DRESSING OF POULTRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 343, 10 March 1922, Page 2

DRESSING OF POULTRY.

A- PI! ACT I CAL DEMONSTRATION

At .Mr Stubbs's pool ley farm in l-'itz.

i'Mher! street yesterday afternoon .Mr J. aggins gave a most interesting practical lemoiiMralion and lecture to delegates atending the New Zealand Poultry Associaion's eoofeienee on tlie correct method of ri'ssing pnaliry. lie prefaced bis remarks v explaining dial die object ol dressing uribry was to etibaice ils food value and ppearance, on die table. Il was a singular act dial many expert poultry-men could lot ilress a fowl. A knowledge <,l poultry Cessing was a valuable asset. 11 was not fenerally known that, before killing a lowl ~r dressing, il should be starved tor at cast ll.irly-dy hours, so ihal the food in l„ hodv miglit la- given time to drain way. Pasting i fowl bad the result of nereasing by 100 per cent, its eating value, ml r fowl'which had been without food or 56 boors was considerably easier io her- (ban on. which was full of food when Pled, The most efficacious method of Idling n bird, said the lecturer, demonstrating hii ;i living bird, as be spoke, was U, reak ns.neck by a simple downward twist liibi holding the lowl in (he left hand by be feel and wings, bunched together. The ,nvl should be plucked whilst it was warm. Ducks and geese slionld be plucked - when mid. When plucked the body should be inn:,- with the bead downwards, since the lo.nl would then drain to the bead, thirty-six hours should elapse before tin’ iressing operations were commenced. No iMidile should he experienced in dressing , fowl if tire neck were broken close to lie head. In connection with plucking, he hfl hand should grasp, the legs and urn. together and the skin should bo limwmi ligbi to facilitate easy polling of the feathers. The sides and lop should lie Ticked tirsi, said Mi l.iggnis, working as 'n sonke, ;ilt('»■ which the back and hivasl should be done, lo strip the legs was a ..ingle movement of the right band, from I ■uni; in foot. Small feathers on the wings dionld he plucked first, as the large feathers gave a substantial hand-grip. Alien all he fea I her- 1 were pulled, the surface should ' linkheil with a knife, to remove the “Pin feathers’’ which remained. 11 the hodv wore being dressed for export it would not be singed. Also, the entrails would not be removed it il were lo be exported Ibe legs should lie lied neatlv over the hodv, and ibe bead, wrapped in papei. folded back alongside ibe body. In ibo of an exporl body, the Teas! bone was 11 :i In making a small incision behind die leg. ami slipping a knife under the skin i,. sever ihe bone. Ibis was done to make the bird appear lo be in better condition. It was called ‘Me, I fattening." since ’.he hone flu it cited out somewhat and increased , die bulk of the hodv. (A voice; “A l tick ~f the trade?") Tim lecturer: “And a cry useful one. It is always done. ) This concluded the portion of the lecture dealing with (Iressing for export. Mr lug-ins explained that the dressed bodies were despatched without drawing the blood or removing the entrails. Fur borne consumption a bird would li ;! , e m b<> singed, ere the dressing process ,-.tl l l lit, s.dd to be complete. Hie best wav lo singe a bird was to bold it over a Tame of methylated spirits and carefully subject all parts to the beat, Tins was a rleanlv and odorless metlmd. Next the I- <m should be cut off—-not half the leg—and ihe -mews in tin' legs should be cnl. so ;hoi ibi legs would turn hack neatly when skeweteil. The head simnld be cut oil close to Ibe body, leaving a. flap of skm [. i !miian l iic!; . Then cnl the crop. ’Hie membranes, of Ihe, be art ami liver should tir.-t be loosened from the outside. Hie bines Humid never be removed Loin a fowl. \ neat aperture at the point of >e\l'rcee areally expedited the disembowel ling process. With a little pressure Com I lie' util side the intestine-, heart and liver r.itihl ~1! be squeezed out (demonstrated) v . iili ease, ..ml it was unnecessary io spin •be fowl Open to any extent. The flap h'lt when tli.* bead wto severed could then be Imltoned over. \ skewin' tbrongb the wings and the legs, properly folded, com nleP-d tin- dressing of llm bird bn the market The lecturer worked dexterously no lour (I>lf<-i <■!it bodies as be talked and explained in detail every movement. His ■•v ill jhlions and cleanliness ot procedure we,e ei'iune nteii upon by ad) present, and ,i hearty i nmd of applause greeted the i onebtsinn of bis address. |.K( - i fif K ON ANATOMY AND DISEASES. Mr it, 11. Meade, Oovernnc.mt [ ve'erinai ian. delivered a lecture of a lech- [ local iiatoi'e on “Anatomy io Relation to j Poultry Diseases. He. demonstrated the j manner in which to open the body ot a. fowl an-l ear; led onl the whole process <»| v ivis.et ion. Ibe leclnrer explained 'be leiielIeiiel inlis ol die various ol’gaic, and Ills I dissertation included refeicnees io diseased and unhealthy parts. Despite the fact that tile lecture was gi.ee. in the open air, under unfavourable weather comluioiis, a good ‘number ol enthusiasts remained and ac|corded tin leOnrer an attentive bearing.