Mobile Poultry Processor Finds Lots Of Work

Mobile Poultry Processor Finds Lots Of Work LIVESTOCK Poultry Greg Wierschke and his team take the stress and mess out of processing poultry at small farms using their mobile processor trailers Clean Chickens and Co out of Elk River Minn is in its fourth and busiest year with more units and services that bring the processing plant to the farm     “Our goal was 6 000 birds a year but we already have 12 000 booked and anticipate 18 000 because of processing plant closures in the area ” Wierschke says     He started the year with a 12 by 6-ft horse trailer he equipped to scald clean pluck cool and bag poultry that is humanely butchered     “We can do 150 chickens in a day in that unit with 3 people ” he explains Customers just need to provide water and power and have the birds penned up     About half of the jobs 50 birds minimum are for folks raising chickens for themselves The rest are for growers who sell processed birds at farmers markets or off the farm     This year to serve growers interested in selling to stores and restaurants Wierschke equipped a 36-ft enclosed trailer to meet USDA requirements It is large enough for up to 5 workers to process nearly 400 birds a day and he can also take the trailer across state lines     For folks with fewer than 50 birds he rents a DIY trailer with all the equipment to make it easier for them to process their own birds Or they can just rent a plucker     Customers appreciate the time and hassle they save by having a mobile unit come to them versus loading up and spending time to take the birds to a plant Clean Chickens’ prices start at $5/chicken They travel up to 50 miles from Elk River for free and add a surcharge after that     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Greg Wierschke Clean Chicken and Co Elk River Minn ph 651 500-3780; www cleanchickens com; wierschkegreg@gmail com; Facebook: Clean Chickens and CO

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