Chicken Pick'n Trailer Is Boon To Business

Chicken Pick'n Trailer Is Boon To Business 27-5-7 Pick'n a chicken clean is no sweat when you do it in an 8 by 48-ft. refrigerated trailer. Deck the trailer out like Tom and Ruth Neuberger did theirs, and pick'n chickens is almost a treat. With four workers on the line, they can pick, process, bag and freeze 300 cluckers per day. Speed and efficiency is necessary when you raise and direct-market more than 4,000 chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys plus beef, lamb and pork each year. The Neubergers own and operate South Dakota Poultry Headquarters in Canistota, S.D. The poultry is raised free range. Beef cattle and sheep are grass fed. Hogs are on grass, but also get some grain. All animals are raised free of GMO feeds, antibiotics and growth hormones. Meat is sold at farmers' markets in the area and also delivered to central locations around the state where customers pick up their orders. A nearby slaughter plant processes the four-footed animals, but the Neubergers have always processed their own poultry. The idea of adapting a used trailer to processing farm-raised birds came from neighbors who use them for pig nurseries. Tom found he could get a road worthy trailer with a working freezer unit for $3,000. That was a steal compared to building a processing facility or remodeling an existing building for pressure washing and cooling. Before adding processing equipment, the Neubergers had to to install wiring and plumbing and pour a shallow cement floor over the aluminum floor rails for cleaning purposes. The trailer floor slopes toward the front, allowing waste water and blood to naturally drain into a tank. From there, it is pumped to another tank on a farm truck and spread on the farm's pastures. Offal is composted and later spread as well. Federal poultry meat inspectors were a big help, says Ruth. "They really helped us get set up and made sure we were doing it right," she recalls. "They answered any questions and were with us all the way." The Neubergers estimate they have invested $32,000 in the trailer and processing equipment, including an eviscerating line. The shoulder-high eviscerating line makes handling the birds easier and keeps everything more sanitary. After birds are killed and cleaned in the trailer, they are moved to a nearby converted garage where some are cut up, smoked, ground or otherwise further processed. Everything is bagged and frozen. Further processing has proven to be a real moneymaker for the couple. "We used to sell blemished birds at a lower price," recalls Ruth. "Now we make gourmet chicken patties, which I flavor with fruits and vegetables I raise. Another product is Chicken Sticks. We figure we could make a lot more money if we did nothing but them." The Neubergers have built up a strong demand for their high quality, home raised meats as well as feather and down pillows and comforters. Their only concern is their age. "At 72 years, we need to be thinking about getting out," says Ruth. "The business is growing so we need help, someone to take over. We have a lot of customers that would be disappointed if we went out of business." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, South Dakota Poultry Headquarters, 45052 260th Ave., Canistota, S. Dak. 57012 (ph 605 296-3314; email: goosedown@unitelsd.com; website: http://sdibi.northern.edu/sdpoultry).

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