Custom Poultry Processing

Thank you for your interest in our services! We look forward to working with you. Below you can find our pricing and policies. Please read carefully and contact us if you have any questions.

We are the only poultry processing facility in Western Massachusetts with a Small Enterprise Exemption License, which allows Massachusetts-raised poultry processed at our facility to be sold in Massachusetts and cannot be sold outside of Massachusetts. Our poultry processing facility is currently state-inspected and we are actively progressing towards USDA Grant of Inspection (Jan 2025).

We clean our equipment, tools, and facility using Simple Green, citrus-based degreaser, and bleach solution to sanitize. No chlorine is added to the birds in the chill tanks or during the packing process. Our processing protocol meets standards for organic processing, though we are not organic certified.

🐤 Please note our pricing changes below for 2024.

Requesting a Processing Reservation

Please email us at [email protected] with the following information:

  • desired processing week/s
  • numbers of birds per batch and breed
  • "for sale" or "not for sale"
  • how many whole/cut-up
  • whether you'll need rental crates

We will offer a processing week (starting Sunday) and request a nonrefundable deposit to confirm your reservation. This deposit will be applied to your final processing total. Deposits are accepted in mailed checks made out to Reed Farm.

We make reservations by the week to provide some flexibility in processing scheduling while still ensuring that our processing customers will have their birds processed on their week. We strive to never change or cancel processing dates on people. Reservations by the week is our way to accomplish this.

As you know, livestock management is complex and there are always surprises! Sometimes folks lose birds or have more than they expected, etc. In order for the plant to run efficiently and cost-effectively, we must balance the batches and our labor and resources. For example, if one day is too short, we cannot run the plant. So weekly reservations allow us to accommodate these changes while still fulfilling our promise to have someone's birds processed on that week.

For 2024, most processing days will be either the Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of your processing week.
We will update you with your specific processing day about 2 weeks beforehand.

Pricing

The price depends on the total number of birds and includes slaughter, processing, chilling, packaging, and labeling. Each order will be a minimum of $100 for processing ($200 for turkeys) and does not include cut up service, kept organs/feet, crate rental, or boxes. There is no minimum on the number of chickens or turkeys. There is a minimum of 4-5 ducks per batch.

Box charges apply to all orders. Waxed boxes are used to track your order through the plant and pack your final product. Unfortunately, we cannot reuse boxes. Large boxes ($6 each) hold 10-20 chickens or 2-6 turkeys, depending on size.

Payment is due at pick up. We accept cash or check (made out to Reed Farm).

Prices are subject to change.

Base Pricing

Custom Processing

100+ in batch

25-99 in batch

11-24 in batch

1-10 in batch

Broilers, Meat Chickens*

$6.95 per bird

$7.95 per bird

$8.95 per bird

$11.95 per bird

*non Cornish Cross

add $1 per bird

*6+ lbs

add $1 per bird

*8+ lbs

$14 per bird

Layers, Stew Chickens
      
 (birds older than 14 weeks)

$8.50 per bird

$10.50 per bird

$12.50 per bird

$13.50 per bird

Roosters (all non-meat breeds & dual-purpose breeds older than 14 weeks)

$13.50 per bird

Turkeys ($1.10/lb of dressed weight) †

min $18 per bird

min $25 per bird

Ducks

$20 per bird, minimum 4-5 birds per batch, $3/bird wax service fee may apply

† Turkey price is $1.10/lb of dressed weight (minimum $25/bird) and includes packaging and labeling. For 11+ turkeys, the minimum is reduced to $18/bird. As an example, the price for 5 turkeys would be at least $125: $25/bird and an additional $1.10 per every pound over 23 lbs dressed.
‡ Please contact us to discuss duck processing. Because plucking efficiency depends on the age of the duck, we cannot guarantee a completely clean pluck. There is a minimum of 4-5 ducks per batch; fewer ducks will not be enough counterweight to be plucked in our equipment and would need to be plucked by hand, requiring far more time and labor.

Packing & Parts

Whole birds and parts are vacuum packed for final product quality and preservation, with the exception of turkeys which are poly bagged and zip-tied by default.

We do not offer cut up for layer hens, non-meat roosters, or turkeys.

  • Chicken cut into parts, vacuum packed - additional $4.50-5.50 per bird (see more below)
  • Chicken halved, vacuum packed - additional $2.50 per bird
  • Whole turkey, vacuum packed (size allowing) - additional $2 per bird

(Meat Chicken Only, Minimum of 24) For an additional $4.50 per bird ($5.50 for 8+lb birds), you may add the option of cutting into parts for your custom processing order, when arranged in advance. The price includes vacuum packing and labeling. All cut up and packing is done by hand and under refrigeration.

Our standard cuts are boneless or bone-in breasts, thighs, drums, wings, and carcasses/backs.
The parts can also be cut to your specifications at an additional charge. Let's discuss!

Organs & Feet

You can opt to keep the following items from your batch (all or nothing; options apply to the whole batch):

  • (Meat Chicken Only) Feet - $25 fee or $0.25 per bird for batch sizes 100 and above
  • Hearts & Livers - $20 flat fee
  • Necks - $20 flat fee. Or kept on the bird for no additional fee.

These are available bulk bagged by type in ~4-5 lb vacuum sealed bags (or stuffed in bird for turkeys) by default.

  • Optional ~1 lb vacuum sealed small packs for $1 per bag.

For layer hens and non-meat roosters, necks will be left on the bird.

We do not keep organs or feet for layer hens or non-meat roosters, and we do not keep feet for turkeys or ducks.

Crate Rental Service

Chicken crates for transport are available for rent.

Each crate is $5 and holds about 8-12 chickens, depending on size.

Please take into account the season and allow for plenty of space for air flow within the crates. When it is hot during the summer, the chickens will need more space per crate. Upon arrival at the farm, we reserve the right to transfer your birds to more crates if needed to maintain humane treatment of the animals and to charge accordingly. You will save more by using more crates rather than using fewer crates and losing chickens!

Processing Policies

Labels and Sale

For any poultry destined for sale or donation, please provide a printed copy of your batch's Pullorum certificate from the hatchery on your processing date. Poultry raised in Massachusetts and processed at our State-Inspected facility can be sold anywhere in Massachusetts under the Small Enterprise exemption, with appropriate labeling, and cannot be sold outside of Massachusetts.

Any poultry processed for personal use or batches processed without a Pullorum certificate on record will be marked as "Not for Sale," per Massachusetts state regulation.

Please note that if your poultry is for resale or donation we are required to label them and the label cannot be removed, modified, or obstructed per state regulations. As the processor, we are responsible for any labeling on the packaging. Do not add any labels directly onto the package.

If you would like your logo on the label, please submit that information and .jpeg (or .png) file by email at least 2 weeks before your processing date. Labels are in black and white.

Reservation Dates & Open Communication

Processing reservations are non-transferable and cannot be made for, shared with, or given to, other farms and poultry raisers. This undermines biosecurity tracking and our ability to effectively plan for the resources and crew needed for the day's processing reservations.

If there is a change to your batch number (e.g. unexpected higher or lower mortality rate) before your processing date, please keep us in the loop so that we may adapt accordingly.

If there is another issue, please communicate with us so that we may work together on a solution.

Before, About, & After Processing Day

  • Please remove access to feed 18-24 hours before your processing date. The birds should continue to have access to water.
  • Drop off is between 7:00-7:30am at the side of the red barn facing the road.
    If your birds are for sale (or donation), bring a copy of your batch's Pullorum Certificate to include with your intake paperwork.
  • Pick up for chicken is 2-3 days after processing, between 3:00-5:00pm. Peter will call and/or Kat will email to let you know when they are ready. They may be ready for pick up earlier.
  • Pick up for turkeys is 1-2 days after processing. Peter will call and/or Kat will email to let you know when they are ready.

Full Crop Fee

Batches with birds that have full crops will incur an additional processing fee of $1 per bird.

Full crops are more easily punctured and compromise the quality of the final product. Birds with full crops take longer to process and require additional cleaning of the facility.

Late Arrival Fee

Late arrivals will incur an additional fee of $100 per hour beyond the 7:00-7:30am livestock drop off window. Livestock must be present and properly crated by 7:30am on processing day.

Late arrivals cause delays and pauses in the processing line. We are committed to paying our crew higher wages corresponding to the high levels of skill required for poultry processing at our facility.

Late Reservation Fee

Reservations made within 4 weeks of processing week may incur an additional 20% of the base processing cost and cut up services cost.

For Sale batches without Pullorum certificate

Batches that are For Sale and do not have the pullorum certificate included with intake paperwork will incur a $50 fee in order to print For Sale labels. In this case, the pullorum certificate must be submitted before packing.