CHAPTER XVII 

 FINISHING POULTRY FOR THE TABLE 



Fattening a finishing process. Poultry in the best condition for 

 laying or breeding is not in the best condition for market and con- 

 sumption. For poultry of any quality that is at all fit for food there 

 is a market. Inferior poultry will usually sell at its full value as 

 compared with other meats, — often at more than its relative value ; 

 but such poultry commands no premium, and yields little profit to 

 the producer. If the amount is small and it has cost him little, he 

 may sell it at small profit, or even at some loss, without appreciat- 

 ing how much less he is realizing on it than he would if the qual- 

 ity were better. When larger quantities are handled, and cost and 

 selling prices are compared, the advantage of growing and finish- 

 ing poultry to suit the requirements of the best trade cannot escape 

 the poultry keeper's attention. 



Fattening improves both appearance and quality. A thin bird 

 is not at all attractive when dressed ; the flesh appears shrunken 

 and hard, the bones prominent, the skin thin and more or less 

 shriveled. When cooked, the meat of such a bird is dry and tough 

 unless the bird is quite young. A bird that is muscularly well de- 

 veloped (meaty but not fat) is much more attractive in appearance 

 and much better eating. A fat bird is still better in appearance and 

 better eating. To this point the majority of consumers' tastes 

 agree ; beyond it, opinions differ. Only a small proportion of con- 

 sumers care for very fat poultry, and in America there is practically 

 no demand for such excessively fat poultry as is produced in some 

 parts of Europe. 



Common practice as to fattening. By far the greater part of the 

 poultry produced in America is turned off by the producer in an 

 unfinished state. The young birds grown on farms are usually dis- 

 posed of when they have reached marketable size, or at the end 

 of the season, in whatever condition they happen to be. Turkeys 

 and geese sold for the holiday season are generally given better 



301 



