The Story Behind King’s Poultry: A Family Legacy Built on Quality and Accuracy

Family Values and Exceptional Poultry

15 years later, two of his five sons, Levi and Reuben King, rejoined their father, bringing fresh energy and vision to the business. Two years ago, they officially took the reins as owners, continuing the family-owned tradition. Today, King’s Poultry is more than a business, it’s a legacy built on hard work, family values, and an unwavering commitment to quality. Known for producing healthy, nutritious, and delicious poultry products, King’s Poultry remains a trusted name for customers who care about high quality poultry.

From Guesswork to Precision: Why Exact Weight Became Critical

King’s Poultry serves a local customer base of independent growers across the Midwest who raise their own flocks and rely on King’s Poultry to process birds to exact specifications, complete with custom packaging and private labels.

As the King brothers looked to the future, they wanted to focus more on expanding their own operations, yet they could not ignore the steadily growing demand for custom slaughtering. Over the years, the company has earned a reputation for precision and reliability, handling custom orders for growers with flocks ranging from 1,000 to 50,000 birds annually. For these customers, accuracy is everything. Unlike grocery stores, where packages are individually priced due to varying weights, online sellers sell every product type at a fixed price. Therefore, they need every package to meet exact weight requirements to avoid giveaway. This made consistency a critical challenge.

Traditionally, King’s Poultry used a belt grader for chicken breasts, but other cuts were weighed manually. Pieces per package were estimated by taking average weights from a sample population. This process often required significant labour and led to inconsistencies, especially with flock variances.

Collaboration Sparks Innovation

Upon seeing the live demonstration of the BAADER TrueGrader 1810 at the IPPE 2025, the King brothers immediately saw the potential not only for their own business, but their customers as well. After talking to their BAADER Regional Sales Manager Mike Dunlap, they arranged an on-site live demo to see the machine in action with their own product.

Through careful programming and testing, they developed a successful algorithm and optimized machine speed for each of the various products they sell. However, that was not the only challenge that needed attention. The base machine comes equipped with chutes, but the King brothers wanted a more efficient way to transfer weighed portions into the packaging. Dunlap and the King brothers collaborated and developed a new innovative scoop cup solution that streamlined the process.

Efficiency, Accuracy, and a Trusted Partner

The machine was installed in November 2025, delivering impressive and immediate results. The machine’s low cost, labour savings, and compact footprint were the initial highlights for Kings Poultry, but the real win is accuracy. Now with the TrueGrader 1810, King’s Poultry can ensure precise weights, improve efficiency, and boost profitability. As Reuben proudly shares “95% of the packages were within spec and over 75% were within a gram, which is great for our operations and profit line.”

These kinds of results are game-changing for King’s Poultry. By ensuring precise package weights for custom orders, the company can now confidently charge premium prices by delivering added value to customers who demand package consistency. This level of accuracy not only strengthens trust with flock growers but also opens the door to new business opportunities.

Grading Data at Your Fingertips

By implementing BAADER One Edge, you gain full visibility of your grading process:

• Real-time production insights through an intuitive dashboard
• Complete overview of key performance indicators such as machine speed, product count, and product weight
• Easy identification of deviations, inefficiencies, and potential bottlenecks
• Empowerment of operators to make data-driven adjustments and maintain high efficiency
• Access to data directly on the grader or remotely for full operational visibility
• Seamless integration with third-party systems such as MES and ERP