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More Poultry Processing Resources

Poultry Processing and Enterprise Calculators

How should you process your birds? Will you save money with the MPPU, or should you make the trip to a USDA inspected facility? And, oh yeah - are you going to make any money at this?

We can't tell you for sure, but here are some tools which might help you figure it out:

Online Poultry Processing Calculator - This simple calculator compares the costs of renting the MPPU with the costs of taking your birds to a custom facility. Tweak the numbers to fit your plans, try some hypothetical situations, and notice how quickly the costs drop as you increase production.

Poultry Processing Calculator (Excel file) - If you were intrigued by the online calculator, you can download it as an Excel spreadsheet for a more detailed and customizable version.

Poultry Profit Calculator (Excel file) - Here it is: a detailed enterprise budget calculator for small poultry producers, from hatchling to processing. We took the liberty of filling in some numbers for an example scenario, but if you want to do this right, go through from top to bottom and plug in all of your own expected figures. Change the weights and feed ratios to make it a turkey or duck or goose calculator, see how much difference feed costs make, and don't miss the oft-overlooked calculation at the bottom of the spreadsheet: return on producer's labor.

Building an On-farm Poultry Processing Facility

We've learned a lot over the last few years while planning, building, operating, repairing, and managing a mobile poultry processing unit. Drawing on our own experiences and those of other poultry processing projects around the country, we put together this comprehensive guide to planning and constructing an MPPU or stationary facility (pdf) for on-farm poultry processing.

The guide incorporates tips and lessons learned, case studies and example plans, and lots guidance for anyone thinking about building their own MPPU or other on-farm poultry processing facility, including:

• Choosing a facility type
• Selecting equipment
• Designing a floor plan

For questions about the guide, please contact Sam Anderson at 978-654-6745 or by email at:  sanderson@comteam.org.

Farm and Food Safety Management Guide

New Entry and the New England Small Farm Institute prepared this Farm and Food Safety Management Guide (pdf) for small-scale poultry producers and processors using a Massachusetts-inspected mobile poultry processing unit or stationary on-farm facility. It includes information and sample documentation to help producer-processors with:

• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
• Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOPs)
• Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)

The guide also includes practical resources and sample daily use report logs that producers can print off to use on processing day.

Handbook for Small-Scale Poultry Producer-Processors

New Entry prepared a Handbook for Small-Scale Poultry Producer-Processors (pdf) that describes how to apply for licensure to process poultry using a Massachusetts-inspected MPPU. Producers are encouraged to use the guide to understand basic requirements for MPPU use and licensure. The guide contains:

• Overview of Mass regulations regarding poultry processing
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• Step-by-Step guidance on completing the Mass Slaughter License application
• What to expect after completing the application
• Regulatory Resources

For questions or clarification about the Handbook, please contact Jennifer Hashley at 617-636-3793 or by email at: jennifer.hashley@tufts.edu. For technical assistance in completing your local and state approvals for MPPU use, please contact Sam Anderson at 978-654-6745 or by email at:  sanderson@comteam.org.