Arizona sentinel and Yuma weekly examiner., 1913-12-25
YUMA==40,0OO People in 1920
HOW ID KILL AND
 DRESS \ TURKEY

After sticking, the birds are brain
 ed by running the point of the knife
 under the eye or into the roof of the mouth in such way as to strike the inside of the skull directly between
 the eyes. The knife may be slightly
 twisted when a point reaches the
 brain, the bird giving a characteristic quiver when properly brained, after
 which the feathers pick easily.
 The feathers are usually picked in the following order: Flights, main tail, back, sides, breast, legs, and thighs. Turkeys are usually dry pick ed and shipped undrawn to market The long wing feathers bring a good price on the market The methods of killing and dressing turkeys and chick ems are practically the same.
 Market poultry is divided into sever al classes, which vary in different markets. In general there is a class
 called chickens" which covers all chickens up. to the age when the roost- CTS get tough or ''stagy," which is told by the growth of their spurs, which first appear as buttons, and the lack of flexibility of the end of their breast bone or keel After this age cockerels are usually classed as stags or old cocks. Pullets may be classed on the market as fowls after they begin to lay, but are frequently classed as chick ems until they are 1 year old.
 Chickens are usually divided into broilers, those weighing under 21s pounds; springs, weighing from 21s to S1a pounds; and roasters, 31a pounds and over. Capons are unsexed males, which are not usually sold until they are over six months of age In pick ing capOns the feathers are usually eft on the upper part of the neck and last two joints of the wing, including the long wing feathers (flights), tail feathers, mad 21s inches from the tail on the back of and a few feathers around the hook of the legs The breast and lower part of the body are picked clean. The comb is small and undeveloped in a capon. In dressing ducks, geese, and turkeys all the feath- CTS are removed, except in the latter two the wing feather sare sometimes allowed to remain.
 The bird should be healthy, as shown especially by it's head points, such as a bright red comb and wattles and a clear eye. A dark-colored comb and wattles, dull, lusterless eye, and any mucous discharge from or swelling about the eyes or mouth show disease or poor condition. Poultry which are covered with pin feathers, especially )f dark cOlored, are hard to dress neat " In addition to health and cOndi- ton, the bird should be we'll fleshed, which is best told by the amount of flesh on the back, the breast, and pei 7ic bones of the fowl. The flexibility 9f the rear end of the breastbone is the best indication of age in the fowl, This should be very soft and pliable in a young bird, and slightly stiffer and easily bent in a roaster or bullet, 3ftr which age this bone hardens and becomes large and blunt, according tO the age of the fowl. The legs of young birds are smooth and become tougher and scalier as the bird grows older
 The points used in selecting live poultry apply to dressed poultry, such IS health and well-fleshed condition. The appearance of the head is a good way to judge the health, age, and sex ,f a chicken. A matured fowls comb S heavier and thicker than that of a roung bird and larger on a male than ,n female of the same breed; fe- males are invariably bumper than na1es in all classes of poultry. The ,ost dressed poultry are young and ender, as judged by the flexibility of he rear end of the, breastbone. The breast is deep, long, straight, and well Ieshed. The body is we'll fleshed over he back and pelvic bones, evenly col ,red, free from reddish cast or red ipots denoting poor bleeding. and neat V dressed. The flesh should feel soft md springy to the tips of the fingers Poultry should be starved F to IS hours before being killed, so that the ,rop will be empty.