Preparing Fowls for Market 67 



and keep other fowls away from them. If they can be put in a semi- 

 darkened place so much the better as they will put on flesh more 

 rapidly. 



Three weeks is considered as long as it pays to keep them up, 

 and they should be in good flesh to begin with. During the last week 

 put in every feeding about a tablespoonful of tallow to every bird, a 

 little salt added to the feed makes it more palatable. Some do not 

 give any water, considering the thin feed sufficiently moist to serve, 

 but I always give water to drink and have not noticed any bad results. 



At any time when the feed is not cleaned up as it should be, it 

 must be kept from them one meal at least, two if necessary. 



The pens must be kept sweet and clean; if the weather is hot, 

 add a little carbolic acid to the water the coops and troughs are 

 washed in, as this keeps them sweet better than anything else. 



It pays better, of course, to get private customers for fowls that 

 have been fattened and prepared like this, but if you have to sell on 

 open market or to commission men, it pays, because once they have 

 bought your birds they will know what to expect and the price will 

 be raised the next time and they will want more. 



This is always more satisfactory than if a person has to beg a 

 market, especially if the market happens to be overdone with the 

 same size of birds you have to ship. 



If the birds are for private trade, they should be kept without food 

 and water for at least twenty-four hours before killing. They are 

 much easier to clean and will keep better when this is done than if 

 the birds are fed the last day. 



Killing. — Have an old case knife ground down on both sides until 

 it resembles a sharp pointed spear, and is not over a half inch broad. 

 About two or three inches long is right. Now, when ready to kill, 

 have the knife sharp and kill the bird by sticking the point of the 

 knife in the roof of the bird's mouth, giving it a twist after it enters 

 the brain. This is the cleanest and quickest method of killing. 



