Abstract: A poultry processing system having a cleaning station, a scalding station, a picker station and a transfer line for supporting a poultry carcass head down through the processing stations. The cleaning station including a plurality of spray manifolds coupled to a cleaning liquid supply each having a plurality of spaced apart spray nozzles for directing cleaning liquid onto the carcasses from the tail to head as they are transferred through the cleaning station for removing dirt, fecal material, and other foreign matter from the carcasses prior to transfer to the scalding and picker stations.