Lifting apparatus, configured to lift poultry legs conveyed suspended in a row, comprising - a conveying device having poultry carriers which are movable along a conveying strand in a straight conveying line and in the direction of conveyance, wherein each poultry carrier has a carrier suspension part suspended from the conveying strand and a foot carrying part on which there is formed a foot hook-in device in which at least one poultry leg can be suspended by means of the ankle joint ball of the poultry leg for suspended conveying, and - a poultry leg lifting device which has a poultry leg positioning device having at least one positioning element (71 to 78, 141) associated with a poultry leg lifting way (h), which positioning element, outside the foot hook-in devices, with weight unloading of the poultry carrier, comes into engagement with the conveyed poultry legs in such a manner that the conveyed poultry legs, and thus the ankle joint balls thereof, can thereby be lifted in the poultry leg lifting way (h) into lifted ankle joint ball positions, characterised by - a carrier lifting device comprising the poultry carriers and a carrier guiding device arranged in the region of the poultry leg lifting device, - wherein each poultry carrier carries the foot carrying part on the carrier suspension part in a freely vertically movable manner for vertical adjustment between a fixed lower suspension height and suspension heights lying above that lower suspension height, and - wherein the carrier guiding device has a dynamically movable lifting guiding member, which is arranged in the region of the poultry leg lifting device with a guiding way (f) associated with at least a portion of the poultry leg lifting way (h), and a guiding bearing device which carries the lifting guiding member, in conjunction with the weight unloading of the poultry carriers effected by the lifting of the poultry legs, in a dynamically vertically movable manner by lowering and lifting, wherein the lifting guide member is arranged for engagement with the foot carrying part, in such a manner that each foot hook-in device is lifted along the guiding way (f) by means of the foot carrying part to suspension heights which correspond with the ankle joint ball positions lifted in the poultry leg lifting device. - a conveying device having poultry carriers which are movable along a conveying strand in a straight conveying line and in the direction of conveyance, wherein each poultry carrier has a carrier suspension part suspended from the conveying strand and a foot carrying part on which there is formed a foot hook-in device in which at least one poultry leg can be suspended by means of the ankle joint ball of the poultry leg for suspended conveying, and - a poultry leg lifting device which has a poultry leg positioning device having at least one positioning element (71 to 78, 141) associated with a poultry leg lifting way (h), which positioning element, outside the foot hook-in devices, with weight unloading of the poultry carrier, comes into engagement with the conveyed poultry legs in such a manner that the conveyed poultry legs, and thus the ankle joint balls thereof, can thereby be lifted in the poultry leg lifting way (h) into lifted ankle joint ball positions, characterised by - a carrier lifting device comprising the poultry carriers and a carrier guiding device arranged in the region of the poultry leg lifting device, - wherein each poultry carrier carries the foot carrying part on the carrier suspension part in a freely vertically movable manner for vertical adjustment between a fixed lower suspension height and suspension heights lying above that lower suspension height, and - wherein the carrier guiding device has a dynamically movable lifting guiding member, which is arranged in the region of the poultry leg lifting device with a guiding way (f) associated with at least a portion of the poultry leg lifting way (h), and a guiding bearing device which carries the lifting guiding member, in conjunction with the weight unloading of the poultry carriers effected by the lifting of the poultry legs, in a dynamically vertically movable manner by lowering and lifting, wherein the lifting guide member is arranged for engagement with the foot carrying part, in such a manner that each foot hook-in device is lifted along the guiding way (f) by means of the foot carrying part to suspension heights which correspond with the ankle joint ball positions lifted in the poultry leg lifting device.