On-Farm Poultry Slaughter Workshop with Elizabeth Roma - A recap

Did you know that farmers have to sell poultry they slaughtered on the farm as whole birds only (chicken, turkey, ducks)? A September workshop in collaboration with Elizabeth Roma from Putting Down Roots Farm and Roma’s Butchery taught participants how to slaughter and how to cut the birds themselves. This way they can support local farmers who do sell uninspected poultry that was slaughtered on their farms. 

You missed the workshop? Sign up for our second and final On-Farm Poultry Slaughter Workshop with Elizabeth Roma on Saturday, November 6 from noon to 5 pm.

A sunny day greeted the seven attendees at our first poultry processing workshop with Elizabeth Roma on September 25, 2021. Everyone had the opportunity to slaughter and eviscerate their own birds at the slaughter demo and in the afternoon cut their birds under guidance from Liz at Roma’s Butchery.  Participants at this workshop were mostly homesteaders who wanted to improve their skill and setup to be able to process their own poultry more efficiently. The workshop demonstrated a low cost setup that would be easy to adopt while allowing room for growth which was appreciated. Definitely a role model solution for small producers! The lunch menu and large patio at Roma’s Butchery was a great space to rest and digest the lessons learned from the slaughter demonstration. After the break, Rural Vermont presented on the regulatory requirements that farmers have to meet when they are selling uninspected poultry that they have slaughtered on their farms themselves as whole birds to their customers through their farm stands and CSA’s or to restaurants. 

Inside the butchery the space was just right for the eight needed processing spots and we masked up to stay safe. Liz demonstrated a few different cutting techniques on the birds with a knife which everyone could then practice themselves. At the end of the day participants went home with their own freshly slaughtered, cut and vacuum sealed chicken. 

Have questions about the on-farm slaughter of poultry? Check out our factsheet here or contact caroline@ruralvermont.org with your questions.