356 



COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



throat is severed. This operation is termed bleeding, and must 

 be successfully done before the fowl is stuck. See Fig. 231. 

 As soon as the blood spurts freely insert the knife-blade in the 

 slit of the roof of the mouth and plunge it backward into the 

 brain directly back of the eye. When the brain is reached, there 

 will be a violent muscular contraction, whereupon give the knife 

 a sharp twist and withdraw it. 



(U. S. Dep't Agriculture) 



Fig. 232. — Heads of fowls with lower jaw removed, showing poor attempts at 

 severing veins in throat. 



If the operation has been successful, paralysis will be induced, 

 and the feathers will loosen. Begin picking immediately; rough 

 pick the breast and body feathers first, then wing and tail feathers 

 and finally the wing and tail quills. Always remove the greater 

 bulk of all the feathers before attempting to clean off the small 

 feathers. Avoid pulling too many feathers at one stroke to pre- 

 vent tearing the skin, and remember that tearing is most likely 



