Abstract: Poultry carcasses are suspended by their legs and advanced by an overhead conveyor to a machine which automatically severs the vent from each carcass in succession as advancement continues and then partially withdraws each severed vent from its carcass to drape the same over the outside of the carcass for inspection. Each carcass is initially positioned angularly against a support so that the cutter begins severance generally toward the backbone of the carcass, whereupon the carcass is rocked inwardly toward the support and relative to the cutter to position the backbone flatly against the support and generally in line with the cutter. This motion causes the cutter to move along rather than toward the backbone during the short period of further severance so that membranes attaching urinary organs and muscular tissues to the backbone are fully severed.