Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
You may know right from the start that you do not want to butcher your birds. If no one in
your household wants to slaughter your birds, you will need to find someone to do it for you,
such as a friend or fellow chicken owner. You also could have a professional butcher handle
the slaughter for you.
In the early 1900s, butcher shops were common on city streets. There was an art to butcher-
ing. In cities such as New York and Los Angeles, butchers may still have storefronts. Today,
though, most grocery chains have their own meat departments inside the stores, and machines
now take the place of professional butchers. So where can you find a butcher?
The website Local.com (
www.local.com
)
can help you find any type of service anywhere in
the United States. Type “butcher” in the search engine and your ZIP code in the “area” box.
You also can type in the radius you want your search area to cover. The names, addresses, and
phone numbers of all of the butchers in that area will appear on your screen. Then, start con-
tacting them to see who can get the job done for you. The Yellow Pages online
(
www.yellowpages.com
) provides a similar service. Type “butcher” and your ZIP code into
the search fields, and information will pop up on all relevant businesses listed with the yellow
pages.
If you still cannot find a butcher, try advertising in the local classifieds under the “wanted”
section. Or go to your local grocer, and ask someone who works in the meat department
whether he or she can do it for you or can recommend someone who can.
A knowledgeable butcher will know how to cut any type of meat. Chicken is a common meat,
and any butcher should be able to cut it up for you. Butchers should know a healthy bird or
carcass when they see it. They should not be willing to cut up poultry that is sickly or tainted.
A good butcher will know how to make clean cuts and will be able to distinguish prime cuts
of meat from lesser cuts. Most butchers have been an apprentice or have on-the-job training.
Your butcher should be able to discuss the parts of the bird with you in detail and have a clean
environment in which your bird is prepared.
State Zoning Laws Regarding Owning Chickens
Zoning laws about chickens vary from state to state and city to city. You should always find
out what the law says about having chickens in your community before purchasing any chick-
ens. You can find information about chicken laws on these sites:
