Picking and Finishing 



The small, manually operated drumpicker is still basically the same as 

 when first introduced and machines were observed that had had all parts 

 replaced at one time or another. Newer models have been introduced, some 

 with two drums and with fingers of different shapes and resiliencies for 

 special purposes. 



Manual pickers and small operations go together. Where these machines 

 were operated by the medium-sized plants they were often used as finishing 

 machines after the birds had been passed across sideline machines. The 

 number per plant varied from one to three. There were single and double- 

 operator units and single and double-drum machines. 



In sharp contrast to hand-operated pickers are the large automatic 

 machines installed in series in plants with overhead lines. These pickers, 

 together with special neck and hock scalders, have tended to replace the 

 sideline machines. Four was the standard number of these machines used 

 by the large plants without any sideline machines. In the medium-sized 

 plants the number ranged from one to four, together with one or two 

 sideline machines. As the terminology implies, the automatic pickers do 

 not require individual operators. The sideline machines, on the other hand, 

 are generally double-width and may require two operators each. By install- 

 ing one additional automatic picker a processing plant being studied took 

 two sideline machines off the line, thus releasing up to four workers. 



The basket-type pickers are the latest innovation in the dressing oper- 

 ation. They were observed in operation in a very small poultry and egg 

 store as well as in one of the largest plants. The plants using these ma- 

 chines claimed certain advantages for them: versatility, smaller space re- 

 quirement, a reduction in number of workers, and a high-quality finished 

 product. Where observed, it apparently made unnecessary the quill machines 

 as well as the special neck and hock scalders and pickers. A plant that was 

 remodeling found it could put its New York dressed line, using two of these 

 machines, in a small addition to the present structure and release sufficient 

 area in the original plant to install an eviscerating line. 



Quill pullers must still be operated manually. Except as noted above, 

 they were used by all of the large plants. Some of the larger plants used 

 two machines with one or two operators each. Only one medium-sized plant, 

 and all but one small plant pulled wing and tail feathers by hand. 



Other Equipment 



Singers, washers, and automatic weighers were used by most large plants 

 and by half or less of the medium-sized plants. In-plant chlorination was 

 found in only a few plants. 



Refrigerated storage facilities were available at most plants in all size 

 groups. However, many very small or small plants, selling at retail or 

 delivering locally, used no ice in cooling or packing. Ice-making machines 

 were used by about half of the large and medium-sized plants, but in only 

 two small plants. 



Three types of ice were used: crushed, flaked, and slush. With crushed 

 ice, cakes must be unloaded into the plant and fed into the crusher. Flaked 

 ice is made at the plant and accumulated in storage. Both crushed and flaked 

 ice must be hauled in tanks to the points of use. Slush ice is made and 

 delivered through a completely mechanized system to points of use. 



39 



