Not happy with processor- what is this?

[donrae]

I'd shrink wrap them while frozen. I'd be nervous about thawing and re-freezing the meat like that. Those innards aren't going to hurt a thing in the freezer, just leave them for now and pull them out when you thaw to cook.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

You're expectations were too high. Loose bags and zip ties are the standad packageing in most small time poultry processors.

 

[APPA Member]

You're expectations were too high. Loose bags and zip ties are the standad packageing in most small time poultry processors.

I agree. I process many birds for the locals, and offer them a choice of a free loose bag and twist tie or a $0.50 upgrade of a poultry heat shrink bag. Many who choose the free bag have told me they don't experience freezer burn with the chickens.

Heck, a common item in stores is a frozen ten pound loose bag of chicken leg quarters.

 

[spiffwilkie]

Out of curiosity, what does it normally cost to have a small-time processor process a bird?

 

[APPA Member]

Out of curiosity, what does it normally cost to have a small-time processor process a bird?

I charge $2.50 per bird.

 

[PotterWatch]

I agree that the loose bag and tie are perfectly acceptable for a small processor. We sell our chickens bagged loose like that with metal crimps to close. It's not acceptable, however, to leave organs in the bird like that unless the customer wanted it that way. If I pay someone to clean a bird, I want it to be clean. If they don't usually clean them out fully, they should say that before the process the birds.

ETA: We didn't freeze birds in loose bags, we sold them fresh and told people to repackage them if they wanted to freeze them.

 

[chicken pickin]

You're expectations were too high. Loose bags and zip ties are the standad packageing in most small time poultry processors.

I also agree. I proces my own birds and I do not shrink wrap I double bag them and either twist tie or zip tie. I still have a few birds in the freezer that were processed roughly 10 months ago and no freezer burn on any. I also just last week decided to try out the professional processor down the street from me (just to try them out and have a back up processor) they did 3 of my roosters and they cleaned the birds well and also loose bag and ziptie them. I have no prolem with that. Oh and I was charged $5 per bird, high price in my eyes. We will continue to do our own and use them only on occasion when needed.

I would however be upset like you if my birds were not completely cleaned out.

 

[NWOhioChicken]

WOW! That really stinks. I am a long ways away in Northwest Ohio but my processor would NEVER do that. He and his son raise their own birds and know what it is like to get a bad product back... J&J Poultry Processing in Holgate, Ohio. Definitely worth a drive. A great experience and a great product coming out of an extremely clean facility.