Broiler Industry Big in Charlotte, 1954

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.”