Cleaning before processing

[Michigan2]

Does anyone do anything to clean up tractor raised broilers before processing? I move the tractor daily and they still have a nice coating of poop on their underside. Would it help to keep them on shavings or something the day before processing? How about turning over some soil so they can dust bathe a little? I don’t plan on bathing them or cleaning them one by one or anything crazy like that. Just seeing if there are any tricks out there that I could try to easily get some of the mess off.

 

[eKo_birdies]

i doubt they'll dust bathe even if given the chance

 

[Dogfish]

No additional cleaning here other than a spray down with a hose after every step, other than scalding. Just bleed, scald, pluck, eviscerate. Once you scald and pluck, they are pretty darned clean. With a proper scald, the very top layer of skin comes off, from what I've seen. (It is kind of yellowish on my CX.) You can clean the exterior of the caracass before you gut if you are concerned about anything else, but by that time they are pretty clean, especially of you are using a tub plucker. Inspect every bird, as you are the quality control.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
I agree completly. A good scald is the key to getting them clean. The orange "skin" will make them appear dirty, and very unappealing.

 

[mike67909]

I spray the breast side with the hose before scalding.