When Ritchie Bros agricultural territory manager Gary Biggs tells people there's a chicken harvester listed on IronPlanet, the phrase immediately elicits a horrified response.
"Everyone in their mind gets the idea it is cutting the heads of chickens," Mr Biggs said.
"They imagine a combine harvester coming through and collecting heads."
Mr Biggs is quick to remind people that when a harvester cuts a crop like wheat, it captures the most valuable part of the crop and leaves the trash behind.
So why would a chicken harvester leave behind the bodies, the most valuable part of the bird?
The simple answer is, it doesn't.
Despite its shock inducing name, a chicken harvester is a machine used to safely collect and pack poultry.
Three hydraulically-operated barrel like drums, covered in flexible rubber fingers rotate against one another to collect the chickens.
The chickens then travel up conveyor belts to a loading platform where they are packed into crates.
Mr Biggs said according to the man who consigned it, the machine is one of only three in Australia.
"The seller used to do the cleaning of the broiler sheds and he was doing the chicken harvesting as part of that as well," Mr Biggs said.
"He's getting out of that side of things so hence he's given it to us to try and sell."
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The 2013 JTT conveying 4x4 chicken harvester has 1174 hours on the clock and is located at Bannockburn, Victoria.
It is radio remote control operated and runs off a Kubota four cylinder engine.
Mr Biggs said it is a "specialised piece" but beats the alternative, workers having to run around and catch the chickens by hand.
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