The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-11-25
HOW TO PACK POULTRY
Specialists Recommend Methods of
Handling Poultry Under Adverse
Weather Conditions.

Poultry packers are urged Dy tue
specialists OF the Department of Ag-
riculture to give unusual attention
to preparing and packing their birds
for shipment, particularly if the mild
weather, which has been widely prev
alent this autumn. continues. The
poultry specialists say that the wealth
er conditions in many sections have
been very similar to those which pre-
vailed in the autumn of 1913 and
which, as poultry shippers will re-
member, proved disastrous to all
packers who did not dress, chill and
pack properly.
The specialists, therefore, recon-
mend 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 unfavorable
/. Keep the holding batteries fo-
your coming stock clean, we'll aired,
and free from vermin, and see that
the chickens have plenty of fresh
water and plenty to eat.
2. Don't kill a 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 in
testines Of a dressed chicken causes
loss of flavor and hastens decay which
more than offsets any gain from extra
weight.
3. Good bleeding Is absolutely es-
sential to good appearance on the
market and retards decay. Circular
81, Bureau of Chemistry, Department
of Agriculture, explains the best meth
DDS 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.
s. Dry pick If possible. Scalding
is particularly undesirable because 1t
hastens decay.
s. Chill every dressed bird until
the body temperature is below 35 de-
grees F. Never pack or ship an i'm
perfectly chilled bird. More decay is
due to imperfect chilling than to any
other single factor In dressing. Dry
chill, II possible. Chickens cooled
in water lose flavor, decay sooner,
will not cold-store as satisfactorily
as dry-chilled, and are in every way
more undesirable on the market. Re-
frigerator cars will carry well-chilled
goods in good condition, but they can
not chill warm goods to sufficient
ly low temperature.
| T. Pack in boxes or small kegs
whenever possible. A large barrel
makes an undesirable package, be-
cause where poultry is packed in
large masses the weight Of the upper
layers crushes the birds at the bot
tom.
8. Line all packages with parch-
ment paper and cover the top Of the
poultry before the lid is put on,
9. Wrap every head in suitable pa
per so that blood from one bird will
not mar the appearance of another
10. Use only good refrigerator cars
and see that they are in good order
Ice and salt the car "a hours before
loading. The car, at the end Of "a
hours, should show temperature be-
low 40 degrees F. at point four feel
above the floor and between the
doors.
Never handle chickens roughly
either before or after killing. Rough
handling causes bruises, broker
bones, Scared skins, and soft places
in the flesh. Undue haste on the par
of the killers and pickers results il
lowered keeping quality and poor ap
pearance Of the product.
Piecework, which leads to quantity
rather than quality, makes for lowel
prices on the market. Those who
pay by the piece should remembe
that they sell by the quality of thu
pieces.
These directions will apply will
equal force to turkeys intended TO
the holiday market.