I work in a chicken factory. AMA!

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

Anything you might’ve wanted to know about what really goes on in a chicken processing factory I might be able to tell you! (I’ve only been there 6 weeks so I don’t know EVERYTHING. But I know a bit!)

I came here looking for this comment 😃

Congratz OP, a v interesting thread.

I was just thinking "Hurraaaah! I can eat more chicken without guilt" when I checked on the use of CO2. Apparently it does cause distress, especially as chickens are more sensitive to it than humans (think: canary in coal mine).

I was hoping you meant CO, so they just sort of fell asleep like someone with a dodgy gas boiler/car exhaust, but apparently not. And the reason we don't use CO is that it would be toxic.

Still, we are eating chicken tonight 🫣

When I was unemployed I came across vacancies for chicken processing plants. One thing I remember is that it seemed they had to wear protective clothing all day long including something looking like a gas mask. The other thing that I remember is that one of these places had minibuses that could pick up workers from all over the place.

Yep PPE all day long! Hardhat, hairnet, beard net (for bearded people), white coat, plastic disposable apron, plastic sleeve covers, warm gloves, latex gloves x2 pairs, a chainmail glove on your non-dominant hand if you’re using a knife, and wellies. If you wear a turban though, as we do have a few Sikh men, they wear a kind of giant hairnet type thing that covers their turban AND beard in one go. I’m not sure what they’re called though.

Not sure what the gas mask looking thing was though! Unless they were the people who dealt directly with the killing or evisceration..? I can’t recall seeing the Kill and EV folks wearing masks though 🤔

Yes I’ve seen that some factories do run a shuttle bus service which is pretty cool if you don’t drive or not close enough to walk/bike!

Thanks for the AMA, it's been super interesting! When you say carcasses (bones etc) go into chicken nuggets and sausages, is this all chicken nuggets or just super cheap ones? While I'm grossed out, I like the fact there's no waste

I’m not 100% sure if I’m honest. I’m just assuming it’s the cheap nuggets because I know the pricier brands like Birds Eye etc boast that theirs are 100% chicken breast. I think it probably is the cheaper chicken products though, you know the ones where the meat is mushy? That’s probably ground up bone and skin (I only realised last week that the skin goes into it too!) with no actual meat.

This thread has been fascinating!

Although, imagine, you could capitalise on your experiences and write a kindle unlimited romance novel based out of a chicken factory. Mainly to see how many innuendos you could shove into it.

🤣🤣🤣

Kylo Hen had never met a nugget he couldn’t stuff, or breast he couldn’t Kiev. Yet, seeing Hetty bob across the coragrated steel floors in her PVC standard issue wellies made him realise that in her, he had truly met the one he could call his hen.

Brilliant thread OP thank you.
Would you now, possibly more so, recommend buying chicken meat from a local butcher rather than via a supermarket because of what you’ve seen?

We had an elderly hen and can confirm when she died, the others ate her, rhere wasnt much left tbh. Can also confirm they will win against a rat and eat them..... but never the tails for some reason!

Absolutely fascinating thread op, thanks for sharing all this with us.
We have some hens at home, they are endlessly entertaining, silly and fascinating creatures that give us delicious eggs!
We also eat chicken, it’s versatile and one of the few meats both my dds will eat.
not sure I have any questions but well done for just getting on with it, I know many a person who would turn their noses up at such a job but if you eat meat it doesn’t just land on your plate from nowhere, there are many steps inbetween and too many people would just rather pretend none of it happens.
Also, I’ve had some incredibly boring/tricky jobs and agree that it’s the kindness of colleagues that get you through it, they become quite important!

I had no idea that bones go in chicken nuggets. How? Surely they don't taste like the meat? Or have a different texture?

mechanical recovered meat go in all sorts of nuggets
ie crushed bones

Amazing 🤣

My grandad kept (free range) hens - Mum always told me 'Chickens are cannibals!'

Some breeds of hen are bred to produce lots of eggs and they are the ones always ravenous for protein and calcium. They will also scratch up your garden more so best to think about that before choosing breed.

What do you mean dispatched by hand? 🤢

This has made me feel quite sick!

@newsenmum its just nature. Battle of the fittest is common in lots of packs of animals. Circle of life and all that.

Maybe off topic OP but I’m sorry to hear you got a bollocking at work. You sound great with a fabulous work ethic and I wish you all the best in the chicken factory or elsewhere!

Love this thread, I’m also a bit relived that there isn’t halal slaughter method being used, I know I shouldn’t be happy they are being gassed either but rather that.

wow this should become a book.

Exactly how you’re (probably) thinking. Their necks are wrung, it’s quick, easy and requires no extra equipment so therefore the only cost is the loss of money from the wasted chicken. I am told this is a very rare occurrence though. I don’t work in Kill and EV though so I can’t really confirm.

Thank you! I still say it was unfair 😒 I was written up for slow/poor trimming but the cutter I was with was absolutely dreadful and every breast he was cutting off had half the keel bone in it which had to be cut out. No-one could’ve kept up with that! My supervisor told me there was 73kg of meat I did not trim, which I dispute because there were already two tubs full of untrimmed breasts when I got to that station!

Anyway, they’re now trying out a new method of pairing the trainees with experienced cutters who won’t get all the shitty bits so trimming for them is much easier.