78 



TURKEYS— THEIR CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



a long, sharp steel blade, a strong arm and a quick hand 

 are required for the operation of killing. 



THE MANNER OF KILLING AND PLUCKING. 



The, bird should be suspended head downward with its 

 feet in a noose of strong cord, far enough from the walls of 

 the house and other objects so that it cannot injure its wings 

 when it struggles — as most of them do at some time. After 

 stunning by dealing a sharp blow at the base of the skull 

 with the club, pass the left arm around the 'body of the fowl 

 under the wings, which usually drop down when the bird 

 is stunned and the muscles relax, holding the side of the 



'McKinlcy," a Superb Bronze Turkey, that was sent to President McKlnley by Horace Vose, who for 



thirty-five years has each season presented the President of the United States 



with a Thanksgiving Turkey. 



purchaser of the bird to use about the kitchen in place of 

 brushes. The long feathers of the tail are removed or not 

 as the market for which they are intended requires. 



While the skin of a turkey is less likely to be torn when 

 removing the feathers than that of a chicken or duck, it is 

 needful to be careful and none but experienced pickers can 

 safely attempt to hurry the work. The thumb and fore- 

 finger do most of the work by firmly grasping a few feathers 

 and removing them by a quick jerk which begins upward to- 

 ward the tail and terminates outward, which movement is 

 accomplished by a quick twist of the wrist. This motion first 

 loosens the feathers in their sockets by starting them the 



way they grow and then re- 

 moves them at an angle which 

 is least likely to tear the skin. 

 A well grown turkey is very 

 powerful and requires to be 

 held firmly yet with due care, 

 for if the wings are grasped 

 by their extremities cr are 

 held too firmly in any posi- 

 tion the bird may struggl2 

 and break or wrench them out 

 of joint, making the carcass 

 unfit for sale. 



Careful handling after pick- 

 ing is very desirable, for a 

 bruise will cause discoloration 

 which is very detrimental lo 

 the appearance of the flesh in 

 market. 



SAVING THE FEATHERS. 



If many birds are killed it 

 pays to save the feathers, 

 especially those of the I all acd 

 wings. Those of the tail 

 proper and the two lower 

 joints of the wings are salable 

 at fifteen to thirty cents per 

 pound and can be saved by no 

 more extra labor than is re- 

 quired to toss them into a 

 clean receptacle when picking 

 and later dry them by spread- 

 ing upon the floor of a loft 

 where there is a good circula- 

 tion of air. The shorter and 

 body feathers seldom com- 

 mand more than 4 to 6 cents 

 per pound and most turkey 

 men do not care to save them 

 for so little remuneration. 



breast towards you. Grasp the head in the left hand and 

 forcing the bill open with the thumb and fore fingers, 

 thrust the knife blade in through the mouth to just back of 

 the brain and make a sharp cut directly across the roof of 

 the mouth, severing the arteries. Then holding the bird 

 firmly with the left arm and hand in the same position, be- 

 gin at once to remove the feathers with the right hand, be- 

 ginning at the juncture of neck and breast and working up 

 over the breast and body, then giving the bird a turn which 

 presents the back to the operator, 'begin at the neck or be- 

 tween the wings and .pluck towards the tail. The short 

 feathers of wings, tail, shanks and neck are picked next 

 and the long feathers of the wings and tail, if removed at 

 all, are plucked last. As a rule the feathers ot* the last joint 

 of each wing are left on and are much appreciated by the 



COOLING AND CLEANING THE CARCASS. 



Marketing is usually done in the cold weather of late 

 fall and during the winter and cooling can be done by hang- 

 ing the picked turkeys in the open air, out of the sun, long 

 enough to allow the escape of all animal heat, but not long 

 enough to freeze or become stiff if the temperature is low. 



Most markets do not require the turkeys to be drawn, 

 while some will pay less per pound for stock so prepared. 

 It is always best to find what your market wants before 

 killing, for if drawn turkeys are shipped where undrawn 

 stock is wanted the loss or a consignment is considerable. 

 Feet and heads should be washed clean and wiped dry and 

 all blood it-moved from the mouth and throat. If care is 

 used when killing and handling it will not be necessary to 

 wash the body of the bird and the skin will retain its bright, 



