39. When there is a mixture containing neveilos and kosher chickens, the rav in charge must determine the status of the chickens. It depends on whether the type of nick that was found is halachically problematic, e.g., if it catches a fingernail (7) or hair (8), or whether it is merely felt or rough (9-10).
40. Some kashrus agencies differentiate between chickens at different stages of the process. Among chickens that still have their feathers, which all poskim agree are viewed as “אינם ראויים להתכבד” (שו"ע , רמ"א יו"ד קא ס"ג ), the sofeik neveilos are botul in the kosher majority, and all the chickens are mutar. The chickens in the mixture which were already plucked, which according to the Rama are considered “חתיכה הראויה להתכבד ” and are not even botul in 1,000 (שם ), are sold to a non-Jew or sold as kosher but not mehadrin, relying on the Shulchan Aruch’s opinion that a raw or very large piece of meat is considered “אינה ראויה להתכבד” and botul b’rov (שם ).
41. Other kashrus agencies remove all the chickens in the mixture after determining the level of the nick. The shechita house manager knows, based on the pace of the conveyor belt, how far the chickens can get in three minutes. All those chickens that entered the sofeik, plus some more, are removed from the belt and sold with a basic, not mehadrin, level of kashrus. They do not rely at all on bitul b’rov.
