any special requirements 

 of the market to which he intends shipping. 



Killing, Dressing, and Packing Poultry. The birds should be 

 kept without feed from eighteen to twenty-four hours before kill- 

 ing, unless they are to be drawn, in which case they should have no 

 feed for at least ten hours before killing. In either case they should 

 have no water to drink for at least eight hours before killing. When 

 ready to kill, suspend the fowl by the legs and, using a knife, cut 

 the vein at the back of the throat through the mouth. As soon as 

 this vein is cut run the point of the knife through the roof of the 

 mouth into the brain, which causes the bird to lose all sense of feel- 

 ing. Instead of piercing the brain the fowl can be paralyzed by a 

 blow on the head. 



Dry Picking. In most markets dry-picked birds are preferred. 

 Immediately after killing, while the bird is still bleeding, the picker 

 should remove the feathers, being careful not to tear the skin. If 

 the picker waits until the bird is partially cold, the feathers will be 

 removed with difficulty. As soon as picked the fowls should be 

 hung in a cool place until thoroughly cold. If the weather is warm 

 and fowls are to be packed in ice, they should be placed in a tank of 

 ice water and left until all the animal heat has left the body. 



Scalding. When birds are scalded before removing the feath- 

 ers they are immersed in hot water, which should be a little below 

 the boiling point, as soon as they are through bleeding. The birds 

 should be immersed three or four times and then picked clean, care 

 being taken not to break the skin. The fowl should next be 

 "plumped" by dipping it in nearly boiling hot water for eight or 

 ten seconds and then placing it in cold water, where it should re- 

 main for fifteen or twenty minutes. Be careful not to overscald, as 

 this will cause the outer surface of the skin to rub off. If the fowls 

 are to be shipped dry they should be hung up until the skin be- 

 comes thoroughly dry. If they are to be packed in ice they 'may be 

 left in the cold water for several hours or until they are to be 

 packed. 



Drawing. When the poultry is to be drawn this should be 

 done before the bird is cooled. A slit should be made from near 

 the end of the keel bone toward the vent, large enough to admit the 

 fingers. Then cut carefully around the vent and pull out the intes- 

 tines, leaving in everything else unless the market requirements are 

 otherwise. 



Packing. When the birds have been thoroughly cooled they 

 are ready for packing. Packages for dressed poultry vary greatly, 

 but they should be neat and clean and small enough to be easily 

 handled. The inside of the box or barrel should be lined with clean, 

 unprinted paper. Pack the birds solidly so that they will not shift 

 in the package, but be careful not to bruise them. For delivery to 

 retail customers pasteboard boxes of sufficient size to hold one or two 

 birds are very satisfactory. When poultry is to be packed in ice, 



