This year (2017) I brought 139 birds to be USDA processed for institutional sales to Nelsonshine. When I picked the birds up the day after butchering they were not frozen (not even frosty) and at least 33 had broken legs or wings containing sharp bone shards. Many had torn skin and a few had more than 50% of the skin torn off. Some of the injuries show bruising which indicates they happened before death due to mishandling. The majority showed no bruising around the injuries indicating operator error with the scalding and plucking equipment. I have included pics from one bird that has extreme torn skin, bruising on the thigh and a broken leg with exposed jagged bone.
I had just processed 121 birds on my farm from the same batch of birds with only 3 broken wings or legs. I used the same type of equipment (kill cones, temperature controlled scalding tank and tub plucker). The only thing Nelson Shine was willing to do to make things right was to say, "Sorry". They claim that they do not make any guarantees for their work.
Because of their workmanship 24% of my USDA inspected product is not salable due to unsafe sharp bones. This has caused the chicken enterprise on my farm to operate at a loss this year.
In addition to the broken birds, because the birds were not frozen I had to stack them into my freezer soft which resulted in my birds becoming lumpy.
My rating for this establishment would have been much higher if they had been willing to work on making things right. Instead they sent me a certified letter stating that they will not work with me on resolving this issue and further threatened to sue me for libel or defamation!
I do know of farmers that have a good working relationship with this company, but due to my experience with them I will not be using them as a processor anymore and highly recommend thinking twice before sending your animals that you have carefully raised to them. I will pay the extra dollar per bird and send mine over to a facility in Sturgeon Lake. read more
