The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1922-11-17
PROPER METHOD OF
DRESSING TURKEYS

MAI y
How to dress turkeys and where to
market them is told in a recent bull
.etin Of the state department of agri-
culture, in arranging a market for the
birds raised in the state.
In the survey of the market stu
alton in Montana, the department has
listed the demands of buyers in each
Of the larger towns. Swift & Co. of
Great Falls is quoted as in the market
for $4,000 pounds of turkeys of No.
/ grade and properly dressed. Mis-
soula is listed for 1000 turkeys, Bill
lings for $4,000 pounds, Butte for birds
in both large and small lots; Lewis
town buyers are willing to take an
unlimited number of birds of high
grade; Kalispell will purchase in linn
tied quantities.
The estimates on the seasons
prices set by several of the buyers
promise a good market on turkeys. In
the Montana towns the price tends to-
ward so cents for the poultry men.
In the Twin Cities, the buyers pre-
dicted prices ranging from 35 to 40
cents. The buyers in Chicago predict
prices from 80 to so cents a pound,
Some of the direction given for
dressing and marketing follow:
$50 that Montana turkeys may be
fitted, dressed and shipped to reach
the market in top condition, these sug-
gestions may be of value to the grow
er. Turkeys should go to the market
dressed. The mar or woman who en-
cages in turkey raising, therefore,
should become thoroughly familiar
with the best methods Of killing, dry
picking, cleaning and packing the tur-
keys.
"1n many ways Montana is an ex-
~ceptionally favored state for turkey
growing but this advantage is lost if
thin stock or improperly dressed and
packed stock is marketed.
We recommend with all possible en-
phasis that growers in a community
where there are quantities of turkeys,
arrange to prepare and sell their stock
collectively. They could thus make
arrangements in town for someone
expert at killing and picking, to ham
die the stock on certain days when the
growers could bring the birds to town.
In Montana, where a great deal of
stock is not ready by Thanksgiving it
would be wise to market it in an or
derby fashion and not rush it all upon
the early market, which is attractive
for plump, fancy birds but is not good
for the poorer grades. At a sugges-
ton, therefore, it might not be a bad
plan for the turkeys in this state to
move to market at regular intervals
from November II to December "a,
reaching the peak movement along
about the middle of December.
"In selecting poultry to be dressed
for market only the fat, fancy, meaty,
finished birds should be picked out.
The remainder should be thrown back
for further feeding and fattening for
marketing at an early date. If the
flock is large, this operation can be
repeated three or four times, or until
the entire flock is marketed.
AFTER the birds are selected they
should not be fed for ~ hours before
dressing. When poultry is dressed the
crop must be empty. If the crop con-
tains food, in a very short time the
food or ferments, the crop be-
m dark, even black, sometimes,
and r." appearance of the bird is
greatly injured.
"All turkeys f"r ~,arket must be
dry picked and if possible ~hould be
dressed on the farm where they were
raised, as turkeys are very nervous
and begin to shrink as soon as they
are confined or removed from their
natural feeding ground. For this rea-
son live turkeys should never be
shipped to market. They start shrink
ing as soon as they are placed in a
coop.
ITO kill for dressing, bleed through
the mouth. Use kife long enough so
as to cut the juglar vein we'll blk
Of the left ear. To paralyze the
nerves, which is necess"~y to loosen
the feathers well, as soon as the jug
ular vein is cut, Immediately pierce
the brain so that the blade of the
knife enters the brain just back of the
eyes. Move the knife blade back and
forth so as to thoroughly paralyze the
nerves. Feathers will loosen and may
be picked rapidly and easily. Do not
smear the bird with blood or in any
way soil it.
"After the birds are dressed they
should be hung up by the feet, head
down and allowed to hang in a cool
place over night. 1t is very neces-
sary that all body heat be removed
from the bird before it is shipped.
The following morning the heads
should be wrapped in paper. Plain
wrapping paper will do and after this
wrap each bird in paper. Newspaper
will do for this"