Buying poultry direct?

[phylodog]

We bought 1/4 beef a couple of years ago and it was fantastic. We're going to be vacationing with the family soon and I'm going to be smoking whole chickens to feed about 25 people which got me thinking. Can we purchase poultry direct or outside of the typical supply chain? Just curious as I've never heard it being discussed like pork and beef in this regard.

When I was still on the police dept one of the other officers knew someone who raised chickens and on occasion he would ask around and I bought a couple at one time and they were a completely different animal than any I'd bought in a store before. They were large, meaty and delicious and I'd like to find access to another source if they're out there.

 

[jwleeper]

If you live in Amish country you should be able to find them. I'm sure our GOV looking out for us do not want these sales going on W/O their inspections and fingers in the till.
Have a great day.
Jim

 

[BehindBlueI's]

If you find something, let us know.

I've posted about it before, but when I was a boy my family had a chicken farm, raising 40k chickens at a time. Mostly sold to Perdue. Commercial farming generally involves a lot of antibiotics because the chickens are in such close quarters, as well as it makes them get bigger on less feed for some reason. They are also slaughtered relatively young for ease of processing and for the sweet spot of total feed to total meat, typically before 10 weeks from hatching. They have also been selectively bred to the point they have health issues if they are allowed to get much older. Chickens can have heart attacks...

In the end, you end up with a product that's the chicken equivalent of a hydroponic tomato. Easy to grow and ship, and package uniformly, but not much taste.

 

[Brian's Surplus]

They can be legally sold by individuals without government oversight as long as they are sold frozen, and you don't have more than 999 chickens. They also must be sold at retail, they cannot be sold at wholesale. As has already been mentioned, it shouldn't be difficult to find some if you have any Amish living nearby.

They aren't difficult to raise yourself. We mostly have layers right now, but we have had meat birds before, and I plan to get more soon when I have time to build another coop to keep them separated. I'm eventually planning to scale up my operation and sell them, but that's probably at least a year or two away. I can ONLY sell them frozen to be in compliance with the law. I'm also planning to eventually sell frozen rabbits. Rabbits and chickens are the only animals that I know of that can legally be sold by individuals without all the government oversight. You still have to follow safe practices, and make sure to label everything with name, lot number, weight, date of pack, etc. The fact that there is no direct oversight does not absolve the seller from liability.

I am not an attorney, so the above should not be taken as legal advice. This is just my understanding of the law. If someone has information to the contrary, please let is know.

 

[dprimm]

I can get you chicken. I raise nonGMO pasture chicken and do all the processing myself. That way the birds never get transported aka no stress.

Right now I am at point where I can do a batch special for INGO members if it is wanted.

The birds and rabbits can be sold fresh from the farm. If sold off-farm they must be frozen.

I also am expanding my quail if you want it.

 

[firecadet613]

I can get you chicken. I raise nonGMO pasture chicken and do all the processing myself. That way the birds never get transported aka no stress.

Right now I am at point where I can do a batch special for INGO members if it is wanted.

The birds and rabbits can be sold fresh from the farm. If sold off-farm they must be frozen.

I also am expanding my quail if you want it.

I'm in for the INGO batch special - am about to head out to restock the deep freezer with boneless, skinless chicken breast soon. I'll likely need more by the time your batch would be ready.

 

[Brian's Surplus]

I can get you chicken. I raise nonGMO pasture chicken and do all the processing myself. That way the birds never get transported aka no stress.

Right now I am at point where I can do a batch special for INGO members if it is wanted.

The birds and rabbits can be sold fresh from the farm. If sold off-farm they must be frozen.

I also am expanding my quail if you want it.

I see now looking at the law closer, it has an exemption for chicken to be sold fresh on the farm (I did not know that), but the same law says that rabbits must be sold frozen at point of sale no matter where they're sold. Unless I'm misreading it somehow.

 

[BobDaniels]

I can get you chicken. I raise nonGMO pasture chicken and do all the processing myself. That way the birds never get transported aka no stress.

Right now I am at point where I can do a batch special for INGO members if it is wanted.

The birds and rabbits can be sold fresh from the farm. If sold off-farm they must be frozen.

I also am expanding my quail if you want it.

I am curious what breed(s) you raise for meat.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

For those considering raising their own who haven't done so before:

1) Raising them isn't difficult or terribly messy. Processing them is more so, if you're going to do any number at a time scalding and plucking becomes a chore. Machinery can help, but you can do it all by hand.

2) You will find every predator in your neighborhood, the next neighborhood, and possibly neighboring states. Every stage of a chicken's life is a food source for someone, from snakes to weasels to canines to hawks.

3) The manure is good fertilizer, but it's the sort you turn in to the soil the season before, you will burn plants if you apply it directly as it is very high in nitrogen. Turn it in at the end of the season.

 

[Mij]

If you live in Amish country you should be able to find them. I'm sure our GOV looking out for us do not want these sales going on W/O their inspections and fingers in the till.
Have a great day.
Jim

^^^^This. Don’t know where you are but we get ours from a German Baptist family in a town called Flora in Carrol County, I think it’s Carrol anyway.

 

[dprimm]

I am curious what breed(s) you raise for meat.

I have done Cornish cross and freedom rangers. I will the freedom rangers from now on. Even better flavor

 

[phylodog]

I've got an Amish crew working on my barn again soon, I'll check with them. If not, I may be up for an INGO batch, just a bit of a drive.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

If you find something, let us know.

I've posted about it before, but when I was a boy my family had a chicken farm, raising 40k chickens at a time. Mostly sold to Perdue. Commercial farming generally involves a lot of antibiotics because the chickens are in such close quarters, as well as it makes them get bigger on less feed for some reason. They are also slaughtered relatively young for ease of processing and for the sweet spot of total feed to total meat, typically before 10 weeks from hatching. They have also been selectively bred to the point they have health issues if they are allowed to get much older. Chickens can have heart attacks...

In the end, you end up with a product that's the chicken equivalent of a hydroponic tomato. Easy to grow and ship, and package uniformly, but not much taste.

But Perdue claims, "No antibiotics ever!"

 

[Brian's Surplus]

For those considering raising their own who haven't done so before:

1) Raising them isn't difficult or terribly messy. Processing them is more so, if you're going to do any number at a time scalding and plucking becomes a chore. Machinery can help, but you can do it all by hand.

2) You will find every predator in your neighborhood, the next neighborhood, and possibly neighboring states. Every stage of a chicken's life is a food source for someone, from snakes to weasels to canines to hawks.

3) The manure is good fertilizer, but it's the sort you turn in to the soil the season before, you will burn plants if you apply it directly as it is very high in nitrogen. Turn it in at the end of the season.

I don't find processing very difficult, but we do have a chicken plucker that can defeather two chickens in 15 seconds. I also grew up on a farm, so the rest comes pretty naturally to me. I can dress out a small bird like a dove in 15 seconds with my bare hands.

We had lots of problems with hawks to start with. We tried to free range them, but simply lost too many. They now have a decent sized area with an avian net over the entire spread. We haven't lost any since we put the net up. We also got a livestock guardian dog. She is still a puppy, but when she's full grown she should be able to help us protect the flock.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

But Perdue claims, "No antibiotics ever!"

40 years ago it certainly wasn't no antibiotics ever, but business models change.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I don't find processing very difficult, but we do have a chicken plucker that can defeather two chickens in 15 seconds.

Yeah, like I said machinery definitely can help. Beats hand plucking in everything but cost. We still did it the old fashioned way of scalding then hand plucking. It's a smell you never forget.

 

[firecadet613]

Yeah, like I said machinery definitely can help. Beats hand plucking in everything but cost. We still did it the old fashioned way of scalding then hand plucking. It's a smell you never forget.

This guy makes it look easy.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

This guy makes it look easy.

He isn't plucking. Definitely faster, but you waste meat.

 

[gassprint1]

How much a pound are we talking for buying direct. Been some tine since i seen 98cent a pound. I've been paying between $1.19 - $1.26lb

 

[Itchytriggerfinger]

Great family in Noblesville not too far from Hamilton Town Center.

Hoosier Heritage Farm​

• 15123 E 146th St
  Noblesville IN 46060
• (317) 773-4430

Hoosier Heritage Farm - Hoosier Heritage Farm

hoosierheritagefarm.com