Chicken is one of the most popular and widely eaten meats in the world. But a lot of people don’t know how complicated it is to make chicken. From raising chickens to processing and packaging them, the process of making chicken is long and complicated.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of how chicken is made, right from the start.
Breeding Chickens
The process of making chicken begins with breeding chickens Chicken producers select breeding chickens called breeders that have desirable traits like good egg production, fast growth rates and disease resistance. Different breeds are chosen based on the type of chicken they want to produce – broilers for meat, layers for eggs or dual-purpose birds.
The selected breeder chickens are then either naturally mated or artificially inseminated for fertilization. The fertilized eggs are collected and stored in controlled environments with optimal temperature and humidity.
Incubation of Eggs
After 21 days of storage, the fertilized eggs are transferred to incubators that mimic a broody hen’s nest with proper heat and humidity. It takes 21 days of incubation for the embryos to develop fully.
The eggs are frequently turned during incubation for even growth Towards the end, eggs are moved to a hatcher unit for pipping and hatching Once hatched, the chicks are vaccinated and transferred to a brooder house.
Raising Chicks in the Brooder House
Newly hatched chicks are housed in a temperature and humidity controlled brooder house. They are provided with nutritious starter feed and clean water to support their rapid growth in early weeks.
Proper ventilation, lighting and space allowance are ensured for healthy development. After 3-4 weeks here, the young chicks are ready for the grow-out phase.
The Grow-Out Phase
During the grow-out phase, chickens are moved to bigger, more specialized housing, such as free-range or regular barns. Here, they are fed protein-rich grower feed to keep them growing and gaining weight.
Regular health checks, vaccinations and high biosecurity is maintained to keep chickens healthy. After 4-7 weeks in grow-out, they reach ideal market weight for processing.
Processing Chickens
Once grow-out is complete, chickens are transported to processing plants. They are first stunned to render them unconscious before slaughter. After this comes scalding, beating, gutting, and draining of blood.
Carcasses are thoroughly washed, chilled and inspected for quality assurance. Chicken is then cut into various retail parts, packaged and labeled before storage and distribution.
Key Steps in Processing
Here are some of the key steps chickens go through during processing:
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Stunning – Using electrical or gas stunning to render chickens unconscious before slaughter. This is done for humane handling.
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Scalding – Immersing carcasses in hot water to loosen feathers for defeathering.
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Defeathering – Removing feathers using specialized equipment.
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Evisceration – Removal of internal organs and viscera.
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Chilling – Lowering carcass temperature to prevent bacterial growth.
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Cut-up – Cutting chicken into retail parts like breasts, wings, thighs etc.
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Packaging & Labelling – Packaging cut-up chicken and labelling as per regulations before distribution.
Quality Control and Food Safety
Strict quality control and food safety measures are used at every step of the chicken processing process. Here are some ways chicken quality and safety is ensured:
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Adherence to hygiene protocols during processing.
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Maintenance of proper temperatures during storage and transport.
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Inspection of carcasses by plant staff and USDA.
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Testing for pathogens like Salmonella.
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Proper training of plant staff on safety procedures.
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Following industry regulations and food safety guidelines.
From Farm to Table
The journey of chicken from farm to table involves selective breeding, incubation, raising, processing, and distribution. At each step, care is taken to ensure the health and safety of chickens so consumers can enjoy fresh and wholesome chicken meat.
The detailed process highlights the immense effort and precision involved in supplying quality chicken to grocery stores near us. Being aware of how chicken is made can help us make informed choices and appreciate the food on our plates better.
So the next time you eat a chicken dish, remember the complex process and skilled work that went into bringing it to your table!
Machines Applied in Primary Processing
The blast freezer is mostly used in business to store and keep chicken meat that needs to be frozen. It can freeze the food in minimum time so that the multiple nutrition and fresh flavor of the food can be kept.
This machine is designed for injecting brine into the chicken to add a special flavor.
It can separate meat from bone and the final meat can be used for further processing of meat products such as sausages, meatball, meat pie and so on.
The roaster is used to roast the whole chicken and other poultry like duck, goose. It is also applied to other meat such as pork steak, lamb shashlik, etc. This roasting machine is ideal barbecue equipment for the supermarket, restaurant, individual business household, etc.
The poultry removal machine can effectively pluck off the feathers of the chicken. The detailed steps of feather removing are as following: a. Scale chicken to loosen its feathers in hot water about 70-80 degrees before putting it into the plucker. b. Turn on the plucker, and let the chicken go round and round until all the feathers are plucked off. c. Turn off the plucker, take out the chicken and clean the plucker with water.
Chicken meat is the most vital consumption part of chicken poultry in the market. It can be processed into kinds of traditional meat products like chicken sausage and etc. or new meat products, also can be cooked into different delicious meat food. In recent years, the chicken meat industry has come up with new kinds of chicken meat products that have helped a lot with meeting the growing demand for poultry meat around the world. Here are several common types of processed chicken meat which are much favored by people in daily diets.
Here are two types of chicken sausages: one is sausages and other products with 100% chicken meat, and the other is sausages containing meat mixes including chicken meat such as chicken frankfurter, chicken bologna etc. Chicken sausage production is simple with two main machines applied. Grind 100% chicken meat or meat mixes in the meat grinder and put it in a container. Season with salt and some other flavor, and mix them well. Then stuff each sausage casing with the same amount of meat mixture by the sausage filler.
As the name suggests, coated or breaded chicken products are characterized by the coating of meat surfaces with flour, fat/flour mixes, and breadcrumbs etc. The typical products are chicken nuggets, which are one of the most popular fast food in the world. Besides KFC, Mcdonald’s, stores for chicken nuggets sale have been commonly seen in the street in many cities, where chicken nuggets can be produced in small scale with the simple steps as follows. a. Grind chicken meat by grinding machine with desired particle sizes of 1-5 mm, and mix salt and spices into it, then spread the mixture in a tray to the desired thickness covered with plastic foil, at last freeze it preparing for production. b. After freezing, raw chicken nuggets are cut out from the frozen block by patty making machine. c. Coat chicken nuggets like egg batter coating, etc. The coating content varies from the person to person. d. Fry coated nuggets and scatter some spices on fried nuggets based on customers’ taste.
Chicken burger is easily made from spiced ground chicken meat or meat mixes. The automatic burger patty making machine divides the burger mix into portions of the right weight and shapes them.
Chicken Bones
Here chicken bones refer to abandoned bones in the chicken preliminary processing of slaughtering and cutting. These bones are good materials of soup flavor, bone paste and etc. They are also can be processed into bone meal for feed industry or chemical industry.
Chicken feather can be processed into feather meal as feed additives or agricultural fertilizers.
Chicken internal fat can be made into cooking oil or industrial oil.
Modern Chicken Meat Processing Factory | Chicken Factory
FAQ
How is chicken created?
Chickens are descended primarily from the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) and are scientifically classified as the same species. Domesticated chickens freely interbreed with populations of red junglefowl.
How is chicken made step by step?
Processing: How are chickens slaughtered and processed for meat?Step 1: Arrival at the Processing Plant. Step 2: Stunning. Step 3: Slaughter. Step 4: “Evisceration” . Step 5: Cleaning and Chilling. Step 6: Inspection by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) . Step 7: Additional Testing. Step 8: “Second Processing”.
How is a chicken produced?
The pullets produce fertile eggs, which are sent to hatcheries. Shortly after the eggs hatch, the chicks are sent to broiler farms. There, contract farmers care for and raise the chicks according to company standards. When the broilers reach the desired processing weight, they are caught and taken to processing plants.
How is chicken made?
The process of how chicken is made is a complex and fascinating journey that involves breeding, hatching, brooding, grow-out, and processing. Poultry farmers and processors work hard to make sure that we get fresh, healthy, and tasty chicken. They do everything from choosing parent birds to packaging finished goods.
How are chickens processed?
Processing the chickens for food is the next step after they have reached the right size and weight. This involves harvesting the chickens, which includes plucking the feathers, removing the organs, and packaging the meat.
Are chickens natural or man made?
Chickens are native to the tropical jungles of Southeast Asia, but over the last approximately 8,000 years, chickens have been domesticated and spread around the globe to become one of the most valued domesticated animals.
How are broiler chickens produced?
The broiler chicken production process begins with the grandparent breeder flocks. The breeder flocks are raised to maturity in grandparent growing and laying farms where fertile eggs are produced. Pullets hatch from the fertile eggs, and they are sent to breeder houses. The pullets produce fertile eggs, which are sent to hatcheries.
How are chickens processed & prepared for market?
Chickens are processed and prepared for market through a series of steps, including euthanization, scalding, plucking, and evisceration. The chickens are first stunned and then humanely euthanized to ensure a quick and painless death. They are then scalded in hot water to loosen their feathers, making it easier to pluck them.
What is the chicken processing plant process?
The chicken processing plant process involves a series of detailed steps designed to ensure that poultry products are safe, high-quality, and ready for consumption. Every step, from the first checks and holding to the last packing, is important for keeping the chicken safe and of good quality.