frequently Asked Questions

Do you sell chicken?
No, under the 5A Exemption we are not permitted to buy or sell. We only provide the butcher service.

Why don’t you cut up/break down my roosters or laying hens?
We do not break down older birds for two reasons. The first is that there is very little meat, in comparison to a broiler/meat bird, to make it worth the time,
effort and cost associated with breaking down poultry. The second is that in roosters and older birds the bones have calcified and are extremely brittle which
will result in unwanted and potentially dangerous bone fragments in your finished product.

Do you sell or give away the offal? (livers, hearts, necks, etc.)
No, this is not permitted under the 5A Exemption.

Are you USDA Certified?
No, In NYS Poultry Processors are either 5A Approved or 5A Exempted, we are 5A Exempted and process birds for personal consumption only.

Why do you air chill the birds and not use a water bath?
After much research we chose to air chill the birds. First, this method does not add water to your product and yields a better quality carcass. Second, a water
bath has the potential to introduce additional bacterium into the product which we work very hard to avoid. Once butchered carcasses are moved very
quickly to the cooler and are monitored to make sure that the carcass temperature reaches the necessary chill temperature within the recommended food
safety time frame.

How should I bring my birds to you?
There are many ways to safely deliver your live birds to us. We highly recommend the use of animal transport crates, dog kennels, or poultry transport
crates. If you have a large number of birds you can also bring them in a livestock trailer. We do have a limited number of poultry transport crates that we
loan out if you are in need. Boxes can also be used BUT the birds must be well ventilated and only a few in each box to reduce the risk of over heating.
If your birds arrive dead we can not process them.

How do you package the birds?
Depending on how you wish to have your bird processed we choose the appropriate packaging. Whole, halved and Quartered birds are always packaged in
heat shrink bags. Meat/Broiler Chickens that are broken down can be packaged in a number of ways depending on the cut or the customers wishes. We may
use a combination of shrink bags, styrofoam trays or in some cases ziplock type bags. Some packaging options, such as vacuum sealing may incur an
additional fee. For more details please visit the Services page or take a look at the chicken cut sheet.

Can I drop off the birds the night before?
Drop of times will be discussed when you schedule your appointment and we do our best to confirm your arrangements the Monday before your scheduled
appointment. We actually prefer drop off the evening before as it allows your birds to calm down over night, “clean out” their digestive tracks and will yield a better overall quality
product.

Do you process ducks, geese, quail or guinea hens?
No, these birds have additional requirements in processing.

Do you process deer/beef/pork/lamb etc.?
No, We are a poultry processing facility only and can not process any other type of meat.