MODULE #: 12�PROCESSING CHICKENS

PROCESSING

FEED WITHDRAWAL

• Help reduce fecal contamination of the processed carcasses
• Help reduce the number of broken intestines
• Match time off feed with the workday processing birds
• Too short: Feed in crop and digestive system leading to increased chance for fecal contamination
• Too long: Watery digesta and fragile intestines leading to problems when processing the birds

FEED WITHDRAWAL

• No less than 6 hours
• No more than 12 hours

FEED WITHDRAWAL

• Example:
• Pull feed at 10 PM the night before
• Replace the feed at midnight the night of processing
• Pull the feed a second time at 2 AM
• Begin processing at 8 AM
• Finish processing at 2 PM

CATCHING THE CHICKENS

INDUSTRY – AUTOMATIC PROCESSING

Birds should be handled with care to prevent bruising and broken bones.

Birds held in coops should be held off the ground to prevent contamination from water on the docking station floor.

Note that the crate with birds is stack on an empty crate.

Place the bird into the bleeding cones.

Birds should be stunned with the electrical stunning knife.

Place knife on the non-feathered part of the head to improve contact.

Always wear rubber gloves to prevent shocks.

To properly bleed the bird, cut the jugular veins on both sides of the neck just below the junction of the head and neck.

Do not completely cut the head off.

Once the bird has expired remove the bird from the bleeding cone and place them on the deck of the scalder.

The scalder should be at approximately at 140°F.

The time will vary so do a test run.

Caution the scalder surfaces are hot!

The feathers on a properly scalded bird will be easy to remove.

Do not over scald.

Be careful the birds and water are hot.

Place the scalded birds on the deck of plucker.

Start the plucker (make sure the water is on) and push the birds into the drum.

When plucker stops remove birds.

Check for any removed heads.

A properly plucked bird may have a few remaining feathers (bird on left is properly plucked, bird on right will require extra work to remove feathers).

Place birds into tote and send into a separate evisceration area.

Do not drop birds.

All birds that fall on the floor of the killing station must be discarded.

Remove preen gland

Properly removed preen gland

Place the bird’s neck in your hand.

Cut along the back of the neck.

Pull the skin of the neck away from the neck and isolate the trachea and the esophagus.

The trachea (left) has rings of cartilage while the esophagus (right) does not.

TRACHEA

ESOPHAGUS

Follow the esophagus back towards the base of the neck and find the crop.

Loosen the crop from the skin and cut the crop.

Pull the trachea from the body cavity.

To open the body cavity, cut a hole at the base of the tail above the vent.

Reach in the body cavity and hold the large intestines.

Continue cutting around the vent.

Pull the cloaca and large intestines loose from the body cavity.

Cut the skin from the opening to the keel.

Place the bird’s head and neck into the shackles to allow easy removal of the internal organs.

Reach into the body cavity and loosen the internal organs.

Carefully remove the organs.

Do not tear or break the intestines.

Inspect the intestines for signs of disease and abnormalities.

Normal Internal Organs

Heart: Clear membrane around heart

Normal Internal Organs

Liver and Spleen:

• Color is mahogany to light tan
• Clear membrane
• No hemorrhages

Gall bladder: Intact

LIVER

LIVER

GALL BLADDER

SPLEEN

Normal Internal Organs

Gizzard: Firm, no hemorrhages

Normal Internal Organs

Intestines: Intact, clear membranes, and no hemorrhages

Once inspection is done, remove the organs and discard.

Remove the lungs with the lung remover.

Normal Internal Organs

Lungs: Bright pink in color

Remove the head and the neck.

You can keep the neck as an edible part.

Do a final inspection for abnormalities.

Remove the bird from the shackle and cut off the feet at the hock.

WATER CHILLING

Place carcasses in chill tank.

AIR CHILLING

Once chilled to lower than 32°F.

Carcasses can be removed from chill tank and drained.

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

OVER SCALDING AND COOKING OF THE CARCASSES

The flesh of the carcass is white in color and stringy indicating that the flesh is cooked.

Check scalder water temperature and the cycle time for the scalder.

IMPROPER BLEEDING OF A CARCASS RESULTING IN A CADAVER

Note the red color and blood pool.

The bird was not properly bled due to either improper bleeding time or the jugular views were not properly cut.

Bruised wing that would need to be trimmed off the carcass.

Careful handling of live birds will help prevent this problem.

Deep muscle bruising that requires removal of breast muscle.

Careful handling of live birds at the farm and at the time of load out.

A very torn up carcass that has the intestines have been ruptured contaminating the carcass.

The carcass is not salvageable, and must be discarded.

The cause was a broken picker finger in plucker.

Carcass with torn skin that does not damage the intestines or safety of the carcass.

The appearance of the carcass is damaged but this carcass does not need corrective action.

Excessively fat carcasses can tear easily.

BIRD HAS A FULL CROP

The feed was not removed from the birds prior to slaughter.

Full crops and intestines increase the chance of fecal contamination.

Process should stop and allow time for birds to empty their crop and digestive system.

POORLY PLUCKED BIRD (right).

Bird will require hand plucking.

Check water temperature of scalder and the cycle time.

IMPROPERLY CUT PREEN GLAND.

Note the two oil sacs of the preen gland.

SMALL BODY SCRATCH:

This is a small body scratch (at the point of the knife) that was caused by the toenail of another bird.

Possible cause is overcrowding or lack of feeder space.

SMALL BODY SCRATCH:

The appearance of infected flesh under the skin.

The flesh is necrotic in nature making unfit to eat.

SMALL BODY SCRATCH:

The amount of flesh to be removed is far greater than the original scratch would indicate.

TORN INTESTINES WITH FECAL MATERIAL LEAKING ON CARCASS

Carcass will need to be washed and chilled separately from other carcasses.

Causes include improper vent cut.

The feed withdrawal could be greater that 14 hours which can result in fragile easily torn intestines.

CARCASS SALVAGE

• If a carcass is contaminated with fecal material it must be pulled
• The carcass gets a chlorine rinse
• The carcass is tagged for identification
• The carcass is placed in a separate chill tank
• The carcass must be below 40F in 3 hours or is discarded

GOOD �MANUFACTURING �PRACTICES

EMPLOYEE HYGIENE PRACTICES

• No sick people allowed
• No boils, sores, infected wounds, etc.

EMPLOYEE HYGIENE PRACTICES

• Clean shaven or wear a beard-net
• Everyone wears a hair net

EMPLOYEE HYGIENE PRACTICES

• Keep hands and fingernails clean.
• Keep fingernails properly trimmed.
• No fingernail polish, false fingernails, false eyelashes, etc.
• No jewelry, other than smooth wedding bands, is permitted.
• Jewelry is a major hazard and a major reason for recall of product. Jewelry is also a major concern due to inability to sanitize the piece adequately.

EMPLOYEE HYGIENE PRACTICES

• Clothing must be clean at start of operation and kept reasonability clean during the operation.
• Where clothing may become soiled rapidly, and operators are exposed to open product, disposable or plastic aprons should be worn over clothing and changed frequently for added protection against product contamination.
• Clothing must be maintained in good repair.
• Pockets above the waist are not allowed.
• Carry no items in any manner above the waist for it will fall into product eventually.

EMPLOYEE HYGIENE PRACTICES

• When wearing a sweater, sweatshirt, or other garments, wear them under the outer garment.
• Sweaters should be shorthaired, close knit and lint-free
• Shoes should be of sturdy construction to afford some impact protection.
• Only low heel shoes are permitted.
• Shoe types prohibited are canvas, nylon, sandals, sandal type, open heels, open toes, deep grooved soles (1/4 inch or more)
• Keep shoes clean, neat and in good repair.

EMPLOYEE HYGIENE PRACTICES

• Gloves for handling food and food contact packaging supplies must be intact and in sanitary condition.
• Gum chewing and tobacco usage are not permitted in any area of the facility.
• Operators shall not hold toothpicks, matchsticks or similar objects in the mouth while on the job.
• Pencils, cigarettes, or other objects held behind ears are forbidden.

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EMPLOYEE HYGIENE PRACTICES

• Avoid use of hands which may result in contamination of food products.
• Touching the face, adjusting the glasses, wiping the forehead, placing fingers on or in mouth, nose or ears
• Scratching head or body
• Handling product samples for taste testing in an unsanitary manner