Apparatus and method for stunning poultry with minimum damage to the poultry products

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for stunning and separating poultry during the stunning process. The apparatus includes a multi-zone trough having a plurality of basins and a separator adapted to separate shackled poultry hung from a conveyor system into a respective one of the plurality of basins. Each of the plurality of basins is separated by a divider. Once separated, the divider maintains the poultry in a separated condition during a stunning process.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61 / 333,972 filed on May 12, 2010.[0002]This invention is related to the poultry industry and, more particularly, to an apparatus for stunning and separating poultry during the stunning process.[0003]In the U.S. and throughout the world, poultry consumption is very large. With the increasing popularity of wings and other parts, the poultry industry is now benefiting from the sale of poultry parts that, in the past, would have been thrown away. However, one of the problems the poultry industry faces is damage to poultry parts during processing, resulting in millions of dollars being unrealized.[0004]In current poultry processing plants, chickens or other poultry are typically hung on a shackle of an inline conveyor system which delivers the chickens to a stun zone where stunners are used to render chickens unconscious. The inline conveyor system positions the chicken...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]Different voltages, different currents in the stunner, and increased distances from hanging shackle to hanging shackle on the conveyor systems have all been tried with little or no improvement in reducing the physical damage caused to the poultry during this phase of the processing.

[0007]Accordingly, there is a need for a poultry processing apparatus that allows the poultry to be processed while minimizing the amount of physical damage to the poultry.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008]These and other shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by the present invention, which provides an apparatus for stunning and separating poultry with minimal damage to the poultry products.

Problems solved by technology

In the U.S. and throughout the world, poultry consumption is very large.

However, one of the problems the poultry industry faces is damage to poultry parts during processing, resulting in millions of dollars being unrealized.

As a result, the wings and shoulders of the chickens are damaged.

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