Best Mode of Killing. 21 g 



meal, suet, and milk are made up into patons, as the 

 finger-pieces are called. The paste is first well worked 

 together until it is very smooth, and with a dish or 

 basket of these patons the round is commenced. The 

 head of the bird to be fed is taken into the left hand, the 

 beak opened, and three or four of the crams, which are 

 first dipped in milk, put down the throat. Birds are so 

 fed about four times a day, and the only drink given is 

 milk, the result being that the flesh is beautifully white 

 and tender when killed. But, whatever be the system 

 adopted, it is absolutely necessary to carefully watch the 

 birds, and as soon as they are seen to be losing their 

 appetite, or to show signs of going off — for if the fattening 

 is too much prolonged the fowls begin to lose flesh again, 

 instead of gaining it — they must be killed forthwith. 



Much depends upon the manner of killing fowls for the 

 table, and the appearance of the birds when dressed will be 

 largely affected in this way. But no matter what system 

 is adopted, the birds should be starved for fifteen or eighteen 

 hours before being killed, so that all the food in the crop may 

 be consumed. Often we see chickens offered for sale with th 

 crops full of grain, the result of which is that it soon begins 

 to sour, and the fowls lose that fresh smell which they would 

 otherwise have retained for a considerable time longer. The 

 ordinary plan is to dislocate the neck, in which case death 

 is instantaneous, as the spinal nerves, arteries, and veins 

 are all torn asunder, the head remaining attached to the 

 body only by the skin. The disadvantage of this plan is 

 that if the fowls are hung up, there is a large accumulation 

 of blood in the neck, which tends to decomposition ; but 

 this can be easily avoided by making a deep cut in the 

 roof of the bird's mouth, when the blood will flow freely 

 away. Then there is the simpler method of chopping 

 the head off, but to both plans some persons object on 



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