Sun Nov 08 2009
By BECKY MARTINEZ and HEATHER BAUGHMAN
Poultry cleaners for hire -- John Jacobs and John Sugg recently partnered in opening J&J Poultry Processing in Holgate.
"We do everything, butcher and clean. We get them ready to go, for the oven or the frying pan," said Sugg.
"Them" includes chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail and rabbits. The business, all new construction, officially opened June 1 at 550 Richholt St., in the Holgate Industrial Park.
The idea of opening a business came to Jacobs and Sugg about three years ago. "We raise our own birds, John and I both do," said Sugg. "They're raised antibiotic-free on free range. We don't like all the antibiotics going into the animals, so we bought the equipment to process them ourselves and to justify the purchase, we'd process other people's birds.
"A lot more people are raising their own chickens because of health concerns. They want to know where their food is coming from," said Sugg.
Prior to obtaining the state license to open the store, the men were able to clean others' poultry as long as the customer stayed there while the job was done. Now customers can drop off their poultry and pick it up at a later time. There aren't many other processing plants in the area.
"Some people bring in 10 chickens, some 100 at a time. One man brought in 400 chickens that he passed around to family members," said Sugg.
Currently Sugg and Jacobs operate the business on Saturdays -- the business is in addition to other jobs they each hold, plus the raising of their own chickens; each raise about 1,000 a year.
"We'll expand the business hours as the need arises," said Sugg. They hope to turn it into a full-time business and hire more people. Currently J&J Poultry has three employees.
Raising your own poultry and paying to have them processed may cost a little more than purchasing a chicken at the grocery store. "It depends on what you're buying at the store. The Amish-raised, antibiotic free poultry costs a little more (in stores). It is a little more money, depending on the quantity of chicks you purchase. The more you buy, the cheaper you can get them," said Sugg. "Our birds are a day-old when we buy them. They've never even eaten."
But cost aside, you know where the food is coming from and how it was raised. "You buy them, you feed them, you know what you're bringing in (to us)," said Sugg.
Meat birds usually feed up to four pounds and can be ready to butcher by six weeks old. "They grow really fast. We call them vultures," Sugg said.
In Holgate, Sugg believes some residents can raise chickens in town. "There are rules. I think they need to be at least 150 feet away from the nearest neighbor," said Sugg. "You'd have to check your city ordinance."
Defiance City residents are not permitted to raise chickens for meat.
According to Defiance City law director David Williams, "We have a zoning called 'A1' for agriculture. If land is zoned 'A1' then raising chickens could be permitted. I am not aware of any land in the city zoned A1."
Even if land were zoned "A1," to raise animals the property owner would need special permission from the zoning board. In Defiance's ordinance, "agriculture" means "crop cultivation," according to Williams.
To contact J&J Poultry Processing call 419-438-7133.
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