Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-30
How TO pre.. Poultry.

How to Oress Poultry.
In the first place, poultry should be
we'll fed and we'll watered. and then
kept for eighteen to twenty-four hours
without food before killing. Stock
dresses out brighter when we'll watered
and 1t add to appearance. Full crops in
jure 'the appearance and are liable to
sour, and when this does occur cor
respondingly lower prices must be ac-
cepted than obtainable for choice
stock. Never kill poultry by wringing
neck
To Dress Chickens-Kill by bleed
ing in mouth or opening the veins of
the neck; hang by the feet until
properly bled. Leave head and feet on
and do not remove intestines nor crop.
Scalded chickens sell best. For scald-
ing chickens the water should be as
near the boiling point as possible
without boiling-140 to $50 Fahrenheit;
pick the legs dry before scalding: hold
by the head and legs and immense
and lift up and down five or six times;
If the head is immersed it turns the
color Of the comb and gives the eyes
Ia shrunken appearance, which leads
buyers to think the fowl has been sick;
|'SA0 ASdSACIS anu lNll 1StdlAClS 6uOulu
then be removed Immediately, while
the body is warm. very clearly and
without breaking the skin; then
plump" by dipping ten seconds in wa
ter nearly or quite boiling hot. and
then Immediately into cold water;
hang in a cool place Cor better place
on shelves in the shape you wish them
to appear when cooled-hanging draws
the breast muscles and makes them
look thinner when cool and harder to
pack) until the animal heat is entire
ly out of the body. To dry pick chick
ems properly the work should be done
while the chickens are bleeding: do
not wait and let the bodies get cold.
Dry picking is much more easily done
while the bodies are warm. Be care
full and do not break and tear the
skin.
How to Dress Capons-First be sure
and not kill them until crops are
empty and that they are fat. A thin
capon is not as good as an ordinary
chicken, because if not large or a prop
er capon they are not wanted as
capons or chickens either. Leave feath-
ers on neck from head down two thirds
way to shoulders. Leave feathers on
two joints of wings. Leave feathers on
tail and half way up the back. Leave
feathers on legs from knee joint two
thirds up the hips. All the rest of the
feathers come off. Feathers that are
removed should be saved and will sell
If kept dry and clean. Be careful and
keep the capon clean. Wrap paper
around the head. Appearances add to
the sale, and, of course, price.
Ducks and Geese-Should be scalded
in the same temperature of swater as
for other kinds of poultry, but it re-
quires more time for the water to
penetrate and loosen the feathers.
Some parties advise, after scalding,
wrapping them in blanket for the
purpose of steaming, but they must
not be left in this condition long
enough to cook the flesh. Do not I'M
dertake to dry-pick geese and ducks
just before picking for the purpose Of
saving the feathers, as it causes the
skin to become very much inlamed
and is a great injury to the sale. Do
not pick the feathers off the head;
leave the feathers on for two or three
inches on the neck. Do not SINCE the
bodies for the purpose Of removing any
down or hair, as the heat from the
flame will give them an oily and I'M
slightly appearance. After they are
picked clean they should be held in
scalding water about ten seconds for
the purpose of pumping, then rinsed
off in clean cold water. Fat heavy stock
is always preferred.-Farmers and
Drovers' Journal.