26 THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



KILLING AND DRESSING. 



As much if not more depends on the manner of killing poultry as in the 

 dressing to have it look fit for market. Too much caution cannot be used in 

 this branch of the business. One mode of killing fowls, (instead of wringing 

 the necks, which we deprecate,) is to cut their heads off with a single blow 

 of a sharp ax, hang them up by the legs, and allow them to bleed freely, and 

 pluck their feathers immediately while warm. The French mode, which 

 is highly commended, we think far the best, as it causes instant death without 

 pain or disfigurement, and is simply done by opening the beak of the fowl, 

 and with a sharp-pointed and narrow-bladed knife, make an incision at the 

 back of the roof, which will divide the vertebrae and cause immediate death, 

 after which hang the fowl up by the legs till the bleeding ceases, and pick it 

 while warm, if you desire the feathers to be removed. With a little care 

 the skin of the fowl does not become as torn and ragged as it does in the 

 old-fashioned way of scalding. Another thing, the flesh presents a better 

 and more natural appearance when not scalded. 



GEYELIN says : " Some breeders cram their poultry before killing, to 

 make them appear heavy ; this is a most injudicious plan, as the undigested 

 food soon enters into fermentation, and putrefaction takes place, as is evi- 

 denced by the quantity of greenish, putrid-looking fowls that are seen in the 

 markets." Fowls should always be allowed to remain in their coops at least 

 twenty-four hours previous to being killed, without food ; by so doing, the 

 breeder will be the gainer in the end, as his poultry will keep longer and 

 present a better appearance in the market ; and, above all, he will show the 

 purchaser that he is honest, and has not crammed his poultry for the purpose 

 of benefiting himself and swindling others, 



THE FRENCH MODE OF KILLING 



is preferable, when the head of the bird is to be left on ; but that is not 

 necessary, neither is it desirable ; but when the head is taken oflf, the skin 

 should always be pulled over the stump and tied. The mode of picking 

 while the bird is warm is called " dry picking," and is the favorite method 

 of dressing poultry for the Philadelphia market. There is one objection to 

 this system, that it does not improve the appearance, although it does the 

 flavor ; and while cooking it will " plump up " and come out of the oven 

 looking much finer than when it went in. In addition, it will keep much 

 longer than when dressed by the other mode. Another plan is, after the 

 bird is picked, as above described, plunge it in a kettle of very hot water, 

 holding it there only long enough to cause the bird to " plump," then hang it 

 up, turkeys and chickens by the foot, and geese and ducks by the head, until 

 thoroughly cooled. This scalding makes the fat look bright and clear, and the 

 fowl to appear much fatter than it would if picked dry. This is the usual 

 mode of dressing for the New York markets. 



