How to reduce noise, stress during broiler harvesting.

How to reduce noise, stress during broiler harvesting.Adopting gentler, yet efficient method for chicken capture can reduce birds’ stress levels, giving a higher-quality processed bird. The standard methods for capture and caging of broilers pre-slaughter, and the loading and unloading of the chickens at the farm and the slaughterhouse are noisy. This results in chickens experiencing stress, which can affect the final quality of the processed bird. #poultry Among factors contributing to this stress is the use of motorized equipment, such as forklift trucks. Forklift trucks raise noise levels, and this is particularly the case when used in closed poultry houses. The harmful effects on broilers of raised noise levels are an increase in blood flow to the thighs which is a physiological response designed to help chickens escape from the source of stress. While the birds may relax on the way to the processing plant, on arrival they are usually unloaded by forklift trucks, with a consequent increase in noise, and so the “flight” response reoccurs, and blood is pumped to the wings and legs.#poultry If there is a delay pre-slaughter, blood will be pumped away from the extremities, alleviating this problem. However, when birds leave the plucker, there may still be a slight pink color to the thighs and wings. While in many plants, this is considered unimportant, in others it is deemed a quality issue and birds cannot be classified as Grade A. #Poultry There is, however, an alternative to the traditional method of harvesting birds that does not rely on the use of forklift trucks with their associated noise, and results in less stress for the broilers. A quieter harvesting method The alternative approach to harvesting has three main elements: A retractable hydraulic arm ending in a fork, similar to that of a forklift truck. A track system of metal pipes with connections that do not impede the movement of cages or pallets that will move over them. Two winches, one used to deliver cages at the start of the track system and the other at its end.