Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #146345
Title: IMPROVED EFFICIENCY OF INTACT CROP REMOVAL FOR BROILER BREEDER ROOSTERS AND HENS DURING MANUAL EVISCERATION

Author
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff
item BOURASSA, D - UGA
item WILSON, J - UGA
item FLETCHER, D - UGA

Submitted to: Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/4/2003
Publication Date: 7/6/2003
Citation: Buhr, R.J., Bourassa, D.V., Wilson, J.L., Fletcher, D.L. 2003. Improved efficiency of intact crop removal for broiler breeder roosters and hens during manual evisceration. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Using a technique that demonstrated improved efficiency of intact crop removal for broilers, experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of the technique in 40 and 41-wk-old broiler breeder roosters and hens. The technique involved (after scalding defeathering, and cutting off the head) separating the neck parallel with the shoulders leaving the neck skin and crop intact. Individual carcasses were then suspended by their wings in a scale. The esophagus was grasped above the proventriculus within the thoracic cavity and the crop pulled through the thoracic inlet. The peak load required to remove the crop from the carcass was recorded, and it was determined if the crops removed were intact or broken. Body weight recorded at cooping was 4.8 kg for roosters and 4.2 kg for hens. Carcasses that had the neck separated prior to crop removal had significantly more crops removed intact (85%, 35 of 40) for both roosters and hens compared to only 20% removed intact (8 of 40 carcasses) for roosters and hens that the neck remained intact. In addition the load required to remove the crop was influenced by gender and treatment. Roosters required a higher load (5.7 kg) than hens (4.9 kg), and for roosters, separation of the neck resulted in a lower load (5.2 kg) to remove the crop than for carcasses that the neck remained intact (6.2 kg). The difference (0.2 kg) in the load recorded for crops removed intact and those that broke, was not significant (P = 0.0511). Separation of the neck prior to evisceration improved the efficiency of intact crop removal and thereby minimized the incidence of ruptured crop contents contaminating the carcass during evisceration.