Systems of operation of poultry processing plant

Large scale poultry enterprises contract farmers to produce birds for them. They contract or own transport to get the poultry to their processing plant. The large scale processor operates his own abattoir where he slaughters, processes, grades, packages, stores and distributes poultry either for his own use or under contract to other large organisations, such as supermarkets. The large scale operator employs his own staff, is responsible for procurement, (or contracts this to a specialist) and is responsible for waste disposal. The whole operation is highly efficient and integrated with all parts of the poultry production, processing and sales industry.

Medium scale operators use similar facilities and staff to slaughter for several organisations who have responsibility for procurement and transport. They may prepare a product to a customers specification.

Small scale poultry processing enterprises, the subject of this document, may use their facilities and staff as described for the medium scale operators. However, the operators may allow the producer or butcher to slaughter his own livestock or contract labour to do so on his behalf. It is best for the small scale operator to employ his own labour or contract this to a well respected contractee and charge the customer a slaughter fee. The customer takes away his poultry and is able to sell it as he wishes, either through direct sales to the consumer or by wholesale to retail outlets or to other poultry users, such as fast food establishments or poultry product manufacturers.

Ownership of birds

Birds are usually raised as the property of the poultry producer such as an individual farmer, farmer cooperative, meat processing company or poultry processing company. Legal ownership rights usually change when birds or carcases are bought or sold. When birds are sold by contract or auction the producer usually relinquishes all rights of ownership. Small scale producers are sometimes integrated into large poultry processing enterprises by contract, which may result in birds being the property of the large enterprise throughout ie the producer is contracted to grow the birds without actually owning them. However, if poultry producers hire abattoir facilities and/or staff to slaughter their own birds, rights of ownership may be retained. The birds are then marketed as a completely processed product or they are sold to a food marketing company. Large scale poultry processing companies usually retain all legal ownership rights until the product is sold to a food distributor or shop. In some cases company ownership rights are relinquished only when the product is sold to the consumer.

Ownership is important because the system of payment to the producer at the point of change of ownership can act as an incentive to grow better poultry. Live birds can be sold by the head (no added incentive) weight (a fair system with minimal incentive) by carcase weight (fair, providing an incentive if a weight/price scale is introduced) or carcase weight combined with a grade to which a price is attached (providing maximum incentive).

Production methods

Modern abattoir poultry processing is generally almost fully automatic. In large and medium scale operations, staff hang birds upside down by their legs from an overhead conveyor which then carries them through a highly organised processing system. They are electrically stunned and killed, scaled and defeathered by machine. In larger scale operations automatic evisceration machinery is used. In medium scale operations of up to about 1000 birds/hour, evisceration, neck and gizzard removal is manually carried out with the aid of labour saving tools and equipment. Automatic weighing and grading systems are also available and packing is semi-automatic with a packing machine controlled by an operator.

In small scale poultry processing operations, slaughter is carried out manually using simple processing equipment. Stunned poultry are held in a bleeding cone, with the head & neck pulled downwards through the opening in the cone. With a typical turnover of up to 500 chickens per hour, plucking is effected dry, most often by hand on a special machine. In operations over about 50 birds per hour, a wet scald system may be used. Pin feathers may be removed by hand or hand held to a simple machine and evisceration is carried out on an overhead rail, carousel or table unless the poultry is to be sold New York Dressed ie defeathered only.

In all operations, carcases are spray washed and chilled rapidly before dispatch or further processing. Carcases and their giblets are reunited in some plants before they are packed, chilled or frozen. Some carcases are processed further into portions or poultry products.

Type of product

Processed poultry is prepared in many forms. Poultry is mainly available fresh, frozen or canned, sometimes in combination with spices and other foods eg chicken curry, as whole carcasses, parts such as leg, breast or wing deboned or bone-in. Poultry meat is also converted into manufactured food products, either alone or in combination with other ingredients eg pate, sausages, cured roll, cooked and raw, ready battered for the fried chicken trade.