Slaughter & Processing

First-Time Customers - A 50% non-refundable deposit is due within 7 days of signing your sales order.

Returning Customers - A 30% non-refundable deposit is due within 7 days of signing your sales order.

Every Booking requires a deposit.

Deposits must be paid within 7 days of signing you sales order. 

A $35 late fee will apply to payments received after this period. 

Please note that repeated late deposits may impact the scheduling of slaughter and processing services, including requiring full payment at the time of booking or canceled bookings.

No birds may be dropped off without a paid deposit.

Standard Availability - 31 days or more in advance with a completed deposit, regardless of the 7-day window. 

(If booked at 31 days and the deposit is not paid for Rush Availability Fees will be applied)

Rush Availability - 30 or fewer days before booking.  

Bookings made within 31 days of the processing date are subject to a 15% Rush Availability Fee, applied to the base slaughter invoice. A minimum fee of $25 and a maximum fee of $250 apply. This fee reflects additional labor and scheduling costs required to accommodate short-notice processing.

Turkeys are $1.50 per lb., with an additional $15 charge for each bird over 26 lbs. dressed weight.

$20 minimum per Turkey. 

Turkey Weight is Dressed Weight and includes cavity-packed Giblets.

The invoice will be updated after packaging and before pickup.

Chicken

Giblet Harvesting

• Harvested Chicken Giblets: $2.75 per chicken

  • Includes heart, liver, gizzard, and neck
  • Covers removal, inspection, chilling, and handling

Packaging Options

• Cavity Packed Giblets: No Additional Charge
• Bulk Giblet Bags: $0.65 per bag
• Retail 1 lb. Bags: $0.75 per bag

Feet Harvesting

• Harvest Chicken Feet: $0.75 per chicken

Quality Standard

If, by visual inspection, feet do not appear healthy enough to reasonably yield at least 50 percent usable product, they will not be harvested and will be treated as offal. Harvest fees will not be charged in this case.

Pro Tip for Farms Harvesting Feet

Clean bedding in housing and regular moves to fresh pasture significantly improve foot quality and harvest yield.

Backs / Frames

• Harvested Backs or Frames: $0.65 per bird

Packaging Options

• Case Packed with Liner: Box Charge Only
• Bulk Back/Frames Bags: $0.75 per bag

Turkey

Giblet Harvesting

• Harvested Turkey Giblets: $1.50 per pound

  • Includes heart, liver, gizzard, and neck

Packaging

• Cavity Packed Giblets: No Additional Charge 
  
• Bulk Giblet Bags: $0.65 per bag
• Retail 1 lb. Bags: $0.75 per bag 
  

Feet

• Turkey feet are not harvested at this time.

Backs / Frames

• Harvested Backs or Frames: $0.65 per bird

Packaging Options

• Case Packed with Liner: Box Charge Only
• Bulk Back/Frames Bags: $0.75 per bag

Duck

• Duck giblets are custom harvested only
• Pricing quoted per invoice based on volume and labor
• Includes heart, liver, gizzard, and neck

Packaging

• Cavity Packed: Included
• Bulk Giblet Bags: $0.65 per bag
• Retail 1 lb. Bags: $0.75 per bag 

Backs / Frames

• Harvested Backs or Frames: $0.65 per bird

Packaging Options

• Case Packed with Liner: Box Charge Only
• Bulk Back/Frames Bags: $0.75 per bag

Offal and Discard Barrel Fees

• Standard Rate: $55 per barrel

Proration Rules

• Charges are prorated by barrel usage

• Examples:

  • 0.25 barrel filled = charged 25%of barrel fee
  • 1.5 barrels filled = charged for 1.5 barrels
  • 4.5 barrels filled = charged for 4.5 barrels

Applies to:

• Non-harvested giblets
• Non-harvested feet
• Non-harvested backs/frames
• Trimmings and inedible offal

Chickens: must be in poultry crates labeled with the farm or personal last name. 

We will label crates not labeled with tags if not labeled for $1 per crate.

Ducks and Turkeys: Please confirm with Steadfast if you are brining them in Poultry crates or need a Catch Pen to put flock in upon arrival. Crates must be labeled with farm name or personal last name.

We will label crates not labeled with tags if not labeled for $1 per crate.

Poultry packed exceeding 50lbs per crate will require additional separation for handling and to ensure animal welfare.

If the crate weighs more than 50 lbs. or the birds are overcrowded because of size we will separate them into additional crates as necessary and add a $10 rental fee per additional crate to the pickup invoice as well as $1 per pound over 50 lbs.

SPPS is the only Certified Humane USDA Inspected Poultry Slaughter Facility in New England.

Inquire on how to certify your flock with claims on your label. (more information on our website)

*We Suggest if you're unsure of weight air on the side of caution and limit to 6 birds per crate.

You are still charged for the slaughter cost of your bird even though you will not receive a final product from DOA or condemned birds.

DOA – Dead on Arrival

Non-Conforming or Rework Fee

For each bird in your flock requiring rework as identified by the USDA inspector to meet USDA standards of wholesomeness, to cover the additional labor there will be a charge of $1 per bird as well as the cut charge if a bird must then be cut instead of packaged whole.

Alternatively Non-Conforming or Rework Fee regardless of flock size.

• if 20% to 50% of your flock requires rework, the fee will be $200,
• at 50% to 80%, the fee will be $400,
• at 80% or more, the fee will be $600.

Extreme Cases of Non-Conforming or Rework may see higher Charges depending on the scope of work to make birds wholesome and the time the production line is slowed by.

In addition to the Non-Conforming or Rework Fee, any charges assessed by SPPS from the USDA for Inspector overtime will be passed on to you. This covers work that extends beyond normal operating hours for your slaughter and processing. 

(The USDA Current Overtime Rate is $82.50/Hour, This May change without notice.)

Please remove all plastic and metal bands from poultry prior to arrival.

Removal of bands by the facility will fall under rework and fees applied accordingly.

Poultry will be packed in Wax Alternative Boxes. We no longer accept coolers or outside boxes. 

A late drop-off fee will be applied to any flock delivered after 7 a.m.

The fee will be $3 per bird, or a minimum of $250, plus any overtime charges from the USDA for that day's slaughter.

A flock is "Dropped Off" once crates are unloaded and the receiving paperwork is completed.

SPPS Staff are not responsible for unloading crates; paperwork will begin once you unload your flock in the designated area.

If our preferred method of palletizing crates is used, a tractor-forklift operator will be available to unload your pallets, and if you are outside the facility by 6:30 am no late fee will be applied.

If your crates are not palleted and you are not on site before we start unloading a palleted customer, the Late drop-off Fee terms apply to you regardless of your wait time to enter the unloading queue.

Pick-up windows are precise please be on time or staff will not be available to release your product to you past the pickup window.

Pickup: Based on your Intake form, at 5 pm Sharp.

If we are notified, and you provide an ETA we can accommodate, an additional charge of $60 per 15 min past 5 pm will apply. Charges apply starting at 5:01, 5:16, etc.

If you’re not at the Facility by 5 pm and we haven’t heard from you, we will close the facility and an additional charge of $50 per case per day for cold product storage will apply. 

​

All poultry must be picked up and transported in a manner that maintains a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, no exceptions.

This applies regardless of the distance being traveled. 

Proper cold chain compliance ensures food safety and prevents spoilage and is regulated by the USDA.

If your flock is 6% or more short of what you booked then we will charge you for up to 6% less of your booking number regardless of the birds brought to slaughter.

Any bounced or canceled checks will have a $50 charge and any bank related fees/costs added to invoices.

Checks that our bank applies an extended hold to process will not be accepted as a form of payment in the future.

• 1,000 – 2,000 Save an additional $0.25 per bird
• 2,001 – 5,000 Save an additional $0.50 per bird 
• 5,001+  Save an additional $1.25 per bird 

If the Seasonal Volume Commitment is not met, the sole recourse is forfeiture of the Seasonal Commitment Deposit as outlined in Section 5. Previously assessed barrel fees will not be retroactively adjusted. 

Any bookings, services, or processing completed prior to the execution of this contract are excluded from the Seasonal Volume Commitment and associated discounts. 

This deadline is non-negotiable and is required to maintain operational efficiency and proper planning. Unforeseen circumstances, including supply chain delays, weather events, labor shortages, equipment failures, or flock health issues, do not waive this requirement and are addressed separately under Section 6 (Mortality).

The balance for each booking is due in full prior to product release at pickup. Failure to remit payment may result in delayed release, additional storage fees, and suspension or cancellation of future bookings. 

• Credits issued under this section:
• Have no cash value
• Are non-transferable
• May only be applied as invoice credits
• May not be applied retroactively or within the season in which they are earned

• Processing schedule priority is determined based on the Customer’s Seasonal Volume Commitment tier and daily booking volume. Customers with higher seasonal commitments and larger daily volumes receive priority over customers with lower commitments or smaller daily volumes.
• Steadfast Farms will make reasonable efforts to accommodate requested changes to scheduled dates or volumes, provided such changes do not negatively impact customers with higher priority or exceed available processing capacity.
• Requests submitted with earlier notice will take precedence over late requests or requests made without sufficient communication, consistent with the requirements outlined in Section 4.
• While Steadfast Farms strives to accommodate customer needs when feasible, all scheduling changes remain subject to operational availability and are handled at Steadfast Farms’ discretion. 

If the Customer fails to comply with Section 4 (Customer Obligations) or Section 6 (Mortality), Steadfast Farms may terminate this agreement upon written notice. In such cases, the Seasonal Commitment Deposit is forfeited in accordance with Section 5, and the agreement will be deemed terminated. No retroactive repricing or additional charges will be assessed.