120 Money in Broilers and Squahs. 



Killing. 



Kill nothing but well-fattened stock. It seldoms pays to send 

 ill-favored stock into market. Do not give any food to the turkeys 

 for twenty-four hours prior to killing. This allows the crop and en- 

 trails to become empty and avoids much of the danger of spoiling. 

 Full crops and entrails count against value; they often taint the 

 meat and prevent its being kept for any length of time. 



There are two methods of killing largely used. The most popu- 

 lar is to suspend the fowl by the shanks head down, and cut or stick 

 it in the roof of the mouth with a knife made especially for this pur- 

 pose. This severes the arteries and cuts into the brain, causing insen- 

 sibility and a free flow of blood from the mouth. This is called 

 sticking in the roof of the mouth. 



The other plan is to break the neck by a quick twist or jerk 

 backward. When the neck is completely disjointed the head i? 

 pulled away so as to form an open space in the neck in which the 

 blood may settle. This plan has been but little used, though the 

 claim is made that when so killed the fowls will keep longer, be- 

 cause there is no opening by which the air can get into the body, 

 as there is when they are stuck in the roof of the mouth. This 

 method has been more used for chickens than for turkeys, and to 

 Use it well requires considerable practice. 



The method of beheading with an ax or hatchet has been em- 

 ployed for ages. 



Dressing. 



Dry-picking is always to be preferred when preparing the fowls 

 for market. When in fine condition, nicely picked, and sent to 

 market without having been packed in ic€, a turkey is at its best, 

 and consequently commands the highest price. As soon as the fowl 

 is stuck and the blood is still flowing, pluck the feathers dry from 

 its body, taking care in doing this not to break the skin or tear the 

 flesh. Nothing detracts so much from dressed poultry as torn 

 places upon the carcass or shank; picking must be clean and nicely 

 done. When the fowl is plucked hang it head down in a cool place 

 until all animal heat is gone from the body, being careful not to 

 hang it where it will be so exposed to cold air as to be likely to 

 freeze. Do not remove the head, feet, or entrails, but have the whole 

 carcass, including head and feet, perfectly clean. 



The method known as scalding and plucking is too familiar to 

 need comment further than to say that care must be taken not to 

 scald or tear the skin or shank. Perform this operation as neatly 

 as possible. As soon as the animal heat has left the body, the ap- 

 pearance of the dressed turkeys may be improved by submerging for 

 a short time in cold water, as this has a tendency to make them 

 plump whether dry picked or scalded. The plucking should be done 

 as quickly as possible ; the more quickly done, the more readily can 

 the feathers be removed. 



