Blood Loss by Chickens during Killing

Abstract IN PROCESSING poultry for market, the total and relative amount of blood lost through bleeding has always been of interest from the economic standpoint as well as with respect to the appearance of the dressed poultry. Since a large percentage of the blood of the chicken’s body is located in the small veins and capillaries, much of the blood remains in the body of the bird after death. This blood is present in the carcass of the bird when consumed, the larger blood vessels appearing as black strings. The accepted value for the loss of blood and feathers is 10 to 11 percent of the body weight. The loss due to blood alone is very seldom separated from total loss. Vernon (1923), quoting U.S.D.A. Bulletin 1052, shows a loss of 3.3 to 4.0 percent due to blood for hens and broilers, respectively. Mitchell, Card, and Hamilton (1926) report similar results . . .