Carrier device for the suspended lateral transport of a poultry body, in particular configured to form a main conveyor device of a processing system having a plurality of carrier devices, comprising an upper portion with a connecting member for connection with a conveyor line of a conveyor device, and a lower portion having a gripper device which has a pair of carriers (41, 42) having limb receivers (40.1, 40.2) for suspension of the poultry body from paired limbs (11, 12), wherein the carrier device has a carrier-control device which forms part of the carrier device and has at least one control element (444, 454), wherein each of the two carriers (41, 42) is configured with a controllable holding device (403; 405) which is connected with the carrier-control device via the at least one control element (444, 454) and which has at least one holding member (480, 514), as part of the limb receiver (40.1, 40.2), which is controllable by means of a mentioned control element (444, 454), wherein the limb receiver (40.1, 40.2) is open in an open position of the controllable holding member (480, 514) for the clamping-free insertion and removal of the limbs (11, 12) and can be placed in contact with the limbs (11 and 12) only in a closed position of the holding member (480, 514), and wherein between the mutually facing carrying edges (472, 490; 506, 524) of the limb receivers (40.1, 40.2), there is formed a passage which is open on the two longitudinal sides of the carrier device, wherein the passage is provided at least in the state with the limb receiver (40.1, 40.2) open, and wherein each of the two carriers (41, 42) has a pair of carrier-leg members (470, 480 and 504, 514), wherein free leg ends of the carrier-leg members (470, 480; 504, 514) are the only means for forming the limb receiver (40.1, 40.2) for the suspended holding of the left or right limb (11, 12), and wherein in each case at least one carrier-leg member (480; 514) of the pair of leg members forming said controllable holding member is movable by means of the at least one control element (444; 454) from a closed position, which holds the associated limb receiver (40.1, 40.2) in the closed state, by an adjusting movement into an open position which is distanced from the other carrier-leg member (470; 504) and opens the limb receiver (40.1, 40.2) and can be placed in the closed position again by controlled elimination of the offset, and wherein in the carrier device inner carrier-leg members (480, 514) of the two pairs of leg members are movable in a controlled manner for opening and closing the limb receivers (40.1, 40.2), while the two other, outer leg members (470, 504) of the two pairs of leg members are fixedly arranged on the carrier device. an upper portion with a connecting member for connection with a conveyor line of a conveyor device, and a lower portion having a gripper device which has a pair of carriers (41, 42) having limb receivers (40.1, 40.2) for suspension of the poultry body from paired limbs (11, 12), wherein the carrier device has a carrier-control device which forms part of the carrier device and has at least one control element (444, 454), wherein each of the two carriers (41, 42) is configured with a controllable holding device (403; 405) which is connected with the carrier-control device via the at least one control element (444, 454) and which has at least one holding member (480, 514), as part of the limb receiver (40.1, 40.2), which is controllable by means of a mentioned control element (444, 454), wherein the limb receiver (40.1, 40.2) is open in an open position of the controllable holding member (480, 514) for the clamping-free insertion and removal of the limbs (11, 12) and can be placed in contact with the limbs (11 and 12) only in a closed position of the holding member (480, 514), and wherein between the mutually facing carrying edges (472, 490; 506, 524) of the limb receivers (40.1, 40.2), there is formed a passage which is open on the two longitudinal sides of the carrier device, wherein the passage is provided at least in the state with the limb receiver (40.1, 40.2) open, and wherein each of the two carriers (41, 42) has a pair of carrier-leg members (470, 480 and 504, 514), wherein free leg ends of the carrier-leg members (470, 480; 504, 514) are the only means for forming the limb receiver (40.1, 40.2) for the suspended holding of the left or right limb (11, 12), and wherein in each case at least one carrier-leg member (480; 514) of the pair of leg members forming said controllable holding member is movable by means of the at least one control element (444; 454) from a closed position, which holds the associated limb receiver (40.1, 40.2) in the closed state, by an adjusting movement into an open position which is distanced from the other carrier-leg member (470; 504) and opens the limb receiver (40.1, 40.2) and can be placed in the closed position again by controlled elimination of the offset, and wherein in the carrier device inner carrier-leg members (480, 514) of the two pairs of leg members are movable in a controlled manner for opening and closing the limb receivers (40.1, 40.2), while the two other, outer leg members (470, 504) of the two pairs of leg members are fixedly arranged on the carrier device.