Once you know your target capacity, the next decision is the level of automation — and this is less about which is "better" and more about which fits your labour market, budget, and growth plans. Both approaches are used successfully across very different businesses.
Semi-automatic plants
Semi-automatic setups — a Hy-Cab cabinet unit or a hybrid line with an overhead conveyor — combine individual machines at each stage, with birds moved manually or via a simple conveyor between stations. They typically handle 200 to 600 birds per hour and involve more manual labour at each step.
Fully automatic conveyorized plants
Fully automatic plants run birds continuously through scalding, defeathering, and chilling on a single overhead shackle line, with minimal manual handling in between. This delivers much higher and more consistent throughput — our conveyorized plants range from 500 up to 4000 BPH — at the cost of a larger upfront investment.
The real trade-offs
Semi-automatic lines cost less upfront and are simpler to maintain, since each machine is largely independent — a fault in one station does not necessarily stop the whole line. Fully automatic lines cost more to install but reduce labour cost per bird significantly at volume, and depend on more technical maintenance capability on-site, since a fault anywhere on the conveyor line can affect the whole run.
Who typically chooses which
Semi-automatic setups are common for new entrants, smaller regional processors, and businesses proving out a new production line before committing larger capital. Fully automatic plants make more sense for large-scale and export-focused operations that need consistent high throughput, or for businesses in markets facing skilled-labour shortages where reducing manual handling has a direct cost benefit.
There is no wrong starting point
Many processors start semi-automatic and move to a fully automatic line as volume grows, rather than choosing full automation from day one. If you are unsure which fits your situation, walk us through your volume, labour situation, and growth plans and we will recommend a starting point.