

MAEKET COLD-STOEAGE CHICKENS. 71 



Samples No. 69 and No. 79 represent chickens from a box kept in 

 storage for 1 year, then thawed and prepared for sale, but because 

 they did not sell and fearing that they would spoil before they could 

 be disposed of the dealer put them back again into storage, where 

 they remained another year. They were then examined — No. 69 

 after thawing in water and No. 79 in cold air. 



The external appearance of these fowls was very different from 

 that of fresh ones. The skin was leathery, inelastic, tightly drawn, 

 and discolored, especially over certain portions, and even soaking in 

 water did not loosen it from the prominent bones where it had been 

 stretched. The muscles of the breast were markedly dried, in some 

 places so much so that they were light-brown fibrous masses, quite 

 unrecognizable in themselves as chicken muscle. Such degeneration 

 had not, however, penetrated to the deep muscles. The color of the 

 muscles of the inner thigh and of the fat was also very different from 

 the colors commonly characterizing these tissues in fresh birds. Deep 

 reds, verging on purplish or brownish, predominated in the muscles, 

 and the fat was bright orange. The biting odor, noticed in the 14- 

 months' chickens, was intensified in these 2-year specimens, and after 

 a few hours in the air an indication of putridity could be detected. 



As previously stated No. 69 was thawed by soaking in water; 

 hence, in the percentage values of water, total nitrogen, etc., it is not 

 comparable with the others of the series. The relative proportions 

 of the various nitrogenous constituents are not, however, interfered 

 with and the mean of the two analyses can be taken. 



Except for an increase in peptone in the light meat, a decrease in 

 amido acids, and a decrease in coagulable and albumose nitrogen in 

 the dark meat, the analyses show a close similarity between these 

 chickens and the fresh ones. It is rather remarkable, however, to 

 find that the total nitrogen in the aqueous extract and also the 

 nitrogen coagulable by heat is less than in the fresh chicken. Still, 

 because of the commercial thawing and handling, with its train of 

 unknown conditions and results, one must come most cautiously to 

 conclusions of any kind. 



The analysis of the fat of No. 69 is incomplete, because the fowl 

 was so thin that a sufficient quantity for the determination of all the 

 values could not be obtained. For No. 79, where two chickens were 

 taken, material was more plentiful. Between the fat analysis of Nos. 

 69 and 79, as between the two samples in storage 14 months, are wide 

 variations. The same general tendencies, however, are also seen in 

 these anatyses. 



Samples Nos. 82 and 83 represent chickens which have been cold- 

 stored for a period of 4 years. Plates IV and V are photographs of 

 these chickens taken after thawing in cold air. Plate IV shows well 

 the rigidity of the fowl, since it was hung on a string slipped under 



