- This event has passed.
Poultry Rearing, Dispatch & Processing. An informative talk and equipment demonstration with Esme Clifton
Poultry Rearing, Dispatch & Processing - Wednesday 7th October 2026 16:00 to 18:00
An informative talk and equipment demonstration with Esme Clifton
For many smallholders, rearing chickens, turkeys or ducks for the table is an important part of becoming more self-sufficient.
However, one of the biggest challenges can be knowing how to take that final step confidently, correctly and with the highest possible regard for animal welfare.
Having worked in the poultry sector since her teenage years, including 10 years on a free-range meat chicken farm,
Esme Clifton has a wealth of practical experience in poultry rearing, dispatch and butchery.
Through working with smallholders, she recognised just how difficult it can be to access poultry processing facilities and how many people would benefit from practical advice and support.
In response, Esme created her own mobile poultry processing set-up, with a specially equipped trailer containing everything
needed to take a home-reared bird through the process from dispatch to being fully dressed and ready for the freezer.
For this SFTG session, Esme will bring along her equipment and explain what each piece is used for and how the process works from beginning to end.
Please note: this is an informative talk and equipment demonstration. No birds will be dispatched or processed during the session.
Esme will cover topics including:
- Choosing and sourcing suitable poultry for meat
- Rearing chickens, ducks and turkeys for the table
- Preparing birds for processing
- Humane dispatch and the importance of good welfare
- The equipment required and how it is used
- Plucking, dressing and preparing birds for the freezer
- Common problems and challenges and how to deal with them
- Practical considerations for the smallholder processing their own poultry
There will also be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and discuss your own experiences or concerns with Esme.
Whether you're already raising poultry for meat, considering doing so for the first time, or simply want to understand more about the process
before deciding whether it's for you, this session offers a friendly and practical introduction based on genuine hands-on experience.
A great opportunity to gain knowledge and confidence in one of the more challenging — but important — aspects of producing your own food.
