The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-06-17
Terms: Sl.5o. Per Year.
Poultry.
Dressing ana Shipping Poultry


In preparing poultry for market. do
not feed for ut least twenty -four hours
before killing, as food in the crop i'll
jures the appearance, is liable to sour.
and purchasers object to paying for
this worse than useless weight.
Ol e"ing the veins of the neck is the
best mode of killing, and let it bleed
freely, rs poultry not properly bled
will not have Il bright, healthy APP
pearance. The intestines or the crop
should not be''drawn.' For scalding
poultry, the water should be us near
to the boiling point as possible, with.
out actually boiling; the bird being
held by the head and legs. should be
immersed and lifted up and down in
the water three times-this makes
picking easy. When the head is
immersed it turns the color of the
comb, and gives the eyes shr,nken
appearance, which often leads buyers
to think the fowl has been sick. The
feathers should lie ut once removed,
pin-feathers and all, very clearly. and
without breaking the skin. 1t should
next be ''plumped," by being dipped
about ten seconds into water, nearly
or quite boiling hot, and then once
into cold water about the same time.
Most of the dressed poultry sold here
is wet picked, such is generally pre-
ferred; but very fat, handsome tllr-
keys, dry-picked, sell we'll at Thanks
giving and Christmas. Great care
should be taken to avoid cutting or
bruising the flesh or breaking the
bones. 1t should he entirely cold,
but not frozen, before being packed.
This is a matter of Importance; for if
packed with the animal heat in it, it
will he almost sure to spoil. If it
reaches market sound. without fretz-
ing, it will sell all the better. III
packing, when practicable, use hand
threshed dry straw; be sure that it
is clean, free from dust of any kind,
and entirely dry. Place /. layer Of
straw at the bottom, then alternate
layers of poultry and straw, taking
care to stow snugly, backs upward,
legs not doubled up under the
body, but Strengthened out, and fill
the packages so that the cover
will draw down very snugly upon tie
contents. to prevent shifting or shucl<
ing on the way. Boxes are the best
packages, and should contain from I,u,
to 200 pounds. Larger boxes are in
convenient, and more apt to yet in
jured. The objection to barrels is,
that the poultry is apt to be much
bent and twisted out Of shape; they
answer better for chickens and ducks
than for turkeys and geese; but when
packed in barrels. should lie packed
Oh the side, keeping the legs straight.
Straw should be between the poultry
and sides OF the package, to keep from
freezing, though in very cold weather
this cannot always be avoided. In
packing large lots, avoid putting II ore
than one kind in Il package, and m;lk
the kind on the cover.
In preparing frozen poultry for the
late market, dry pick the poultry, as
1t will keep longer, hold its color bet
ter, and command better prices: the
head should be left on. and the MAN.
ner OF packing much the same rs in
the general directions. tXcrnt no straw
o. packing of any kind s!l uld be uSe,l.
BIKES Of the following dimensions
preferahlc-Sayf four feet long by two
leet wide and fifteen inches deep tout
side nelsurement.) Use new inch
lumber, we'll seasoned. and smoothly
planned for the inside of the package;
they will pack two layers of turkeys
or three OF fowl. Large-sized pack
ages are announcement to h,nGle, ami
do not meet with as ready il sale: rck
Il layer Of poultry in us many boxes
IT'S will he required to make one layer
for each days work; when frozen SUI
ticiently, the second layer may be
packed in like manner; when full, the
cover should be placed Oh and Snugiv
nailed. and the boxes placed together
and we'll covered with straw say two
or three feet in depth. or. should the
weather moisten and thaw when the
boxes are hut partly filled, they should
be prOtecteGin the same way, III which
manner the poultry can be held and
forwarded with entire safety. The
packing should be done ia Il cold, dry
room, seper;tte from the slaughter
house. and not in the open air, as the
wind is apt to turn the poultry dark.
Mark plainly OK each package the
GROSS weight and tarc,. and the kind
it contains.