Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 146, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1919 — INCOMPLETE REMOVAL OF BLOOD CAUSES MUCH UNSIGHTLY POULTRY ON MARKETS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

INCOMPLETE REMOVAL OF BLOOD CAUSES MUCH UNSIGHTLY POULTRY ON MARKETS

(Prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture.) Ante-mortem preparations of Biddy and her fuH-grown brood for the guillotine consist in abstaining from food and drinking plenty of fresh, clear water during the 24 hours before killing time. If dressbd pouttry is to reach the consumer with the best of flavor and wholesomeness, the most attractive appearance, and in the best possible staj:e of preservation, it must be properly killed and dressed, as well as properly raised. A large proportion of the unsightly poultry in markets is caused by an incomplete removal of the blood from the carcass. This is evidenced by red dots which frequently appear where the feathers have been removed, - especially over the thighs and wings., or by small veins over the breast and in the angles of the wings, or larger veins which mar the appearance of the neck. Usually it is the neck which shows most plainly the presence of blood in the fowl, or that a wrong method has been used in cutting the blood vessels. The neck is the first part to discolor, becoming first red, then bluish red or purple, and finally green as aging progresses. Often there are discolored areas, which look like bruises, on the sides o,f the neck close to the head. These are commonly caused by the killer holding the neck of the bird when cutting the veins and thereby preventing the blood from escaping. Much Poultry Badty Bfcd. At least 30 per cent of all the poultry reaching the New York market is incompletely bled. Much of It is so badly bled that It results In a loss of from to 2 to 5 cents a pound. Keeping properties of such fowls are inferior. The flesh loses its firmness sooner, Its flavor is not so good; the odor of stale flesh and finally of putrefaction come earlier, and in every way the product is more perishable. When the feathers are removed by scalding, the bird is killed by bleeding alone, hence the incisions to sever the veins are the only ones attempted, and if the attempt fails bad bleeding will surely result. If, on the

other hand, dry picking is to be practiced, the birds are ent to bleed and are also stuck through the brain to paralyze the feather muscles. The latter operation is sometimes performed by running the knife under the eye at such an angle that its point will touch the skull midway between the eyes and a little behind them; or the braining is accomplished by placing the knife about half way down the groove in the roof of the chicken’s mouth, and then thrusting it up until the knife reaches the top of the skull. The knife, as in sticking under the eye, should touch the brain in the back part of the skull. The point of the knife should then be twflsted slightly, so that enough brain tissue may be destroyed to paralyze the bird and cause the feathers to loosen. Bleeding From Brain. If the “outside-stick” method is practiced, practically no blood escapes. But if braining Inside the mouth Is adopted, the cut blood vessels in the brain find an outlet through the knife hole. Bleeding from these vessels, junder any circumstances, is of assistance, in obtaining the best results, and where the neck vessels are missed the condition of the chicken is often greatly improved by the bleeding from the brain. In killing, the chicken Is held in a U-shaped shackle. The thumb of the killer is pressed firmly down on the head just below and behind the ear where the hinge of the jaw occurs. > Pressure <?F the thump on one side of the skull and on the other side at the same place with the forefinger, or with the forefinger and second finger, will result in opening the chicken’s mouth and hold it open while the operator makes the cut to bleed. Held in such fashion, nothing constricts the blood vessels and prevents the blood from escaping. The pressure against the jaw makes accurate cutting of the veins easier, since the bird cannot close its mouth. Care must be taken not to stretch the neck unduly, else the vessels will be pulled to such a narrow diameter that they are more difficult to find and also more difficult to empty.

Correct Grasp of Head at Angle of Jaw and Position of Small Knife When Cutting Vein.