1908.] 



Marketing of Poultry. 



643 



which action loosens them from the skin. The plucking should 

 begin at the tail and be continued in the following order : back, 

 neck, wings, sides, legs and breast. It is unwise to start with 

 the breast as the surface veins in that part of the body are the 

 last to drain dry, and the carcase will be discoloured if any of 

 these veins are broken. The breast bone should not be broken. 



Fowls must be plucked clean except on the head and half the 

 neck ; turkeys must also be plucked clean, but leaving the 

 feathers on the outer ends of the wings and the tail ; in ducks 

 and geese, the wings and half the necks must be left unplucked. 



The legs and feet of all birds should be very clean. 



Shaping. — When quite clean, chickens should be singed and 

 packed tightly breast downwards in a shaping trough, with 

 the heads hanging over the front board, and left in this position 

 for the flesh to set and to cool. Shaping boards are usually 

 made to hold eight to twelve birds. 



A long narrow board should then be placed along their 

 backs and the board weighted, a common method being to 

 use one 9-lb. brick to every two birds. In placing the birds in 

 the trough the stern is pushed hard up against the back board, 

 thus giving the birds a shortened appearance. 



For some markets the birds are required to be tied down in 

 Devonshire fashion. This is done as follows : Immediately after 

 plucking the back, the claws are removed and a gash is made 

 on each side of the middle toe. A short string is then tied to 

 each of these toes, the legs are drawn forward and inwards, and 

 the two strings are tied together behind the neck, and pulled 

 tight. A second and rather longer string is now tied round the 

 hocks, crossed on the vent, and fastened at the back of the tail, 

 again pulling tight. Finally, the wings are tucked in, and the 

 bird will be ready for packing directly it is quite cold. 



Ducks and geese have the wings turned, and are usually 

 weighted, thus compressing them into a good shape. This 

 must be done when they are warm, otherwise they do not set 

 property. 



Turkeys are tied down in the way described as the Devonshire 

 fashion for chickens or in the Norfolk fashion. 



Grading and Packing. — A most essential point is that all 

 poultry should be quite cold before they are dispatched. On 

 large plants a chilling chamber is found most useful, but in the 



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