Money in Broilers and Squabs. 67 



die before the feathers are all removed, in which case it would be 

 difficult to pick. 



The feathers of the breast are first plucked, then those on the 

 neck, followed by those on the back, the tail, and wing feathers, 

 finally cleaning off those on the legs. The more expert ©ne^^becomes 

 the quicker this operation is performed. 



After the long feathers are removed, pin-feathering begins, and 

 generally, before the carcass is cold the body is entirely bare. 



The birds are then thrown into a tub of ice water, to which 

 some salt has been added. When thoroughly chilled, the carcass 

 is removed, the clotted blood in the mouth is taken out with the 

 finger, and the bird again placed in cold water for a final cleaning. 



The foundation of success in broiler raising lies in procuring 

 good eggs. On this suject R. W. Davison, Glendola, N. J., some 

 years ago wrote a very valuable article, which appeared in the Poul- 

 try Keeper. We make the following extracts : 



"It is impossible for the best machine to hatch poor eggs and the 

 best brooding arrangements cannot raise weakly chicks. The first 

 of importance, then, is the hen that lays the egg. In order to get 

 a strong, healthy egg we must have only strong, healthy hens in 

 our breeding yards. The vitality of these hens must not be sapped 

 by in-breeding. This fault may not show itself in the parents but 

 will in the chicks. We must introduce new blood each year. 



"There is great difficulty in procuring desirable new blood by 

 purchasing new roosters, for these roosters may, themselves, be 

 from in-breed stock, and to overcome this difficulty we should 

 raise our own. This can be accomplished by having a pen of fowls 

 properly mated for this result. It has often been said that the 

 rooster is half the flock and there is more truth in the statement 

 than most people think. There is nothing so reliable as a good, 

 healthy, early hatched cockerel. February is the proper time to 

 hatch the cockerels, and by keeping them growing you can then 

 pick out the best of them, in the fall, and be sure of good results. 



"I advocate early hatched pullets (not later than March hatch) 

 for stock layers. It is probably true that not quite so many chicks 

 can be raised from them as from hens. If, however, the hens are 

 overfat, as is too often the case, then give me pullets. These pullets 

 should be got to laying by October ist, and then by November ist 

 the eggs can be used for hatching. 



"Just a word here as to the care of these pullets. By the first 

 of Tune, or right after mowing, they should be placed out in the 

 fields away from the cockerels and the rest of the stock. Build 

 ^mall houses that will hold about fifty chicks until maturity. Have 

 these with a hinged front — hinged from the top — so that when the 

 weather grows warm these fronts can be raised and thus form a 

 protection from the sun and storms. Leave these open during warm 

 nights. These houses need be only large enough for roosting quar- 

 ters and made so light that they can easily be moved> .to fresh 



