Slaughter installation for poultry suspended by the legs

A slaughter installation for poultry having a neck, a head, legs, and a bill, the slaughter installation comprising:

• a conveyor line with carriers for suspending poultry by the legs;
• a killing device having an upstream and a downstream end;
• a conveying track positioned adjacent to the killing device, the conveyor line conveying the poultry in the conveying track along a transport direction from the upstream end to the downstream end of the killing device;
• wherein the killing device comprises
• a first rotary knife for cutting into the neck of the suspended poultry to cut through an artery or vein in the neck of the poultry while avoiding to cut a trachea, oesophagus, and vertebra in the neck of the poultry;
• and
• a first guide wheel provided upstream and proximate to the first rotary knife, wherein the first rotary knife and first guide wheel are positioned alongside the conveying track, the first rotary knife and the first guide wheel are positioned on opposite sides of the conveying track so as to leave a passageway between the first rotary knife and the first guide wheel, through which passageway the poultry neck is able to pass while being forced into cutting contact with the first rotary knife, the first guide wheel further configured for imparting a twisting motion to the poultry so that the bill of the poultry faces in a direction opposite to the transport direction.