Chickens to market? How?

[Gazinga]

what exactly is required for me to be able to sell my chickens to the local market? or even their eggs for that matter? or is it best for me to sell them on my own?

 

[sticks22]

Dont know your local laws but I would just sell them out of your yard. I just recently put up a sign today in fact!
Id imagine that the hassle isnt worth it unless you have at least a couple of hundred eggs a day.

 

[pdpatch]

Each state usually has there own variation of laws that govern saleing of livestock and there products. Generally it's best to contact you local AG office for exact details of what you can an cannot do.

Usually if you sale them at your location there won't be a problem. Unless your covered by some local zoneing laws.

 

[Gazinga]

i live in california, but plan to retire to ilinois where i am strongly thinking about farmng chickens in my retirement. For both meat birds for sale and eggs for sale. Any advice or ideas?

 

[ChickenToes]

As far as I understand the laws here in WI, I can sell chickens that we butchered ourselves only if: 1) We sell them only from our property and 2) We have to include our address and the words "not inspected" on the label.

If we want to take the meat elsewhere to sell it then I would need a license and I would have to either take them to a processor or I would have to set up a completely stainless steel kitchen somewhere on our property. And then the kitchen would have to be inspected.

 

[JennsPeeps]

You should read the book "Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. While it won't tell you how to get your birds to market, it will cast light on the issues you'll be facing. It's a very good book and a fairly easy read.

 

[Poler]

Quote:
Best advice I can give you is to pick somewhere else, not illinois

realistically though, for meat, get the cornish cross, and for eggs, I prefer a heavy layer, such as a Buff Orpington, or Rhode Island Red, with a proper setup these birds could lay a decent number of eggs in the winter time.

 

[pdpatch]

Depending on who you sale to and where they are sold, usually sets the requirements for what inspection and labeling is needed.

Usually if you sale directly from the location they were raised at, the birds do not need to have the butchering facilities inspected. If you sale off site, then normally you have to have the facilties inspected. So it might be easier to find a processor who has been inspected. I keep seeing a new requirement for labeling food, that is you have to put on the label how much transfat the product contains, which is 0 grams for raw poultry and eggs.

Any meat you sale must have the weight and who processed the meat on the label.
So some state would require you scale to be inspected once a year.

The best way to find out is contact the local Ag department office. They know or will know who to ask.

For eggs there is usually a minum number you sale per month set the requirements. In Nebraska it's like 30 dozen a month before you have to pay an egg tax, and they must be graded. Grading is done by weight that sets the size like medium, large, extra large and candling to check the insides of the egg like grade A.

 

[Gazinga]

why not illinois and how do i "grade" the eggs?

 

[dacjohns]

For Illinois you can start here:

http://www.agr.state.il.us/programs/consumer/foodinsp.html

For eggs the short explanation is you can sell eggs from your own yard without the hassle of candling, grading, washing, new egg cartons, dating, etc. If you sell any where else to include the farmers market you are subject to all sorts of requirements.

Not sure about selling poultry but I'm sure it's in there somewhere. Links on the left side of the page will take you there.