Poultry Processing Unit

Clark Conservation District has poultry processing unit available to loan to Clark County residents. The unit comes with everything needed to process chickens and turkeys. The trailer plus equipment weighs approximately 1,500 lbs.

The spreader is available for checkout in one week increments from Thursday to Thurdsay, and is available year round.

You can reserve the spreader up to three months in advance.

Poultry Processing Unit Policies

  • The unit is available for pick up Thursday afternoon (12:30 – 3 pm) and dropped off the following week on Thursday morning (9 -11:30 am).

  • The rental fee is $150, plus a $150 deposit to be refunded when returned clean and on time (over 30 minutes late and we will keep your deposit). A charge of $30/day is applied for each day it is late.

  • Renters must have a valid driver’s license and agree to our equipment borrowing policies to be eligible to use the unit.

  • The equipment is in a trailer for hauling and requires a 2” ball hitch and a 4-prong flat light connector.

  • The renter must also be able to safely and legally transport the unit on the trailer to their site for use.

Additional sanitization procedures are required by renters and performed by CCD staff between reservations to help minimize the risk of transmission of the avian flu. This includes sanitizing processing equipment and the hauling trailer and tires. Renters who observe signs of disease in their flock are asked to cancel their reservation of the equipment to reduce the potential for spreading the avian flu virus.

Calendar and Form

The Poultry Processing Unit Includes…

  • Featherman Plucker

  • Scalder

  • Dunker and Shackles

  • Chill Tank

  • Kill Cone Stand

  • Killing Cones

    • Small turkey (4)

    • Chicken (8)

You will need to provide…

  • Two strong people to move equipment

  • Power source for the plucker and scalder

  • Propane tank to heat scalding water

  • Hose (2 ideally) and a water source

  • Knives

  • Table for processing

  • Meat storage bags

  • Ice for chilling birds

Payment

We accept payment by credit card only. If you do not have a credit card, please contact Sam Frundle for alternative arrangements. Once your rental time and date are confirmed by staff, you have 7 days (or 48 hours before, whichever is shorter) to pay your invoice. This reserves your rental period. The invoice will be emailed to you along with a confirmation. If you cancel by 3:00 pm on the Monday before your rental, we will refund your payment and deposit.  Cancellations after that point will only be refunded if we are able to fill the rental spot.

We’ve had to reevaluate what we charge to ensure the sustainability of the program. If you feel you are not able to afford the new rate please contact us. We don’t want this rate to prevent someone from renting the equipment. You can also connect with others in our community to share a rental. Please note that if you choose this option, the renter is still liable for damages, cleaning, and pick up and returning of the equipment.

We are also testing a “pay what you can” option. If you are unable to pay the full rental please let us know what you can afford in the comments box on the rental request form. If you would like to pay more to cover a portion of someone else’s rental, indicate that on the rental request form. The actual cost of managing the equipment is roughly $150 per rental. We may increase our rates at a later date to reflect that increase.

How to Prepare for the Poultry Processing Unit

WSDA POULTRY PROCESSING INFORMATION
No permits are required to process poultry for home consumption. The Washington State Department of Agriculture created a special permit to allow on-farm processing of up to 1,000 birds for direct marketing. See the links below for details on the permit and additional information for small-scale producers.

Using the Equipment

We are currently developing videos demonstrating how to set up and use the poultry processing equipment. In the meantime, please read through our borrower’s packet and see the Featherman YouTube page for excellent videos of the poultry processing equipment in operation.