With a little premeditation and planning , establishing a pursuit business of nurture speciality poultry for meat can become a executable business option for your farm . fowl raised for specialism market let in a encompassing diversity of domestic fowl . The most marketed specialty fowl are chicken , turkeys , ducks and geese .
Other more alien fowl include offerings such as guinea fowl and pheasant . Specialty fowl can also include quail and pigeon ( or squab ) .
Identifying Your Niche
For the business to be profitable , you ’ll need to identify the types of fowl that consumer in your geographic part will grease one’s palms . retell advertising of your specialty fowl will let vendee know what you have and help generate interest in the specialization poultry you raise .
You ’ll necessitate to be realistic about the prices local consumers are willing to pay . Learning about your customers ’ preferences may take some time , include beyond the first year of surgical procedure . For this reason , it ’s often good to start small , screen your mart and tardily expand your operations as you identify what figure out for you .
One rough world that many specialty poultry producers face is that large retailers can trade turkeys and chicken so inexpensively , specially during holidays , that raising and selling these bird locally can be challenging . This is n’t say to discourage but rather is one of the fact that must be regard when planning such a venture .
Fortunately , for specialty producers , many option exist beyond the scope of just chickens and turkeys . These include farm - raised duck , fat holiday goose , and even farm - raised pheasant and guinea fowl fowl . Over the past few 10 , duck’s egg and goose consumption has dropped significantly in North America . That does n’t mean that these markets are dead in the water , however .
If you could entice consumers in your orbit to prove these specialty fowl ( you may need to supply a few recipes ) , you ’ll likely have repeat customers . The same give-up the ghost for farm - raised guinea bird and pheasant . Because there is often niggling competition from market chains for these type of domestic fowl , they retain a more exotic view in most the great unwashed ’s minds . Along with this exotic and uncommon sensing comes a much better fortune of getting a more profitable cost per boo .
provision and budgeting for a insistent advertising programme that reaches local consumer , letting them know who you are , what you have , why your product is superior and where you are site will be some of the most important parts of your business design .
courtesy Candace Lylyk, Breezy Bird Farm, Manitoba, Canada
Without ad , sales rarely happen . Allocate funding in your annual operating budget for frequent , repetition advertising . It ’ll return many time the toll and money spent.courtesy Candace Lylyk , Breezy Bird Farm , Manitoba , Canada
Business & Legal Plans
Adherence to local wellness , zoning and livestock computer code , while raise the poultry , are just a few of the regulation a specialness poultry meat producer will take to be concern with . Slaughter , processing and statistical distribution of the finished product fall under food and safety regulations overseen either by the United States Department of Agriculture or local state department of agribusiness or wellness .
Fortunately , federal rule for small poultry meat growersare simple and aboveboard . Small raiser , with a little forethought and functional preparation , should be capable to meet the sound requisite . verify you read and fully understand the laws , both federal and state , regulating your operation , as part of your provision process .
Under a federal legal philosophy known as the 1,000 Bird Exemption , small poultry farmers who produce poultry for grocery store can mow down and sell within their own states up to 1,000 birds per twelvemonth nontaxable from federal superintendence and inspection . Under this allowance , direct sales to the consumer must be made from the farm where the birds were slaughtered and process . The wench ca n’t be enthral to a farmers market or to a junior-grade retail vender . ( cultivator selling through these venues must touch additional inspection requirements . )
courtesy Candace Lylyk, Breezy Bird Farm, Manitoba, Canada
For growers processing fowl less than the1,000 bird granting immunity , specific of state jurisprudence vary , however . Some states have very few additional restriction , if the drubbing areas and method acting used are healthful . Other land have more stringent regulations that small producers must meet .
Some states allow open aura ( outdoor ) slaughter and processing of food market fowl , while other states forbid this practice . It often descend as a surprise to many people that California allows open - air processing while Kentucky nix open - aura slaughter and processing of market birds . Some states also have very specific codes regarding offal and slaughter waste disposal . Others have very piddling rule on this issue .
When contrive your operation , verify you are aware of what is required in your area . Failure to follow could become causal agent for local wellness inspector to shut down your business .
courtesy of John Metzer, Metzer Farms
While the laws governing the debacle and sale of the fowl are n’t exceedingly difficult to understand , there are some quirks in the Union 1,000 - wench exemption legislative act . Each chicken or duck’s egg counting as one shuttlecock . However , each turkey or each jackass counts as four shuttle , meaning you may lawfully slaughter , for cut-rate sale , only 250 turkeys or 250 geese , under this law . The law also mandate that the hoot be from one farm and not manufacturer or farmer .
Therefore , if two people are grow together on the same farm , each one ca n’t raise and slaughter 1,000 birds . They can only slaughter 1,000 birds between them ( or the effectual equivalent , if raising turkeys or geese ) .
There is also another federal legislative act , unremarkably bonk as the 20,000 razzing exemption , for cultivator who farm and slaughter more than 1,000 but no more than 20,000 birds per year . Under these guidelines , the readiness are subject to review , and law of packaging , gross sales and distribution are more regulated .
For purposes of this article , we wo n’t manage with this issue . If you require to finally flesh out your sale cognitive operation beyond 1,000 birdie per twelvemonth , just be cognisant of , understand and abide by this set of rule .
study more : peregrine processing social unit avail producer find vainglorious net .
Getting Started
Planning a specialism poultry meat production business can realistically be a 1- to 2 - year process , before the first child poultry are everpurchased . This does n’t mean you ca n’t bug out rather if you really want to get started , but set off small and go along lento during the first class or two , as you try out and try out your market .
For the business concern to be foresightful full term and viable , advanced , satisfying provision of everything from housing to brooders and feeder to your domicile drubbing and processing facility — and even the design and look of your gross sales area — is exceedingly important . Do n’t underrate the value of self-colored , farsighted - term planning for this multistaged business , for this is exactly what you ’re build and developing .
Start with your end - product in mind . Do your research . Determine some dissimilar types of poultry that future buyers would be interested in . If raising inheritance breeds , look for breeds that when trim out assemble what client initially need and expect . As you develop your customer base of operations , you may then start to tempt them with more rare and special offer .
Calculate provender consumption and pick out breeds that have the near feed - to - meat transition ratios . Be cognizant of how many weeks it will take for the breed you ’re lift to reach suitable market weightiness . Learn in front of time if texture - free-base fattening , at the remainder of the growing flow , is a normal cognitive process for the render strain .
raise heritage breeds often takes several weeks longer for development than modern product strains . Heritage breeds , overall , generally consume much more provender during the develop period than commercial meat strains .
Pasture raise poultry can importantly cut your feed costs . Some heritage breeds of domestic fowl were traditionally grain - fattened at least two week before thrashing . While a stratum of fat is n’t regard the desirable trade good that it was many years ago , some heritage breeds , when dressed out , wo n’t bet as pretty and plump without it . The extra provender consume by many inheritance breeds can become a important disbursement to the agriculturalist .
Crunch numbers time and again , as you plan . Make longsighted - term plans how you’re able to provide the necessary nutrition for your hoot , in the most sparing manner , during the growing period . While they ’ll often call for some grain - based solid on the side , fowl such as geese can scrounge much of their own food in a pasture setting , after 5 or 6 calendar week of years .
Turkeys , chickens and ducks also do well on grass . Make indisputable that secure shelter and fencing are available to harbor them from inclement weather and predators.courtesy of John Metzer , Metzer Farms
Harvesting, Processing & Selling
architectural plan , design and build an area for the healthful mass murder of fowl you ’ve raised , or purchase a wandering unit , built for this function , even before you get your first sight of baby birds . Once the birds arrive , time and tutelage will be needed to lean to them . Rushing to set up a slaughter and processing field at the same clip may be more than you really want to deal with .
Such a unit should be go under up for efficient violent death , plucking , dress , shuddery and packaging of the fowl before the actual turn operation is ever bulge . Some variety of Deepfreeze whole , for entrepot of the dressed carcasses , are also necessary .
search and calculate the price of building your own processing area versus buying a trailer or fluid unit of measurement especially design for this intent . To the best of your power , direct the work cost , plus possible reparation . Also , know how much wear and tear , or apportion cost the revenue enhancement computer code take into account you to expense out each yr for the dissimilar options you consider using .
( This also includes all equipment and living accommodations used in the growing operations . )
In some regions , there are mobile processing units that can be rented . But in reality these whole are currently rare in most area of the country . Understanding these issues forward of time will serve your business be profitable .
Some growers are fortunate enough to be near a regional processor that is inspected under a Union or state inspection program and will massacre and process fowl for a fit price per dame . As an inspected and licensed readiness , the fowl they process can usually be sell at other emplacement , such as farmers markets or be pitch by you to your customers .
If this is the subject , plans should be in topographic point as to how are you go to delight the live birds to the C.P.U. and then bring the slaughtered , dressed bird back to your place or farm . During transportation , have a style to keep the dressed domestic fowl at temperature mandate by law . Reserve massacre go out well in advance , even before you order or hatch out your babe domestic fowl .
recognise how many weeks it will take for the produce fowl to reach vendible size , and contrive consequently .
Lastly , plan your sales area well in advance . If you already have a farm stand for produce gross sales , tot a freezer and domestic fowl display is often a fairly dim-witted process . If you do n’t , where will you meet customer come to pick up their purchases ? ocular introduction , attractiveness and cleanliness of the existent orbit where the sale and saving takes place makes an instant and persistent notion on the customer .
Raising speciality domestic fowl for meat can be a marvelous side business , with many , wide-ranging options . With a little forethought and planning , it can be a business that will thrive for many geezerhood to come .
More Information
Here are two worthful on - product line resources for growers wishing to do some long - term provision for their own on - farm , domestic fowl processing fix ups .
This programme of the Oregon State University Center for Small Farms and Community Food Systems is based in Corvallis , Oregon . It presently has affiliate in 43 state .
Get updated information straightaway from the United States Department of Agriculture , including small - production poultry slaughter .
This article originally appeared in the March / April 2023 issue ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
