Poultry chiller having an integral sump compartment

A transverse wall for forming a sump in a chiller for reducing the temperature of previously eviscerated whole birds and the like, the chiller including a tank having a bird outlet end plate, an auger including an auger shaft and a helical blade structure mounted to and extending about the auger shaft for urging the birds along the tank, comprising:

• a lower portion;
• a central portion;
• a top edge;
• an outer periphery, said outer periphery being shaped substantially similarly to a cross section of the tank;
• and
• wherein disposing said transverse wall in the tank substantially parallel to the bird outlet end plate forms the sump between said lower portion and the bird outlet end plate.

A chiller for reducing the temperature of previously eviscerated whole birds and the like, comprising:

• an elongated tank having opposed bird inlet and outlet ends and defining a reservoir there between;
• a transverse wall extending across said tank at said bird inlet end and forming a sump at said bird inlet end;
• a water circulation system for introducing water into said bird outlet end and draining water from said sump at said bird inlet end, said water circulation system including a pump and a heat exchanger;
• and
• a bypass for circulating water from said sump, through at least one of said pump and said heat exchanger, and back to said sump.