BROILERS AND DRESSING OF FOWL 375 



other foot at the other end of the rod; stand full weight on it, 

 and simultaneously pull on the legs you hold in your hand, 

 and the neck will be instantly dislocated. Do not pull too 

 hard as the head will snap off. 



The second method is to hang the bird up by the legs, the 

 head being about 3 feet from the ground; wrap a cloth 

 around the body or lock the wings on the back to prevent 

 the wings from flopping. Then give the bird a blow in the 

 back of the head with a short, heavy stick; when stunned, stick 

 as for fowls. 



In cooling plucked geese place on cooling board breast down- 

 ward. Fold the wings and legs behind the back; place them 

 close together and put a board across the backs. Over this 

 put a heavy weight, as a stone. Wrap carcasses intended for 

 shipment in clean white or butter paper at time of packing. 

 This prevents chafing. Scrub out the mouth and legs and 

 wrap the head in paper. 



A shaping board (Fig. 134), is made by putting two boards 

 together at right angles, the lower board sloping slightly up- 

 ward. The back board should be regulated by the size of 

 the fowls to be pressed. 



In placing the picked fowls on the shaping board first press 

 out anything possible from the vent. The hocks are tied 

 together. Turn the carcass with the breast down so that the 

 head and neck hangs off the front edge of the board. Place 

 your thumbs on the back and fingers underneath and hold the 

 legs tightly to the body. Thrust the rear of the bird against 

 the back board with "parson's nose" upward so that it stands 

 erect above the back. Force the hock joints against the back 

 wall so as to make them lie close to the body. In doing this, 

 the skin of the back must not be drawn out of position, or it 

 may be torn; and a tear in the skin reduces the selling price 

 on the large markets. If the row is not full place some heavy 

 object as a large, clean stone against the last bird to prevent 

 the carcasses from spreading, then place a clean board, about 4 

 inches wide, on top of the entire row of carcasses and weight 

 it down. About three 25- to 40-pound weights will answer. 

 The carcasses are left in this position till cold when they re- 

 main in shape and present a short, plump body with full breast. 



