It s pretty obvious that chicken processing for small-scale producers is a problem, but we need to address where we can go from here, researcher Kathryn Pereira says. So the research team decided to focus its marketing research on processing facilities, surveying the number, type, and capacities of existing poultry processing facilities. They are following up with an look at several processors, including one on-farm operation in Minnesota. Under Wisconsin regulations, birds must be processed in a state-inspected plant if the producer intends to sell more than 1,000 per year or if any birds will be sold to special outlets like restaurants. State-inspected poultry processors are limited in number and in geographical distribution.
Producers also find a varying degree in the quality of the processing provided at existing plants.
Processing is the major issue, says Moore. The regulatory limit for farm-processed chickens and the lack of processing facilities create a huge bottleneck and prevent pastured poultry operators from being able to expand. The limit puts a damper on how much of a contribution to farm profitability pastured poultry can make, says Kaufmann. Another solution to processing woes would be increasing the number and distribution of state-licensed processing plants. The study will look at what factors make processing facilities successful in the hopes of attracting new plants.