Killing Poultry. 73 



days. When fowls are once fattened up they should be 

 killed, for they cannot be kept fat, but begin to lose flesh 

 and become feverish, which renders their flesh red and 

 unsaleable, and frequently causes their death. 



Great cruelty is often ignorantly inflicted by poulterers, 

 higglers, and others, in "twisting the necks" of poultry. 

 An easy mode of killing a fowl is to give the bird a very 

 sharp blow with a small but heavy blunt stick, such as a 

 child's bat or wooden sword, at the back of the neck, about 

 the second or third joint from the head, which will, if 

 properly done, sever the spine and cause death very 

 speedily. But the knife is the most merciful means ; the 

 bird being first hung up by the legs, the mouth must be 

 opened wide, and a long, narrow, sharp-pointed knife, like 

 a long penknife, which instrument is made for the purpose, 

 should be thrust firmly through the back part of the roof of 

 the mouth up into the brain, which will cause almost instant 

 death. Another mode of killing is to pluck a few feathers 

 from the side of the head, just below the ear, and make a 

 deep incision there. Some say that fowls should not be 

 bled to death like turkeys and geese, as, from the loss 

 of blood, the flesh becomes dry and insipid. But when 

 great whiteness of flesh is desired, the fowl should be 

 hung up by its legs immediately after being killed, and if 

 it has been killed without the flow of blood, an incision 

 should be made in the neck so that it may bleed freely. 



Fowls that have been kept without food and water for 

 twelve hours before being killed will keep much better 

 than if they had been recently fed, as the food is apt 

 to ferment in the crop and bowels, which often causes the 

 fowl to turn green in a few hours in warm weather. If 

 empty they should not be drawn, and they will keep much 

 better. Fowls are easiest plucked at once, while warm ; 

 they should afterwards be scalded by dipping them for a 

 moment in boiling water, which will give a plump appear- 

 ance to any good fowl. Fowls should not be packed for 

 market before they are quite cold. Old fowls should not 

 be roasted, but boiled, and they will then prove tolerably 

 good eating. 



