BROILERS AND DRESSING OF FOWL 377 



and, finally, of putrefaction comes sooner, and in every way the 

 product is more perishable. 



A very large proportion of the unsightly poultry of our 

 markets, aside from the rubbing and tearing of the skin, is 

 caused by an incomplete removal of the blood. This is 

 evidenced by small red spots which frequently occur where the 

 feathers have been removed, especially over the thighs and 

 wings, or by the small veins which mar the appearance of the 

 neck. Generally, it is the neck which shows most plainly the 

 presence of blood left in the fowl, or that a wrong method has 

 been used in cutting the blood-vessels in an attempt to empty 

 them. The neck is the first part to discolor, becoming first 

 red, then bluish-red or purple, and finally green as aging 

 progresses. 



It has been estimated that there is an annual loss of 

 175,000,000 on dressed poultry due to improper methods of 

 killing, dressing, coohng, packing, shipping, and handling. 



As stated before, if poultry is not properly stuck and bled, 

 the meat quickly deteriorates. By careful investigations by 

 the Poultry Husbandmen of the Department of Agriculture 

 and others it has been determined that coohng in ice-water 

 causes the carcass to absorb water and increases the weight to 

 an amount of about 5 per cent. Too long cooling in water and 

 packing in ice leaches or drains away, and causes a material 

 loss in soluble protein and some loss of flavor. The loss on each 

 carcass is small, but is much on a wholesale lot, and is a loss to 

 the consumer, giving him to that extent an inferior article. It 

 has been estimated that on a carload of 20,000 pounds of 

 dressed poultry, at a price of 20 cents a pound, the consumer 

 loses $480. Of this loss the packers make $200, due to increased 

 weight, and $280 in food values are lost through the draining 

 away of protein. 



Dry-picked poultry is superior to scald picking. Scalding 

 disguises poor quality by thickening the skin and plumping the 

 flesh. 



Cold storage has been used to hide inferior quality. 



Dry-packed poultry is much superior in quality. The 

 difficulty in spring, summer, and in fall is that in many places 

 it is impossible to get refrigerator car service, and in shipping 



