Margaret Mahaney Talks About TurkeysMahaney, Margaret
Science
Margaret Mahaney Talks About Turkeys
Mahaney, Margaret
Turkeys
Of course, we cannot all sell our turkeys for breeding. That
would entirely rob the table of its Thanksgiving luxury. After
the turkeys are grown and ready for market, quite as much care
and attention should be given to the killing and shipping as to
the proper growing. When these things cannot be done to good
advantage, it would be better to sell them alive. Buyers who are
prepared to kill, dress, pack and ship turkeys and to save the
feathers, should be in a position to pay what they are worth
alive, and should be able to handle them at a profit better than
can the grower, who may not be prepared to do this work to
advantage. So much depends upon marketing them in the best
condition that small growers should either dress and sell to
their home market or, providing it can be done at a fair price,
sell alive to someone who makes a business of handling such
stock. Kill nothing but well fattened stock. It seldom pays to
sell ill-favored stock to the market. Do not give any feed to the
turkeys for twelve hours before killing. This allows their crops
and entrails to become empty and avoids much of the danger of
spoiling. Full crops and entrails count against the value; they
often taint the meat, and prevent it from being kept for any
length of time.
DRESSING
Dry picking is always to be preferred when preparing fowl for
market. When in fine condition, nicely picked, and sent to market
without having been packed in ice, the turkey is at its best and
consequently commands the highest price. When the fowl is
plucked, hang its head down in a cool place until all the animal
heat is gone from the body, being careful not to hang it where it
will be exposed to the cold as it is likely to freeze. Do not
remove the head, feet or entrails, but have the whole carcass,
including the head and feet, perfectly clean.
SHIPPING
For shipping, pack as closely as possible into close boxes or
barrels, nicely lined with white or manila paper. Do not use
brown, soiled or printed paper. Have the package completely
filled so as to prevent the poultry from shifting. Have all the
heads laid one way, breasts up. Do not use hay or straw for
packing as it marks and stains the fowl, detracting from the
value. The above method can only be used when the poultry is sent
to market without being packed in ice, and when this can be done
in safety either in refrigerator cars or for a short distance in
cold weather, it is by far the best.
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