The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-06-17
Terms: $3.50. Per Year.
P0ultrV.
Dressing and Shipping Poultry.

In preparing poultry for market, do
not feed for at least twenty-four hours
before killing, as food in the crop in
jures the appearance, is liable to sour,
and purchasers object to paying for
this worse than useless weight.
o. 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 bright, healthy ap-
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 a shrmken
appearance, which often leads buyers
to think the fowl has been sick. The
feathers should lie at once removed,
pin-feathers and all, very cleanly, and
without breaking the skin. It 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 tur-
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 Il 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 freez-
ing, it will sell all the better. In
packing, when practicable, use hand
threshed dry straw; be sure that it
is clean, free from dust of any kind,
and entirely dry. Place Il 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 80 that the cover
will draw down very snugly upon tie
contents. to prevent shifting or shuck
ing on the way. Boxes are the best
packages, and should contain from 100
to 200 pounds. Larger boxes are in
convenient, and more apt to get in
jnred. 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; hut when
packed i'll 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 more
than one kind in Il package, and n;,lh
the kind on the cover.
In preparing frozen poultry for the
late market, dry pick the poultry, AS
it will keep longer, hold its color bet
ter, and command better prices; the
head should be lett Oh. and the man.
ner OF packing much the same as in
the general directions. exce,t no straw
o; packing of amy kind sh uld he used.
BIKES of the following dimensions
preferahlc-say four feet long by two
leet wide and fifteen inches deep tout
side melsurement.) 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 inconvenient to handle, and
do not meet with as ready il sale; i ack
Il layer of poultry in us many box.s
us will be required to make one layer
for each days work; when frozen suf-
ticiently, the second layer may be
packed in like manner; when full, the
cover should he placed OH and snugiy
nailed. and the boxes placed together
and well covered with straw, say two
or three feet in depth. or. should the
weather moisten and thaw when the
boxes are bnt partly filed, they should
be protectedin the same way, in which
manner the poultry can be held and
forwarded with entire safety. The
packing should be done in 4 cold, dry
room. seper;.te from the slaughter
house. and not in the open air, as the
wind is apt t" turn the poultry dark.
Mark plainly on each package the
gr''ss weight and tare,> and the kind
it contains.
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