TECUMSEH, Neb. (AP) — Tecumseh Farms has opened a new 30,000-square-foot addition to its poultry processing plant in the southeastern Nebraska city of Tecumseh, expanding its production capacity by 50 percent.
The new facility and remodeled areas in the existing plant house equipment for all of the plant's processes, from receiving chickens to the plant's unique air-chill system, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.
Andria Vetick, marketing and design coordinator for Tecumseh Farms, said the company can't disclose the size of the investment in the addition and remodel. Tecumseh Farms produces the Smart Chicken brand.
The addition includes an upgraded controlled atmosphere stunning process, Vetick said. The process, also known as slow induction anesthesia, uses carbon dioxide to put the chickens to sleep before slaughter and is preferred by animal welfare advocates to electric shock stunning.
"This is not only humane for the birds, but also for our employees," Vetick said.
Tecumseh Farms has processing plants with about 150 employees in Tecumseh, and 400 in Waverly, plus additional account representatives. The company says all of its chickens are raised on 30 family farms in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
