PREPAEATION OF POULTRY PRODUCTS 287 



The process is then completed by inserting the knife through 

 the slit in the top of the mouth until it hits the brain. This 

 punctures the lower part of the brain, and makes the bird 

 lose control of its muscles. The feathers can then be plucked 



Fig. 159. 



—Beheading a chicken. The method of killing usually employed on farms 

 and with small poultry flocks. 



more easily. Sticking is by far the best method of killing 

 a bird for market. If the bird is for the home table, be- 

 heading is just as satisfactory. 

 Picking is the process of removing the plumage from the 



