Rural Vermont does not just have a rooster in the logo, we were that organization that advocated for what was known as the “chicken bill” that passed in 2007 and allowed for the slaughter of poultry on-farms at a 1000 bird limit (later legislators called another bill the “chicken bill” - read more about compost foraging here). In 2017, that exemption from the inspection requirement was expanded to allow for up to 5000 and 20000 birds. Hand in hand with the lack of inspection go restrictions on the marketability of the products. Poultry slaughtered on-farm can be sold only as whole birds, from the farm, at a farmers’ market, directly to household consumers, or to a food restaurant licensed by the Commissioner of Health.
Rural Vermont is organizing slaughter workshops where homesteaders and small-scale poultry processors learn how to realize slaughter of their poultry more effectively. In processing workshops, participants learn how to cut a whole bird in different ways. These workshops help farmers who slaughter their poultry on-farm to market their birds, since they can only sell them as whole birds – which can be unusual and tricky for customers.
If you are currently or aspiring to buy or process and sell poultry that was slaughtered on-farm and want to get involved, contact caroline@ruralvermont.org.
Factsheet – On Farm Slaughter Poultry
Factsheet – On Farm Slaughter Livestock
Issue Brief: "Building Resilient Local Meat Supply Chains: How On-Farm Slaughter Fits into the Federal Meat Inspection Act"
Recorded Workshop - On-Farm Poultry Slaughter & Processing with Liz Roma
Video Demo - How to Cut a Whole Bird into Pieces & Parts with Keith Drinkwine