The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-10-29

q Mr.. Poultryman: Would you avoid O
Q the heavy losses of last years disas- @
9 trous seasoni Follow this govern @
q mental advice, @
e@@~@%@@@~%@~ o 800 o o 8
FHE fact that 1t will soon be one
year since the calamitous dressed
poultry season of 1913 wrecked
many handlers of poultry, sent tens of
thousands of pounds of chickens, tur-
keys, ducks and geese to the crema-
tory, and left the consumer with such
a strong aversion to the taste of the
poultry that reached the market in
"off" condition that sales have suf-
fered ever since, is being used as the
text Of the sermon which experts in
poultry handling in the United States
Department of Agriculture are
preaching to poultry shippers all over
the country.
Shippers agree that the spoilage of
dressed poultry during the autumn of
1913 was unparalleled, and that the
rest Of the year has been, financially,
one of the worst on record DESPITE the
scarcity of meat. Specialists in the
Department consider that the blame
rests chiefly upon the man who
killed, picked, chilled and packed the
poultry and sent it to market This
man bought the birds alive, hence
they were not decayed when he got
them. The railroads, in general, have
worked diligently at their refrigera-
tor lines and it is we'll known that
shippers who packed their goods
properly found the railroad service
last autumn sufficiently satisfactory
to deliver the product in good order.
The receivers of poultry were hunt
ing for stock that could be sold to a
high class trade-but the inspector
did not have to look far for poultry
that was absolutely unfit for food.
The Department accompanies its
words Of warning with words of ad-
vice to the poultry dressers, telling
them how to handle the birds to en-
sure high quality and a minimum
change in composition.
Cooping.
First: The packer, as soon as the
birds are received, should transfer
them to holding batteries" which
are really coops so contracted that
only few birds are in the same COM
partment. All have an. equal chance
to get food, each has an abundance of
fresh air and absolute cleanliness is
easily maintained.
Feeding.
Second For "a hours before kill
ing the bird is not fed but is given
plenty Of clean water In this way
the crop is emptied and the flavor of
the flesh is improved, as we'll as its
keeping quality. OF course, the bird
does not weigh as much when emp
tied Of food, but it is better to be
paid for few less pounds of poultry
than to receive only freight bill.
Killing.
Third: Killing should be done by
cutting the veins Of the neck from
inside the mouth while the bird is
suspended by the feet-Circular 81
of the Bureau Of Chemistry, gives
the details of how to bleed and to
''brain" that is to loosen the feath-
er muscles so that the birds may be
dry picked, not scalded. Scalded
birds have their keeping quality
greatly reduced.
Removing Feathers.
Fourth: Holding the bird while
removing the feathers is best accom-
plished by the frame" method. The
second best way is what is known as
the String" method, and the worst
methods are the bench" and Tap
Chilling.
Fifth: After the birds are bled
and picked the animal heat must be
removed. The best method of doing
70 is to hang them, head downward
in a room having a temperature be-
tween 80 and 35 degrees Fahrenheit
where they should remain for "a
hours. The temperature must not &C
above IS, nor below 20 degrees, and
the atmosphere cannot be depended
upon to remain within these limits
lsnon -, ooh n picol rofri OF r q tim 10 ~