Milford chronicle., 1914-12-04
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR
PREPARING FOWLS FOR MARKET
The Dry VS.. The Wet Method of Picking
b. J. H. MeFAUL, Jr.
(AH Rights ReSerUen

k41ft NtgNk
Much Of the attention of the com.
merlcal poutryman Of today, is claimed
by the all-improtant subject OF picking
fowls for market. Therefore, the dry
versus the wet methods must be studied,
and the one selected which is demanded
1 by the public
Most Of the markets demand a dry.
picked bird in preference to one OF the
/ opposite method, and indeed many Of
the numerous commission merchants will
not handle the latter at ALL This is
especially true where the trade comprises
those of the better or even the middle
class.
The market conditions then make it
almost compulsory for the poultryman
t0 dTy-pick in order that his products
may fine ready sale. While this is true,
| 1t is likewise true that many pOultrymen
have not as yet learned the art OF dry
picking II Is particularly true of that
class Of poultry raisers who keep fowls
IN the suburbs and supply a limited but
selected trade in the cities, or those
farmers who make regular weekly or
by-weekiy trips to the city with produce
and chickens.
Dry picked fowls will at all times
bring better price than those which
have been plunged into a pan OF hot
water as soon as life has LETT the body /
and the feathers removed while still hot. !
After picking a fowl by the latter
method notice how quickly it will lose /
its bright color and sweet fresh flavor, |
and become as it were, a rather poor /
looking specimen. This reduces it's sale |
ability to a great extent The characteris- |
tics of a scalded or wet picked bird is /
torn and broken flesh with a sickly /
loOk-with the result that il will soon
begin to decompose.
On the other hand perfectly dry skin
is a sort of protection against bacteria
which cannot be said of a scalded bird
with its torn and broken flesh which
invites infection.
One has Only to get two birds from
cold storage plant in order to test the
relative merits OF the two forms of pick
ing in order to be Convinced that the
dry picked is not only the one desired
by the public but the one to be adopted
for the best interest OF the pOultryman
who is the shipper. Compare the two
specimens of fowls taken from storage
and you will find that the bird that has
been dry picked after a proper bleeding
will have changed but little in its general
appearance from the time it was placed
in the refrigerator, while the wet picked
one has changed greatly In it's color be
ing now a light purple or blue tint and
In addition is slippery or slimey. In fact
it has already begun to deteriOrate, which
causes the bird TO bring less in price than
the dry picked one.
The one and only conclusion to be de-
H. sa kh.se q 70 H. I
picked all birds sent to market. They
are much healthier for food than those
prepared by the wet method, and in ad-
dition look better, taste better and sell
better than the other kind.
You cannot hope to dry pick perfectly
when you first begin. Theorefore, the
better way to attain the art is to begin
with old birds whose skin is tougher than
those of the broier or fryer age,
as the skin of these is naturally more q
tender than that OF the old birds and will 7
tear more readily The feathers of wet
picked birds are wasted as a rule, but at
the most are the source of great deal
Of trouble while those of the dry picked {
1nes may be saved and sold at a snug
sum thus getting every possible bit Of
profit out of each fowl.
Provide a receptacle for the coarse
feathers and another for the fine ones, q
also a bucket to catch the blOod Of the :
iowls. This should be kept from the i
feathers and incidently from the ground !
where YOU must stand while killing and +
bic king the bird Provide yourself with /,
standard killing knife or with pocket !
xnife with suitable blade which should
De short and thin, with a straight point
Now hang the bird by its feet, upon !
Killing frame which has been provided, :
occurring both feet TO prevent its kicking. I
Take the head of the fowl in your lett q
land and after stretching the neck to its !
ul length, open the mouth wide and !
,eep same in this position with the thumb &
md second finger. With the right hand ;,
insert the knife and sever the blood YES !,
els on either side OF the neck, cutting to :
ward the base of the brain. When the r
,ird begins to bleed freely, as it will in g.
ew minuets, press the point of the knife 4
uickly into the brain thus ending al i,
Misery to the bird. By continuing 10 =
Iold the head Of the bird in the left hand y
he flow OF blood is directed into the :
ucket, thus keeping it off the ground
phere you have to stand and from being >,
on other objects. 7
Within a very few seconds the fowl =
ril draw its wings close. and as the tTe- n
lor, passes through the body, begin to b
lex and pick fast as the feathers are then y
pose. Hold the head in one hand, and r.
18th the other grasp the large wing ieath- =
rs and pull. After these are removed -
Ike the tail feathers, then those from the g.
snder parts of the body such as the breast, -
bdoman, wings, thighs and back, and p
sst the pin feathers. In removing the =,
gathers from the tender portions of the -
ird grasp them by the handful and pull o,
] the direction of the least resistance. q
Many persons preparing for the market o
o not singe their birds at all, but in case a,
on prefer this, a small quantity of alcohol ~
laced in a dish may be used, but care p
lould be exercised to prevent chsring or il
eating the skin. b
Do not use water for purposes Of cool -
lg the bird, as this tends to soak the -
in, adds weight and hastens decay. =,
old air viii be found better for this pur. "