Who we are
HomeGrown Poultry is the first state-approved poultry processor in the state of Idaho. Poultry processed in our 1920-square foot facility can be resold anywhere with the state of Idaho. HomeGrown Poultry has been in business since 2003, owned and operated by experienced poultry growers.
In 2009, HomeGrown Poultry will apply for a grant of inspection from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to become a federally-inspected poultry processing facility. This will mean that poultry from our facility may be sold anywhere in the United States. It will also mean some changes in our operation. Our fees have gone up to reflect the additional paperwork and microbial testing that federal inspection will require. we will have an inspector on-site every work day to inspect the poultry. Until we wade into this process we will not know exactly all the changes, but we hope you'll be patient as we enter this new phase. Take a look at our new blog feature to keep up with what's happening!
We believe growing food for yourself and your family is true food security.
We believe locally-grown food is more nutritious, saves fossil fuel, and supports local farmers. It is true homeland security.
We support local food systems - all the processes that go into producing and distributing food - whether they've developed haphazardly or with careful planning - from breeding crop seeds, to fishing, to raising cattle, to processing food, shipping, storing and selling it.
We support sustainable agriculture - growing food and fibers in a ways that don't compromise the ability of future generations to do the same.
The food supply chains we depend on have been growing longer and more complicated - and this has created new vulnerabilities. Food does not just pass from farm to market to table anymore. The links of these chains pass through more hands, more labs, more companies, more processing facilities, more countries, etc. Too much of this stretching food supply chain is out of sight, and out of public control. We either need to shorten the food supply chains by buying more locally produced food, or do a much better job of overseeing and managing them through all their twists and turns. We believe HomeGrown Poultry has an important role in this system.
What we do 
We slaughter and dress all types of poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, chukars, pheasants, quail, and guineas. Our skilled and experienced staff can assure your birds are treated with respect and are humanely handled. At this time we only offer whole poultry. We expect to add cut-up services in the near future.
Animal welfare is very important to us. We have consulted with experts from the Animal Welfare Institute to ensure we are handling the birds in accordance with their standards (www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org). We follow an approved HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) program to provide safe, unadulterated products. Our strict sanitation program ensures a clean and sanitary environment.
In the near future, HomeGrown Poultry will purchase poultry from growers who do not wish to market those products themselves. We will pay a per-pound-dressed price and market them under the HomeGrown label. This service is still under development, but we expect to offer prices based on the manner in which the poultry is raised (for example pastured poultry grown without antibiotics on farms that don't use pesticides or herbicides will command a higher price than poultry raised using other methods). Take a look at our Farmer page for a pdf file of our standards. If you are interested, please contact us for more information.
Our Facility
Our new building is one of the newest small-scale poultry processing facilities in the United States. This 1920- square foot building meets the standards of the Idaho Food Code and the USDA for the processing and selling of poultry.
Our facility also incorporates several 'green' design elements. In our effort to save energy we have a light-reflecting roof, clerstory windows to provide light into the interior of the building, operable windows to provide natural ventilation, R-25 insulation in the walls and ceiling, energy efficient windows, natural linoleum in the office area, programmable thermostats, and plans for solar-heated hot water.
Visitors and customers can choose to enjoy our shaded porch or peruse reading materials on poultry found in our lobby. You may also watch the processing if you desire.
Services
(Prices subject to change at anytime.)Young Chicken $1.00 per pound bagged weight - $3.75 per bird minimum - effective September 1, 2009 Unbagged $.25 per bird deducted from your total. Your tote or container MUST meet USDA standards
Mature Chicken $1.00 per pound bagged weight - $3.75 per bird minimum effective September 1, 2009 Unbagged $.25 per bird deducted from your total. Your tote or container MUST meet USDA standards
Turkey under 20 pounds $9.00
20-24.99 pounds 11.00
25-29.99 pounds 13.00
30-34.99 pounds 15.00
35-39.99 pounds 17.00
40-44.99 pounds 19.00
Over 45 pounds 25.00 (really heavy turkeys wear out the bearings of our equipment and the backs of our employees)
Guineas, Chuckars, Pheasants, Quail $1.00 per pound bagged weight - $3.75 per bird minimum - effective September 1, 2009Unbagged $.25 per bird deducted from your total. Your tote or container MUST meet USDA standards
35-39.99 pounds 17.00
40-44.99 pounds 19.00
Over 45 pounds 25.00 (really heavy turkeys wear out the bearings of our equipment and the backs of our employees)
Guineas, Chuckars, Pheasants, Quail $1.00 per pound bagged weight - $3.75 per bird minimum - effective September 1, 2009Unbagged $.25 per bird deducted from your total. Your tote or container MUST meet USDA standards
Ducks & Geese $10.00
(note: There is a 'right' time and a 'wrong' time to butcher ducks and geese. The 'wrong' time can mean an unsightly, pin-feathery carcass despite our best efforts.
Please call before scheduling them. Sorry, no guarantees on waterfowl)
Giblets, cleaned $1.00 each bird
The necks, hearts, livers, and gizzards from your chickens, cleaned & packaged.
Giblets, saved $.25 each bird
The necks, hearts, livers, and gizzards from your chickens. The gizzards are uncleaned and packaged separatelyl. The other parts are packed together in bulk.
Plastic bags 2 mil chicken bags $.10
2 mil turkey bags .25
If you do not want your poultry bagged, we can transfer the products into your clean containers. If you are going to resell them, your containers must be approved by us and food grade.
Retail Grower Label $20 one time setup fee
Your farm name printed on our labels. Make sure your customers know who raised it! If you provide us with the price per pound, we can provide a ready-to-sell product without the additional hassle of weighing it yourself. We need 3 business days notice.
***USDA inspection may mean a change to this policy. Consult with us in advance if you desire to use a personalized label***
Your birds are carefully tracked throughout the process so you are guaranteed the return of the meat you so carefully raised.
Our basic processing service produces a cleaned, whole bird that is bagged in a 2 mil plastic bag and weighed. Giblets are included in each turkey and waterfowl.
(note: There is a 'right' time and a 'wrong' time to butcher ducks and geese. The 'wrong' time can mean an unsightly, pin-feathery carcass despite our best efforts.
Please call before scheduling them. Sorry, no guarantees on waterfowl)
Giblets, cleaned $1.00 each bird
The necks, hearts, livers, and gizzards from your chickens, cleaned & packaged.
Giblets, saved $.25 each bird
The necks, hearts, livers, and gizzards from your chickens. The gizzards are uncleaned and packaged separatelyl. The other parts are packed together in bulk.
Plastic bags 2 mil chicken bags $.10
2 mil turkey bags .25
If you do not want your poultry bagged, we can transfer the products into your clean containers. If you are going to resell them, your containers must be approved by us and food grade.
Retail Grower Label $20 one time setup fee
Your farm name printed on our labels. Make sure your customers know who raised it! If you provide us with the price per pound, we can provide a ready-to-sell product without the additional hassle of weighing it yourself. We need 3 business days notice.
***USDA inspection may mean a change to this policy. Consult with us in advance if you desire to use a personalized label***
Your birds are carefully tracked throughout the process so you are guaranteed the return of the meat you so carefully raised.
Our basic processing service produces a cleaned, whole bird that is bagged in a 2 mil plastic bag and weighed. Giblets are included in each turkey and waterfowl.
Crating service. If you bring your birds loose in a trailer or in the bed of a truck, you should expect to crate your birds upon arrival at HomeGrown Poultry. We'll help you catch birds as we have time, but our employees must attend to their duties. If you'd like us to catch the birds for you, we charge $2.00 per full crate (about 8-10 birds).
We will gladly help you move crates out of your trailer or truck. Those crates get heavy!
How it works
1. Call for an appointment 208-278-0127. The summer months and November are our busiest times and we are frequently full two weeks ahead. Please call early.
2. The night before your appointment, take all the feed away from your poultry to help clear the gut. This helps reduce potential contamination and makes processing easier. Please read our 'Day Before' hints page.
3. Bring your poultry to us by the time you were instructed to bring them. Unless you have used one of our crates to transport them, we'll ask you to transfer your birds from your containers to ours. We will try our very best to process your birds while you wait but it may be several hours, even if you just brought a few chickens. Enjoy breakfast in New Plymouth, spend the morning in New Plymouth's unique horse-shoe city park, or shop sales tax-free in Ontario, Oregon - just 12 miles away.
4. Pick up your poultry. Your birds will be returned to you whole and in plastic bags. Turkeys will have the giblets inside. Depending upon when you return to retrieve your birds, they will be thoroughly chilled inside our walk-in cooler, or will be ready for you to put on ice. PLEASE bring BOXES or COOLERS or other transport means for your meat. We have no boxes. Before you pickup your meat, we must be assured that you can maintain the meat at 40 degrees or below. We cannot freeze the meat at this time. Occasionally we have extra ice for sale, but you should bring some in case we have used all of our ice for processing.