Methods for treating poultry to increase the weight of the poultry are disclosed. The methods may be performed in a chill tank or other reservoir and utilize hypobromous acid from either aqueous hydrogen bromide or aqueous sodium bromide and a source of hypochlorite. The methods comprise contacting a poultry carcass with the hypobromous acid-containing water at a pH of about 6.5 to about 10. The methods result in an increase in the weight of the processed poultry products.