CHAPTER X 
MARKETING POULTRY CARCASSES 
In the marketing of poultry carcasses as in other phases 
of the industry, we really have two systems to discuss. The 
one is used for the marketing of the product of the farm of 
the Central West, and the other the product of the poultryman 
or eastern farmer, who is near a large market and who will 
be repaid for taking special pains in preparing his poultry 
for market. 
Farm-Grown Chickens. 
At the present time almost the entire poultry crop of the 
Central West is sold from the farm as live poultry. This farm 
stock is purchased by produce buyers or general merchants 
and shipped to the nearest county seat or other important 
town, where there are usually one or more poultry-killing 
establishments. These establishments may vary from a sim- 
ple shed, where the chickens are picked and packed in bar- 
rels, to the more modern poultry-packing establishment, with 
its accommodations for fattening, dressing, packing, freezing, 
and storing. 
The poultry-buying stations may be branches of the larger 
packing establishments, branch houses of large produce firms, 
or small firms operating independently and selling in the 
open market. 
The chickens as purchased are grouped into the following 
classes: Springs, hens, old roosters and (at certain seasons) 
young roosters or staggy cockerels. Harly in the season small 
springs are quoted as broilers, while capons form a separate 
item where such are grown. 
Chickens are starved before killing, for the purpose of 
emptying the crop, and, to some degree, the intestines. If 
this is not done the carcass presents an unsightly appearance 
and spoils more readily in storage. 
The method of picking is not always the same, even in the 
same plant. Scalding is frequently used for local trade, in the 
summer season, or with cheap-grade stuff. The greater por- 
tion of the stock is picked dry. The pickers are generally 
paid so much per bird. In some plants men do the roughing 
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