At Freedom Valley Acres we start each processing day at 7am. By preparing in advance to have your poultry at our facility either the night before around sunset or by 7am ensures we all have a smooth processing day!
Chicken Crates & Transport
If you live a short distance from our location you are welcome to stop by and borrow chicken crates for transport. Use the plastic ones—they are more practical to move around once you get them full of your BIG birds! The wooden crates are more of a nod to our past and only used as a last resort. If you are traveling from a distance, chicken crates are still the preferred method to get your chickens to us. If that is not possible, using any container to transport them will work with a few guidelines.
Bedding Before Loading
Before loading your poultry, put down straw or pine shavings. This helps control their waste during transport/overnight.
Give Them Breathing Room
Ensure that when your poultry are loaded for transport that they have plenty of breathing room, otherwise there is a risk that they will overcrowd each other and cause suffocation.
Transferring on Arrival
If transporting smaller poultry in a large container like a livestock trailer please be prepared to transfer them to available chicken crates on arrival. Having something to push behind them and move them forward is also helpful, something as simple as a piece of cardboard can accomplish this. This helps reduce our exposure to poultry manure, creating the best environment for us all.
Remove Feed Beforehand
Be sure to remove all feed the morning before your processing date. This helps to reduce the amount of feed in their intestines, specifically their crop and creates a cleaner end product.
Keep Water Available
Provide plenty of fresh water at all times prior to transport.