104 (Jhicks 



quality of the food mentioned determines to a considerable 

 extent the success of the operation, other things must be 

 favorable or good results will not be obtained. As we men- 

 tioned before, clean, healthful quarters and freedom from 

 vermin are essential. 



Preparing the Fattened Birds for the Market. 

 The high-clas.s market demands that all birds be dry 

 picked. The best method of killing, in our opinion, is to 

 stun the bird with a quick blow on the head at the base of the 

 brain, and then sever the arteries back of the roof of the 

 mouth with a two-edged knife. The latter operation is 

 performed by forcing the beak of the specimen open with 

 the thumb of one hand, which in addition |holds the head 

 and neck of the bird, while with the other hand the knife is 

 reached down the throat and a cut made directly across the 

 throat back of the'roof of the mouth. The feathers are then 

 removed rapidly though carefully and the specimens are 

 placed in ice water to cool, after .which they are hung up to 

 dry and then carefully packed in boxes for shipment. It 

 is absolutely necessary that the specimens be thoroughly 

 dried before being placed in boxes, otherwise the moisture 

 will cause the paper in which they are wrapped, or the straw, 

 as the case may be, to adhere to the skin of the birds, giving 

 the entire shipment a bad appearance when it arrives in 

 market. Only one grade of ^tock should be placed in each 

 coop, and any that are not thoroughly well prepared and do 

 not present a thoroughly attractive appearance should be 

 sold by themselves and not shipped in the same box or crate 

 with the better specimens. The price of the whole is likely 

 to be governed by the inferior carcasses. In every city 

 of any considerable size there is a class which wants, and 

 which will pay for, very fine chickens. It will usually be 

 found that some one, two, or three dealers have most of 

 this trade and it is with these dealers that the producer must 

 arrange for handling his stock. In most cases it will he 

 necessary for the producer to see the dealer personally and 

 show him, by actual specimens, that he can produce the 

 quality that commands high prices. It is not often that 

 any particular ability as a salesman is needed to dispose of 

 this grade of stock. 



