Surviving Minnesota!

[KlopKlop]

Now I am not as sure.  I tried to wade through the statutes themselves, BUT they are a tad confusing and contradictory too... Hmmm



Here is what I figured out, You need walls, a ceiling and floors, So  my outdoor processing is out.

You need a fridge and water.

And keep it clean when being used and after being used.





Time to build a new building for chicken cleaning...

Now I am not as sure.  I tried to wade through the statutes themselves, BUT they are a tad confusing and contradictory too... Hmmm



Here is what I figured out, You need walls, a ceiling and floors, So  my outdoor processing is out.

You need a fridge and water.

And keep it clean when being used and after being used.





Time to build a new building for chicken cleaning...

I was thinking the same. Outdoor processing is probably not going to pass an inspection. Probably wouldn't be too hard to make a processing station. I have seen them built like an inside out high tunnel/hoop house using plastic so you can spray down the whole thing with sanitizer that wouldn't be too bad to make up. You would need it to be shaded or air conditioned or else you would be processing chickens in an oven. I wonder too if you could kill, scald, and pluck outside then do the rest inside?

 

[duluthralphie]

I was thinking the same. Outdoor processing is probably not going to pass an inspection. Probably wouldn't be too hard to make a processing station. I have seen them built like an inside out high tunnel/hoop house using plastic so you can spray down the whole thing with sanitizer that wouldn't be too bad to make up. You would need it to be shaded or air conditioned or else you would be processing chickens in an oven. I wonder too if you could kill, scald, and pluck outside then do the rest inside?

I was wondering the same thing, If you killed outside and plucked outside and passed the bird inside, to me that would be very sanitary.

If you did use a high tunnel, you would have to process on cool rainy days. A floor was required though. I doubt plastic would make it as a floor.

 

[duluthralphie]

I was wondering if I could wall off a corner of my quonset shed and use it. I would have steel walls on two sides, Steel ceiling and cement floor. Then wood with a plastic or Formica like walls.

 

[Coffee 1st]

ummmm . . . . I am a little frightened about the killing yet I am willing to give it a try because it is the cycle of life. I will be a baby at first because it is my first experience. However, I don't think I will have nightmares about it. LOL. Cept I am really not laughing. Apprehensive - thats all.

I didn't do to well when it came time for me to do the chopping of the necks I tried 2 birds and didn't do so well so the guys took over my mistakes.To put it lightly.. And I did cry but everyone was kind enough not to notice. But doing that did help when it came time to have to cull 1 of my girls. I did much better at the plucking and gutting. So that is what I think I will stick to doing this year.. Hopefully you can make it..

 

[KlopKlop]

I was wondering the same thing, If you killed outside and plucked outside and passed the bird inside, to me that would be very sanitary.

If you did use a high tunnel, you would have to process on cool rainy days.  A floor was required though. I doubt plastic would make it as a floor.

I think it had a solid floor on pallets or something. I wonder how an inspector would respond to a temporary processing building if it wasn't set up when they came to see it haha

I just googled 'home chicken processing building' and found many pictures of converted trailers and even small shipping containers. That would be cost prohibitive to a single person but if it was a group of people sharing it maybe...

A dedicated processing room/building would be spendy any way you look at it unless you were going to sell many like you described your thoughts for that market stall.

 

[duluthralphie]

I was thinking a trailer would be the way to go too!

Easy to clean, Air and electric outlets, a fridge, everything you need. Easy to clean.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am not sure the farmers market is the way to go. It is $275 for a Tuesday/Saturday market. $175 for just Tuesday.

That is roughly 17 or 27 chickens I would be giving away. I am not sure it is worth it. I had no problems selling them on Craigslist last time from here.SO it could be it looked like a better deal that it was.

 

[KlopKlop]

I was thinking a trailer would be the way to go too!

Easy to clean, Air and  electric outlets, a fridge, everything you need. Easy to clean.

I agree it would be a great setup but spendy!

 

[KlopKlop]

I am not sure the farmers market is the way to go. It is $275  for a Tuesday/Saturday market.  $175 for just Tuesday.

That is roughly 17 or 27 chickens I would be giving away. I am not sure it is worth it.  I had no problems selling them on Craigslist last time from here.SO it could be it looked like a better deal that it was.

We are fortunate that our summer market is free. The winter market is $10 a week so we don't go to it. It is mostly crafts anyways.

I can't wait for the market to start agaiv

 

[Cluckies]

Last year I bought free range/pastured, processed frozen chickens from a CSA in Big Lake. I thought it was a fabulous deal at $90.00 for 8 birds. Sadly I wrote them this year to see if they were doing chickens again and they said not this year, they would have to work out some kinks and maybe try again in the future. I wish I could find another outfit doing that. I got 4 birds in July, and 4 in October. That might be something you could think about doing Ralphie. ooooorrrrr Anybody out there do a chicken CSA? Or know someone who does something like that? Basically I signed up and I paid them in February for the chickens, and picked them up later after they were ordered, raised, and processed.

I guess I could dip my foot in the pool at Ralphies processing class if the invite is still out. I remember as a kid being involved in that with my aunts chickens, mom put us to work plucking pin feathers, probably cause we had small hands (no child labor laws back then). I didn't mind so much, because they weren't my pets I guess. I really should do it. I guess i'm kinda a big chicken... But, PM me when you have the details about your day Ralphie, I'll have to grow a pair!

It is a skill I would like to learn, as someday I may need it if SHTF. Which is the same reason I do a garden, and raise chickens for eggs. reading about bee keeping yes, i'm a tin hatter. My husband said that menards has a bee keeping set up. and i've also seen them at fleet farm. I did get my first book about bee keeping in the mail yesterday, time to start reading!