MARKETING POULTRY PRODUCTS 333 



Live poultry is assembled for market in almost the same way as 

 eggs. The necessity for promptly forwarding it to the point where 

 it is to be converted into dressed poultry tends to reduce the num- 

 ber of persons handling it in the stages of collection. In distribu- 

 tion, too, there is some difference. Live poultry is retailed almost 

 wholly, and dressed poultry principally, by meat markets, while 

 the grocery stores handle much larger quantities of eggs than the 

 markets. Thus poultry moves in narrower channels of trade than 

 eggs. In districts shipping large quantities of poultry to distant 

 markets, the poultry is likely to be delivered by producers at re- 

 ceiving depots, often the same to which eggs are taken, though in 

 many places, where the poultry-shipping season is short, the depots 

 do not handle eggs. Elsewhere collections are more likely to be 

 made by carts taking only poultry, or eggs and poultry, according 

 to circumstances. 



The greater part of the live poultry is dressed soon after leaving 

 the producer, but large quantities are shipped alive to distributing 

 points and even sold alive to retailers and consumers, for there 

 is a large element of buyers that either want to see their poultry 

 before it is killed, or want it killed in a particular way. In some 

 places it is customary for the consumer to select birds from a coop 

 of live poultry at the butcher's, and have them killed and dressed 

 especially for him, sometimes waiting to take them away with him. 

 Wherever there is a large Jewish population there is great demand 

 for live poultry. Indeed, this demand is the principal factor affect- 

 ing the live-poultry market. But for Jewish ceremonial require- 

 ments the shipping of live poultry farther than the first convenient 

 killing and packing house would probably soon cease. 



Dressed poultry is received at poultry depots at some seasons, 

 particularly for Thanksgiving and Christmas trade, but is not col- 

 lected as live poultry and eggs are. It would be almost impossible 

 to adjust to the visits of the " hen cart " the fasting, killing, and 

 cooling of the poultry of many producers along a route. Poultry 

 dressed by the producer is (or should be) sold in advance, and the 

 preparation and shipping timed so as to have the shipment reach 

 its destination just when wanted. 



Relative advantages of selling poultry alive and dressed. In a 

 district where the aggregate production of market poultry is large, 



