190 PO UL TR T- CRAFT. 



to a particular market, he would, of course, have produced as nearly as he 

 could to meet the demand in that market. When it is a question of one 

 already located finding the best market, he needs to study markets thoroughly, 

 and, perhaps, send trial shipments to several different places before he decides 

 where to sell. Transportation facilities decide the shipping question for many 

 producers. 



In shipping to commission houses, in the smaller cities, which do not 

 furnish instructions to shippers ; and to provision dealers ; and in preparing 

 poultry for special family or hotel trade, the local requirements of the leading 

 markets in the vicinity should be observed. It is especially for this class of 

 shippers that complete instructions for marketing are given here. 



279. Shipping Live Poultry. Poultry of all kinds can be shipped 

 alive during about half the year, from April to October, and, for short distance 

 shipments, will net the shipper quite as much as if dressed. In fact, if he is 

 inexpert in preparing fowls for market, good live fowls would bring him more 

 than he would get for the same fowls, poorly dressed. Through the late fall 

 and winter months, when dressed poultry is easily kept, live fowls are not 

 much in demand. Commission men strictly warn their shippers against send- 

 ing live fowls at winter holiday seasons, as at such times they have to be sold 

 on the market for whatever they will bring, and may not realize enough to 

 pay expenses of transportation and sale. 



Live fowls are shipped mostly by express, 

 in slatted coops, each holding from one to 

 two dozen grown fowls, and of chickens a 

 'larger number, according to size. Over- 

 crowding is to be avoided, both because of 

 its inhumanity, and for economical reasons ; 

 it is not right, and it does not pay. Crowded 

 80. Slatted Coop for Shipping Live fowls lose in weight, and also in quality of 



Poultry to Market. /, i 



280. Dressing Poultry. There are two methods of dressing poultry : 

 dry picking, and scalding. The first is used generally in the east, and used 

 everywhere in dressing poultry specially for the best trade in the eastern 

 markets ; the second is used generally throughout the west and south, in prepar- 

 ing poultry for the markets of those sections. A few dealers in some of the 

 eastern cities will not receive scalded poultry at all. In some places it is hard to 

 sell, but in most places, even when the dry picked stock is given preference, 

 scalded stock of good quality finds ready sale at satisfactory prices. In western 

 markets scalded stock sells best for the home trade ; yet the large commission 

 houses prefer dry picked stock ; for, as a very large part of the poultry sent to 

 market must be shipped east to find consumers, the dry picked stock can be 

 handled to best advantage. 



