448 MARKETING THE PRODUCTS 



for Sunday. It is well, therefore, so to plan shipments that they 

 will reach their destination on Thursday, or not later than Friday. 



Cold Storage of Dressed Poultry. Where dressed poultry is to 

 be shipped a considerable distance to market, it is usually sent in 

 refrigerator cars, in which the temperature is kept at or below 40 F. 

 by means of salt and ice crushed fine and packed in the bunkers. 

 In this way dressed poultry can be shipped thousands of miles, and 

 will go through in prime condition. Thorough chilling for about 

 forty-eight hours in a mechanical freezer before placing the poultry 

 in the car will help to put the shipment through in good shape. 



During periods of heavy production dressed poultry is often 

 placed in cold storage, but it should be held a much shorter time 

 than is the case with eggs. Cold-storage birds deteriorate consider- 

 ably, especially if not properly bled and dressed; and, owing to this, 

 the practice should be limited to holding for only short periods. 



OTHER PRODUCTS. 



Preparing and Marketing the Feathers. On large plants 

 where many birds are killed and dry picked, the feathers, if prop- 

 erly handled, bring in a considerable revenue. Scalding, however, 

 so reduces their value that they do not pay for drying and curing. 

 White feathers always bring a higher price than those of mixed 

 colors. In dry picking the best method is to have at the side of 

 the picker a barrel or large box in which to put all the soft, fluffy 

 and body feathers, the larger ones with a big quill being kept 

 separate, as they are of no value. The feathers must be kept 

 free from dirt and blood, and at the end of each day's picking 

 they should be spread out about six inches deep on a clean floor 

 to dry. A good place is a dry, well-ventilated loft. They should 

 be turned every few days for three weeks, after which they may be 

 bagged up and sold. 



In some sections buyers of poultry and eggs collect feathers 

 also, but there is usually no local collector available for the small 

 producer, whose best course is to get the name of some special 

 feather buyer from trade papers, and communicate with him. 

 Such firms purchase feathers of all qualities, and on request will 

 quote prices and manner of shipping. Extensive shippers of 

 dressed poultry find it to their advantage to secure a regular 

 firm to handle their whole output of feathers at a regular price. 

 In this way the producer learns what quality and methods are 



