By George Hobson, Mecklenburg
County Farm Agent, as printed in the September 1954 issue of Charlotte: Spearhead of the New South!
published by the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce
The broiler processing industry is becoming big business in
Charlotte. How big? Over 10,000,000 chickens are now being killed and dressed
yearly in the five poultry processing plants located in the city. Carriker,
Hanline, Pierce, Thompson and Dilworth poultry processing plants are handling
200,000 birds per week. Almost daily large refrigerated trucks are loaded out
for Florida, St. Louis, Chicago, Washington, Baltimore, or New York.
Of course our own food stores in Charlotte and surrounding
towns have always had an abundant supply of our freshly killed, tender broilers
ready for the housewife that were processed in our modern plants.
What does this mean in dollars in trade? First, it means
that about $6 ½ million are paid to farmers for the broilers. It means that the
farmers spend a large portion of this money for feed and baby chicks. It means
90 million pounds of grain and oil meals are converted into palatable poultry
feed in our feed mills. It means added income for hundreds of poultrymen. It
gives steady employment to over 200 people in the processing plants. In
addition, it gives employment to the trucking firms, railroads, hatcheries,
poultry supply houses, feed dealers and other related trades.
Where are these broilers grown? Some of them in Mecklenburg
County—nearly a million of them. Some are grown in Union, Gaston, Lincoln,
Cabarrus and Stanley counties. The rest come from the North Wilkesboro and
Siler City areas.
Most of these nice tender, juice broilers should be grown
nearby Charlotte. The processers would prefer them closer home. Mr. Poultryman,
if you are interested in the broiler business, see your favorite poultry
processor. He may have room for you.
Only a few years ago, it took about 15 pounds of feed and
from 12 to 14 weeks to grow a three pound broiler. Today a chicken of the same
size is produced in 9 weeks with 8 pounds of feed. This has been accomplished
through breeding a faster growing bird, a great improvement in the feeding
formula and scientific management. This modern broilers is produced much
cheaper, is more tender, more juicy, and more tasty. No wonder the youngsters
and Pop are saying, “Pass the fried chicken, Mom.”
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