THE MARKETING OF POULTRY PRODUCTS. 21 
enough to permit easy handling. For delivery to retail cus- 
tomers pasteboard boxes of sufficient size to hold a single bird 
or one pair are desirable. The birds should be wrapped in 
clean paper, preferably waxed paper, before being placed in 
the box. Retail egg customers whose supplies are shipped by 
express may be served with dressed poultry by using an egg 
case built like the standard case, one end being used for eggs 
and the other fitted with a metal box in which to place the 
birds. In warm weather sufficient ice may be included to 
insure arrival in good condition. 
‘Barrels of various sizes are popular packages, especially when 
ice must be used. Pack them with alternate layers of ice and 
birds, the bottom and top layers invariably being ice. Upon 
the top place a good sized block of ice, which will melt, caus- 
ing the ice water to continuously trickle down through the 
layers of birds beneath. Cover the top with a piece of burlap, 
fastening this by means of a hoop. Cases may be filled with 
ice and dressed poultry in the same manner, and in’ some 
respects are preferable to barrels. The stock can be packed in 
cases in better shape than in barrels. Burlap tops should be 
used on cases of iced stock, as well as on barrels, as all pack- 
ages so covered will be kept right side up. 
Stock shipped without ice should be packed in clean cases 
which should be lined with fresh wrapping paper. Some care- 
ful shippers wrap each bird in waxed paper, and such care 
usually pays, as the stock so packed reaches market in the 
best of condition. Occasionally birds will soften up so much 
enroute that blood will run from the mouth, thus soiling much 
of the contents of the case. To prevent this a piece of paper 
may be wrapped around the head of each bird. . 
Mark all packages with the name of the shipper, kind and 
number of birds, and net weight. 
No shipment should be made to reach the market later than 
Friday morning, except by special arrangement with the dealer. 
All birds should be plucked clean, except as mentioned in 
the succeeding paragraphs. Ducks, geese, and squabs should 
have white skin, broilers, roasters, etc., are preferred with 
yellow skin and shanks. 
