Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Admin. If this isn't in the right category feel free to move.

I am going to do some 'meat birds, this spring. I did the freys dual purpose last year and they didn't really do it for me. The bird gets a lot of fat easily and these are free ranging birds. Anyways. Tried it, not sold so trying something new. I'm going to get some Cornish cross and free range them with 2 designated feeds a day and off to be processed at 8-10 weeks of age.

I have some people that are interested in buying the end product. I am not interested in being wrapped up in red tape and don't even want to consider the possibility of red tape. I am understanding that we can not sell dead birds, cleaned and packaged etc The CFIA has to be involved etc.

Is this true even if we have them processed at a licensed CFIA Inspected processing facility? I've been told regardless I am not allowed to sell meat products (and technically eggs) from my homestead to the general public. I can 'give' away to family, friends, neighbors etc., but a dead processed bird is a big no no!

So I'm thinking if I raise the birds myself (as these are people that can't or won't raise their own) and sell them as a living chicken. Right? Stay with me. The buyers can then pay for the processing at the facility themselves? Of course it will be me that has them at the processing for drop off and pick up, but maybe I can do an 'invoice'in a way that shows a live bird and the rest...oh I don't know. Gotta figure that all out.

I don't do hush hush business as I never give anyone the one up on me. If I can't find a way to do it that won't get me potentially scrutinized by my favourite people (the government agencies) than I won't do it. Period. No skin off my back.

Thoughts?

Lol..you know me..I'm in!!!!!!!!

If you are getting them processed at a licensed processor as i understand it all you need is a form 300 and the processor will tag as inspected and you can sell those birds from your freezer....perfectly legal. You cannot sell uninspected dead birds....and you cannot sell birds you have processed on your own farm....they arent inspected. But if they are inspected you can sell them no problem.

WLL is right, get the birds processed at a licensed processor with the proper paperwork (form 300) and then you can sell the birds to the general public, no problem.

Technically speaking if you processed the birds at your place, you can't even give them away, because the dead chicken can't leave your property where it was processed.

I have not raised Cornish crosses before but from many people's recommendations, order them early so they can be processed before the dog days of July or early August.

Ok!! Yes I know of the form 300!! Excellent. Thanks everyone

Jim's right on that. The dog days of summer (july august) will kill meat birds (at night in my case) if they are over 4 lbs. its night temps of over 25 degrees in my opinion. get em early and butcher early or get them late and butcher in fall. When I get meat birds I get chicks in july and butcher them in october.
Whats the limit without quota... 200 chickens?

baronrenfrew wrote:QR_BBPOST
Whats the limit without quota... 200 chickens?

I believe the limit is 300 meat birds, that is why they call it the "form 300"

Yup, it's 300 birds and BTW you are perfectly entitled to sell "Farm Gate" eggs. If I remember you're just allowed to put up a sign but not advertise in other ways?

baronrenfrew wrote:QR_BBPOST Jim's right on that. The dog days of summer (july august) will kill meat birds (at night in my case) if they are over 4 lbs. its night temps of over 25 degrees in my opinion. get em early and butcher early or get them late and butcher in fall. When I get meat birds I get chicks in july and butcher them in october.
Whats the limit without quota... 200 chickens?

I want to do 2 batches. Spring and fall. We also don't need to have 300 birds at some of the processing facilities. But I'm going to double check before I order. I don't have room for 300!! One guy was telling me the one in Lowbanks has a min of 30 birds. I'll be ordering 50, twice. Will be tight in the coop but we can manage for a few weeks. I'd rather taking them to the one in Mennonite land, forget what the name of the facility is. They have a fantastic reputation. I'll be wing banding though to make sure I get my birds back.

When I inquired before I got chickens I was told I was not allowed to advertise or sell eggs. They are not inspected and some disease spreading mumbo jumbo they gave me, salmonella etc etc., selling eggs and someone gets sick I can be sued and fined from the CFIA. I asked if they had nothing better to do, like maintain their own facilities that are exposed for cruelty a LOT. Jeesh!
I felt like I was in the midst of a scare tactic when I called. Anyways, I sell eggs and give them away. Ha!!