An Automated Live Poultry Handling Operation

ABSTRACT METHODS and equipment were developed to mech-anize the handling of live poultry and transport coops at the receiving dock of commercial poultry pro-cessing plants. Included were a new large-door coop to facilitate bird removal, a modified lift truck mast to han-dle increased loads safely, an automated conveyor system for moving stacks of coops, mechanized bird removal, a belt conveyor to transport live poultry to the hanging sta-tions, and a stacking frame for handling empty coops. Benefits include a reduction of labor for the hanging operation of approximately 30 percent and a reduction in the total physical work required in normal receiving-dock handling of the poultry and coops. The system is now commercially available and (with some minor varia-tions) has been installed in several poultry processing plants.