MARKET POULTRY 137 



KILLING AND PLUCKING OF POULTRY 



Killing. The most satisfactory methods of killing 

 poultry are by dislocating the neck, and by sticking 

 in the roof of the mouth and piercing the brain with 

 a knife. 



In killing by dislocating the neck, the fowl is held in 

 front of the operator with the head hanging down; 

 both shanks are firmly grasped with the left hand; 

 the neck of the fowl at the base of the skull is taken 

 between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, 

 with the back of the hand toward the tail of the fowl 

 and the head held firmly in the palm of the hand; the 

 head is then pulled downwards to extend the neck to 

 its full length; the final step in the operation is taken 

 by pulling with a jerk the already taut neck and at 

 the same time twisting the head upwards, This will 

 dislocate the head from the backbone, paralyzing the 

 fowl, snap the arteries in the neck, and pull the head 

 away from the neck, leaving a cavity in the neck large 

 enough to hold the blood of the fowl. In this operation 

 no blood will escape from the body, and it is preferred 

 by some as the best method of killing fowls intended for 

 immediate sale. When such fowls are prepared for 

 cooking, if the head is severed 1 or 2 in. back of where 

 the blood has settled, all of the blood clot will be 

 removed. 



Killing by sticking in the roof of the mouth may be done 

 with a special killing knife or with a common pocket 

 knife that has a sharp point and blade. Both shanks of 

 the fowl are tied with a small piece of rope and the loose 

 end of the rope is tied to some support so that the fowl 

 will hang head downwards and at about the height 

 of the operator's shoulder. The head of the fowl is 

 grasped in the left hand, the mouth pressed open, and 

 the blade of the knife thrust through the roof of the 

 mouth and up into the brain almost in a line with 

 the eye; a cross-cut is made to sever the arteries. This 

 operation paralyzes the fowl instantly, and the cutting 



