Oyster Seed Grading

Once oyster seed reach a certain stage in the growing cycle, the time comes to strip the collectors and sort the juveniles by size and weight. This process of measurement and sorting is called oyster seed grading.

Automated machinery can help aid the process of grading, reducing the amount of work required to sort. Basic units use rotating drums or vibrating screens as a means to size oysters. Other machines use state-of-the-art camera and computer technology. These machines will most often clean the oysters as they grade.

Some oyster farmers, running small operations, grade by hand. This process includes manually separating any oysters that have adhered together and measuring each individual after they have been separated. This process is referred to as culling. Oyster graders are either hand-held or fixed to the farmer’s processing table. Oysters are sorted into bins designated by size.

We’re here to help. To receive more information on oyster seed grading and the machinery to make it possible to do so, please give us a call or send us a message using the form to the right.