AbstractThe microbiological status of chicken carcases sampled at three different processing points in a South African Grade B poultry abattoir slaughtering ca. 750 birds per hour, was determined. Six skin samples and two meat samples were aseptically collected from different sites on each carcase. Total bacterial counts were performed at 25 °C, 37 °C and 43 °C and all colonies from plates showing between 30 and 300 cfu were characterised. Bacterial counts of the skin samples at 37 °C were consistently the highest, followed by those at 25 °C and then 43°, but for the two meat samples the highest bacterial counts were found at 37 °C and the lowest at 25 °C. Neck skin counts were marginally higher than bacterial counts of the other skin samples. The Gram negative generaEscherichiaandAcinetobacterwere isolated most frequently at all three incubation temperatures and from all sampling sites, while the dominant Gram positive genera wereStaphylococcusandEnterococcus. Escherichiaisolates predominated on the skin sampling site cranio‐dorsal to the pygostyle, whilstStaphylococcusisolates predominated on the skin sampling site caudal to the breastbone. Microbiological contamination is a major problem in the abattoir studied and further studies should therefore aim to determine points of maximum contamination in the proces