98 Money in Broilers and Squabs. 



ber killed depends upon the market price and the demand. Mr. 

 Pollard keeps one picker who does nothing during the season but 

 kill and pick ducks and fowls. This man will kill and prepare for 

 market 57 young ducks in eight hours. 



The ducks to be killed are confined in two coops in a room ad- 

 joining the picking place, to which access is had through hinged 

 doors opening into the picking room. The ducks are thus shut up 

 out of sight, and are much quieter than if confined in sight of the 

 killing operations. As these doors opening into the pens are about 

 shoulder high, the picker can reach in and select one without stoop- 

 ing and with very little disturbance of the rest. The ducks are stuck 

 or bled by opening the bill and making a cross cut in the back of the 

 throat on the inside, so that no wound shows, on the outside. This 

 severs the large arteries and pierces the brain and causes relaxation 

 of the skin and muscles. Immediately after, they are struck on the 

 head with a club, then held over a galvanized iron pail to catch most 

 of the blood, and immediately picked. The picker sits in a chair 

 drawn up alongside a box which is about as high as his knees, into 

 which the feathers are placed. He lays the duck across his lap and 

 holds its head between his knee and the box to prevent its flutter- 

 ing, and that the blood that escapes may go on the floor instead of 

 on to the feathers. As he removes the feathers, the picker fre- 

 quently dips his hand or fingers into a dish of water which is always 

 within reach. This causes the feathers to stick to his hand, and 

 enables him to remove them more rapidly and with much less exer- 

 tion. In removing the pin feathers, they are caught between the 

 blade of a knife held in the hand and the thumb. In this work, the 

 pin feathers are thoroughly wet that they may stick to the thumb 

 and be more easily grasped and plucked. The neck, head and wings 

 are not plucked; the feathers are left on and a string is tied around 

 the body of the bird to bind the wings close to the body. They are 

 never drawn except for private customers. Immediately after they 

 ire dressed, they are placed in a barrel or tank of ice water to re- 

 move the animal heat, and to shrink the flesh or make them more 

 plump or compact. Here they are kept until they are shipped to 

 market. When sent to New York City, they are packed in ice, but 

 this is not necessary in sending them to Boston and near-by points. 

 Mr. Pollard sends green ducks to market from May i to about 

 November, 15, when the last are slaughtered. He supplies the mar- 

 kets in Providence, Pawtucket and vicinity, and sells many ducks 

 direct to the consumers, but the bulk of his product goes to the 

 dealers in the large cities. Green ducks bring the highest price 

 about May i ; from then until July, the price gradually falls. From 

 July to September, the price remains unchanged, but after Septem- 

 ber I again rises and, in October, ducks that it has cost less to raise 

 than the early ones, again bring good prices. In November, west- 

 ern ducks are sent to market, in great numbers, and the price then 

 goes very low. 



