AT KILLING TIME 113 



In preparing poultry for market the following is 

 the usual expert method eniploj'ed: The fowl to be 

 killed is held, with the back up, far enough under the 

 left arm so that the neck is stretched when the arm is 

 extended. The head being grasped in the hand, with 

 the forefinger holding the mouth open on the under 

 side, the knife, preferably one with a sharp narrow 

 blade, is thrust into the mouth as far as possible, as 

 shown in the first of the series of six illustrations pre- 

 paredi for this chapter by T. H. Taylor, Jr., former 

 instructor at Ehode Island poultry school. A quick, 

 strong cut is made up through the roof of the mouth, 

 causing the fowl to bleed freely. The large wing and 

 tail feathers are the first ones pulled and while the 

 fowl is bleeding, the picker holding the bird by the 

 wings close to the body with the head toward him, as 

 shown in Figure 32. By this time free bleeding will 

 have stopped. Still holding the fowl in the left hand, 

 it is struck once or possibly twice on the head with a 

 iJub to stun it and prevent fluttering in a great 

 raeasure. 



The picker now sits beside an open box, the top of 

 ■«rhich comes on a level with his knees. The fowl's 

 head is thrust into an old boot leg tacked on the side 

 of the box and is held there by the picker's knees; 

 the wings being held between his knees. The legs are 

 held in the left hand while he picks with his right: 

 the breast feathers first, then the back and legs, finish- 

 ing with the small wing feathers, with the exception of 

 the first joint, which is left unpicked. While picking 

 the fowl is always held stretched out and the feathers 

 pulled toward the head. As they are pulled they are 

 thrown into the box. The feathers being removed, the 

 picker uses his knife to pull the pinfeathers, the thumb 

 of his right hand and the blad( acting as tweezers, as 

 shown in Figure 33. 



