Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-03
(Copyright.)
Preparing Poultry For Market.

(Copyf1ght)
Preparing Poultry For Market.
After this date only dressed poultry
shout be sent to market, the demand
for Hive fowls being very light. The
demands of the market to which you
ship should be your guide in preparing
poultry. Many of the large cities will
pay better price for dry picked poul-
try than for scalded birds. In some
other markets the difference in the
price paid is so small that it does not
pay to do the hard work Of dry pick
ing. In the west, as a rule, dry picked
fowls are preferred, and the entrails
are not drawn. New York markets
use about the same quantities OF dry
picked and scalded fowls, and in both
cases the carcass is left undrawn.
Boston, on the other hand, pays a bet
ter price for a dry picked drawn bird.
A fowl in this shape is nice eating, and
poultrymen should make an effort to
educate their customers to the use Of
the drawn bird, whether dry or scalded
picked.
To kill fowls quickly and humanely
use a sharp pointed knife, making a
clean cut across the mouth just below
the eyes. Let it bleed for half a min
ute, and if the bird still struggles. strike
it a hard blow on the back of the head
and begin picking at once, if it is to be
dry picked. In packing for shipment
use plenty of clean straw. Lay the
birds in the box close together, breasts
down and put clean straw between each
layer Don't use cloths or excelsior for
packing. Straw is cleaner and cheaper.
Seasonable Poultry Hints.
To have the necessary change Of
males yearly and yet keep UP the same
breed try this plan with Plymouth
Rocks. Uuse white Plymouth Rock
male with the barred Plymouth Rock
hens one year, the second year use buff
Plymouth Rock males, and the third
year the barred Plymouth Rock males,
and so ON, the barred Plymouth Rock
hens being the original stock. This
order of changing need not be strictly
followed and can be reversed if desired.
II the stock is not strictly fancy"
this changing will answer all purposes
and yet keep the breed reasonably
pure.
Soft shelled eggs always indicate over
feeding and not the lack of shell-form-
Ing material, as is generally supposed.
Specks of lime sometimes seen in shells
of eggs are usually due to some fault
in feeding, or to the fact that the hen
is over fat. Grit of some kind should
be freely given to laying hens and Is
required by them more at that period
,thea-aQy other~ It should be sharp and
gritty to accomplish the work intended.
Gravel is of little use, for it is usually
too smooth, and as soon as the sharp
edges are worn off the substance is
voided by the fowl.
just as reminder prepare to have a
good supply of dry earth and leaves I'M
der cover where they can be used as
wanted during the winter. The earth
can be used as a disinfectant and abb
sorbant and In the dust bath. The
leaves can be used as floor covering,
as a protection from cold and also for
the hens t. scratch over when grain is
Scattered among them.
Home Made Breeders.
The process of artificial incubation
has become almost necessary when
chicks are to be raised in large num-
beers. The more simple construction of
incubators makes it possible now for
any one of ordinary intelligence to op-
crate them successfully. Breeders are
not SO easily managed, for while many
OF them are simple in construction they
are not good mothers" and are expen-
sive. This illustration shows brooder
that may be easily and cheaply made at
home and operated at small expense.
1t works quite as well as the expensive
machines.
Make frame of half inch boards
eight inches high and two feet square.
On one side, low down on the board,
bore three half-inch augur holes an