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Nebraska ‘Costco’ chicken plant reaches 2M/week goal

The Lincoln Premium Poultry chicken processing plant in eastern Nebraska, which produces broilers for Costco, celebrated its one-year anniversary this week.

At the same time, the plant has also reached full production capacity, according to director of operations Jessica Kolterman.

“Last week rounded out our final ramp-up. So we are now producing about two million birds a week that come through here at the processing facility and go out the back door to the Costco warehouses across the country,” Kolterman says.

She says they have more than 80 “farm families” that are growing the chickens, some with as many as 12 barns. She talked about one of the families involved.

“In that specific family we have a dad and mom, and then each of their kids did four barns. So it is an interesting generational project where they can help and support each other.”

The plant also has its own feed mill, which provides feed for the chickens. Kolterman says they are buying about 350-thousand bushels of corn each week.