Analysis
NAICS 311615 is the 2022 national industry for poultry processing, part of 31161 (Animal Slaughtering and Processing). Census lists 24 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 520 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 238,635 people at an average annual payroll of $43,477 per employee (11th percentile of national industries). 14% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which points to larger operations.
Census lists 7 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 311611, 311612, 311613 and 311422. Businesses that do several things are classified by their primary activity, the one that generates the most value, so check those boundaries before settling on this code.
Its index entries, the activities Census uses to assign businesses to this code, include canning poultry (except baby and pet food), chickens, processing, fresh, frozen, canned, or cooked…, chickens, slaughtering and dressing and dressing small game, among 24 in all.
Its goods appear in 44 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 0207 (meat and edible offal, of the poultry of heading 0105…), 1602 (other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal, blood or…) and 0208 (other meat and edible meat offal, fresh, chilled or frozen). That link is how import data is matched to domestic producers, for example in trade-remedy cases.
For example, slaughtering animals (except poultry and small game) and/or preparing meats are classified in 311611 (Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering) instead.
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) slaughtering poultry and small game and/or (2) preparing processed poultry and small game meat and meat byproducts.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Slaughtering animals (except poultry and small game) and/or preparing meats | 311611 Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering |
| Preparing meat and meat byproducts (except poultry and small game) from purchased meats | 311612 Meat Processed from Carcasses |
| Rendering animal fats and oils, bones, and meat scraps | 311613 Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing |
| Canning poultry and small game for baby food | 311422 Specialty Canning |
| Manufacturing poultry-based animal feeds from purchased carcasses | 31111 Animal Food Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing frozen meat and poultry products, such as nationality foods (e.g., enchiladas, egg rolls, pizza) and frozen dinners | 311412 Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing |
| Drying, freezing, and breaking eggs | 311999 All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing |
Index entries (24)
- Canning poultry (except baby and pet food)
- Chickens, processing, fresh, frozen, canned, or cooked (except baby and pet food)
- Chickens, slaughtering and dressing
- Dressing small game
- Ducks, processing, fresh, frozen, canned, or cooked
- Ducks, slaughtering and dressing
- Geese, processing, fresh, frozen, canned, or cooked
- Geese, slaughtering and dressing
- Hams, poultry, manufacturing
- Hot dogs, poultry, manufacturing
- Luncheon meat, poultry, manufacturing
- Meat canning, poultry (except baby and pet food), manufacturing
- Meat products (e.g., hot dogs, luncheon meats, sausages) made from a combination of poultry and other meats
- Poultry (e.g., canned, cooked, fresh, frozen) manufacturing
- Poultry (e.g., canned, cooked, fresh, frozen) processing
- Poultry canning (except baby and pet food)
- Poultry slaughtering, dressing, and packing
- Processed poultry manufacturing
- Rabbits processing (i.e., canned, cooked, fresh, frozen)
- Rabbits slaughtering and dressing
- Small game, processing, fresh, frozen, canned or cooked
- Small game, slaughtering, dressing and packing
- Turkeys, processing, fresh, frozen, canned, or cooked
- Turkeys, slaughtering and dressing