Killing and Preparing.

All classes of poultry should be fasted sixteen to twenty-four hours, according to age, &c, before being killed; and their feet should be washed.

Fowls: The Melbourne shippers now break the birds' necks, and hang them up by the legs long enough to let the blood collect in the head and neck. They formerly bled them. I should advise either to break the nack in poulterer's fashion, as above, or to take the bird by the wing and fees legs and stun it by hitting its head against a post, then to hang it up by legs, and run the blade of a penknife into the brain through the roof of the mouth. It will thus be properly bled, and the flesh will be white. In either case, the head should be carefully tied up in paper, to avoid soiling the bird during plucking and afterwards. The legs should be tied before killing.

Ducks may be killed the same way as fowls. They must be hung up at least ten minutes to bleed. Some people cut their throats, and they bleed well this way. The head must be carefully tied up in paper.

Geese: Lock their wings and hang up by the legs, Take by the beak with one hand, and stun by a blow from a sapling on the back of the head, then run a penknife into the brain through the roof of the mouth, After being thoroughly bled tie up the head in paper.

Turkeys: The neck may be broken and the bird hung up, or it may be stunned by a blow on the head, and then bled as above. Tie up the head in paper.

Rough handling and killing is specially to be avoided, as tending to injure the appearance of the birds.

After the birds have been sufficiently bled, and while still warm, they Should be plucked. If allowed to get cold the skin is apt to tear, and this is against the birds fetching a good price. Care should be taken to have clean hands, and to avoid soiling their skins, for washing them is objectionable. The less handling the breast gets the better. They should be plucked clean, except the head, upper part of neck, and wings. Singeing is unnecessary, and rather a disadvantage. The only other thing to be done is to draw the gut. This is done by inserting a steel hook through the vent, hooking the gut, and pulling it out.

The birds should not be cut at all. Shippers in Melbourne have given up trussing them.