The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-12-02
How To Pack Poultry.
Specialists Recommend Methods Of Han
ding Poultry Under Adverse Weather
(Snndifinne

Specialists Recommend Methods Of Han
ding Poultry Under Adverse Weathe
Conditions.
Poultry packers are urged by thu
specialists of the department to Civ
unusual attention to preparing and pack
ing their birds for shipment, particularly
if the mild weather., which has beer
widely prevalent this autumn, continues
The poultry specialists say that tn.
weather conditions in many sections have
been very similar to those which prevailed
in the autumn of 1918 and which, as poul
try shippers will remember, proved disas
trous to packers who did not dress,
chill, and pack properly.
The specialists, therefore, recommend
| the particular observance of the following
methods of handling dressed poultry,
which are essential to perfect product
at any time and are of vital Importance
whenever weather conditions are I'M
favorable:
Methods of Handling Dressed Poultry.
l. Keep the holding batteries for your
incoming stock clean, we'll aired, and
free from vermin, and see that the
chickens have plenty of fresh water and
plenty to eat.
g. Don't kill chicken when the crop
is full of feed. Give the chicken only
water for "a hours before it is killed.
Food in the crop or in the intestines of a
dressed chicken causes loss of flavor and
hastens decay, which more than offsets
any gain from extra weight.
8. Good bleeding is absolutely essen
tial to good appearance on the market
and retards decay. Circular 81, Bureau
of Chemistry, Department of Agricult-
ure, explains the best methods of bleeding
and loosening the feather muscles for
dry picking.
4. Hang the chicken by both feet
while picking. Hanging by one leg
spoils the shape of the bird. Picking on
the lap gets the skin dirty and hastens
decay.
5. Dry pick if possible. Scaiding is
particularly undesirable because it has
tens decay.
6. Chill every dressed bird until the
body temperature is below IS deg. F.
Never pack or ship an imperfectly chilled
bird. More decay is due to imperfect
chilling than to any other single factor
in dressing. Dry chill, if possible.
Chickens cooled in water lose flavor, de-
cay sooner, will not cold-store as salts
factorily as dry chilled, and are in every
way more undesirable on the market.
Refrigerator cars will carry well-chilled
goods in good condition, but they can
not chill warm goods to 81 Efficiently low
temperature.
Z. Pack in boxes or small e. when
ever possible. A large barrel makes an
undesirable package, because where
poultry is packed If large masses the
weight of the upper layers brushes the
birds at the bottom.
g. Line all packages with parchment
paper and cover the top of the poultry
before the nd is put on.
g. Wrap every head in suitable paper
so that blood from one bird will not mar
the appearance OF another
TO- Use only good refrigerator cars
and see that they they are in good order.
Ice and salt the car "a hours before
loading. The car, at the end of "a hours,
should show a temperature below 40
deg F. at d point feet above the floor
and between the DOORS
General Suggestions
Never handle chickens roughly, either
before or after killing. Rough handling
causes bruises, broken bones. SCARED
skins, and soft places in the flesh.
Undue haste on the part of the killers
and pickers results in lowered keeping
quality and poor appearance of the pro-
duct.
Piecework, which leads to quantity
rather than quality. makes for lower
prices on the market. Those who pay
by the piece should remember that they
sell by the quality of the piece.-U. S
Dept of Agriculture