Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-05-09
FATTENING POULTRY.

He ioNiS DeinS III Soou CoHuttloH d
fortnight to one month previous to the
time they are wanted for killing, shut
them up in roomY, dry, well ventilated
and warm building, with either ground,
stone, or plank floor, as is most conve-
nient. This should be cleaned every
day, and straw several inches thick spread
over part OF it, especially where geese
/ and dacks are shut up, for The purpose
OF giving them good beds to sit in. AS
often as the litter gets soilet, remove it,
and pat clean straw in its place. A con-
slant supply Of food and water should
now be kept before them, allowing the
fowls to eat and drink as often and as
Imuch as they please. Gravel is indis-
pensable for their health, and charcoal,
together with little lime or ground
bones, is beneficial Fowls fat better
when they can get at their food as often
as they please, and are not SO apt TO
gorge themselves and become surfeited.
For feed we prefer corn mostly; a
little wheat, rye, or barley, is also very
we'll as change; oats have rather too
much husk about them. In addition to
these, boiled potatoes, sweet apples,
pumpkins, and sugar beet, are excellent
feed, especially when mixgd with a due
proportion of mush or hasty pudding
Where sweet potatoes abound, they are
an excellent substitute for the last. To
the above, add daily little lean meat
that which is cooked is preferred; and
the last week of their fattenns, for fin
lshlng process, rice boiled in milk and
sWeetened with molassss, is very excel
J lent. This may be called an expensive
method; but our readers NAY be assured
that the fowls will be enough better to
pay for it. Meat derives much of lis
TASTE from the kind and quality of food
| that the animals consume; hence gross,
fatty substances, fish, or anything that
is disagreeable to the taste, should be
avoided in the food given to fowls during
the tattenlng process, as these invaria-
greeable flavor to the flesh of the poultry
fed Upon them. 1t is we'll known that
the celebrated canvass back duck de-
rlves its dellcacy of taste from feeding
on the Dubious roots of peculiar grass
growing IN the Chesapea Ike Bay, and that
other kinds of ducks are scascely eata-
bic, In consequence of their living al.
most entirely upon fish. These remarks
will hold good to most kinds of birds,
both of the water and land, and, indeed,
OF all animals; accordingly as their food
Is good or bad. SO will be the quality of
the milk, meat, or eggs.
We recolect, when a boy, e having
occasionally seen geese and ducks nailed
through the webs Of their feet to planks
and ffoors, and hens and turkeys tied up
and so closely confined to stakes, that
they could not exercise. This was done
SO that they might fat the faster! How
shocklnsly barbarous, and any one gull
ty OF such practice in these days, ought
to be indicted, and severely punished for
their cruelty and cupdity. We are to-
tally opposed to the close confinement of
beast or bird. Without exercise, the
system cannot be in healthy state; and
the meat OF close confined animals is
never as good, to say the least of it, as
when they have plenty of fresh air, and
are allowed to move moderately about.
The best method of killing fowls. is
to cut their heads off at single blow
with sharp axe, and then hang them up
and allow them to bleed freely, BY this
process they never know what hurts
them, or endure pain for a second.-
WrInging the necks of poultry is almost
as shocking as mailing their feet to planks
for the purpose of fattening them, and
follows IN the same barbareus category.
'scading the fowl previous to pick
ing, Injuries the feathers, and max s it
troublesome TO dry them, and we think
the quality OF flesh is somewhat injured
Eby this process, especially if The weather
be not pretty cold at the time. They
should be picked as soon as possible al
ter beng killed, and their offal taken
IRON them; be clean rlnsed then in cold
water, and hung up to dry, and kept as
separate as possible till sold; packing
them together in heaps Injuries the flesh.
10 be hung up and frozen tor few days,
, or even weeks before eating, makes the
flesh more tender. To keep them the
same length of time after roasting, espe-
cialIy II we'll stuffed, also adds to their
deicacy Of taste and tenderness.
When the bird is brought on to the
: table, it is perfectly shocking to see its
head, legs, and feet, left upon it, Though
: we know IN many places this is fashion
) able, and considered highly genteel; but
for our own part we detest such offal,
and the sight of them frequently des-
troys cur appetite for the time being
The process of carving also at the table
is dead bore.-.9grlcuhvrist.