1. What is the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)? Updated: October 20, 2011
2. What are the state regulations for interstate animal movement? Updated: October 19, 2011
3. What is the labor cost for a small meat processor? I'm breaking down, per week, 1 beef, 2 pigs, 2 lamb, and 60 chickens. About 1/2 into fresh cuts for retail and 1/2 into value added products (mostly sausage). Updated: September 02, 2011
4. On average, how much would the hanging weight be of a 150 lb. live lamb? Updated: March 16, 2011
5. If I were raising rabbits to supply meat for my family, and wanted to sell any excess that I had, do I need a license? From which agency? Updated: October 13, 2010
6. What are the nine states that have Talmadge-Aiken plants? Updated: September 23, 2010
7. What are animal welfare and environmental certification programs? What are their benefits? Updated: August 26, 2010
8. I own a grocery store. Can I cut boxed beef that is already inspected and sell it over the internet? Updated: March 29, 2010
9. I am looking for a layout design for our kill floor and cut floor with up-to-date equipment. I am building our own plant but would like some ideas. Updated: March 15, 2010
10. How you design the space for each operation in a beef slaughterhouse? Updated: January 12, 2010
11. What does "13 dn" mean on boxed shortloins? Updated: December 23, 2009
12. What is the maximum temperature that raw meat can reach during processing? Updated: December 14, 2009
13. How much water is needed to process a single chicken? How much waste water is generated from this process? Updated: November 24, 2009
14. Please help me understand the costs associated with building a small processing facility versus a mobile processing unit. From the research I have done, the costs for a MPU run around $200,000 whereas a permanent facility costs upwards of $1,000,000. Updated: October 19, 2009
15. What is the rough estimate of capital expenditures needed to build a small/medium-scale slaughterhouse (equipment, machinery, tools, and building costs, not variable costs, or land costs)? Updated: August 20, 2009
16. I am looking for supporting documentation to be able to hold raw meat products at or below 50F for up to 10 hours. Updated: August 18, 2009
17. Does a HACCP Plan have to have a CCP? Updated: August 01, 2009
18. When a facility has applied for USDA inspection and been granted and does not use the facility immediately for meat products but instead make nonusda products, will it be penalised? Updated: July 17, 2009
19. I am looking for any existing examples of mobile seafood processing plants - specifically shellfish, to begin with. I have not been able to find any examples. Fish processing plants are likely to have similar regulations, however, so I am interested in those too. I am further looking for helpful resources on developing a plant. Updated: July 06, 2009
20. What type of certifications are needed by a contractor for the cleaning of a meat processing plant? Updated: June 12, 2009
21. Are prions in animal wastes destroyed at temperatures of 1,700F? Updated: June 03, 2009
22. Are there grant and/or loan programs available for the small business niche meat processor? Updated: May 27, 2009
23. I have a very small USDA approved slaughter plant. In my federal grant of inspection, custom-exempt slaughter is also approved. Do I also need state approval, or can I perform custom exempt slaughter under the federal grant? Updated: May 21, 2009
24. How much dry ice is required to ship meat 2 day service? Can gel freezer packs be used to keep meat frozen? The weight of the meat would range from 5 lbs. to 20 lbs. Is there a better styrofoam container to ship with than others? Updated: May 05, 2009
25. We are attempting to raise chickens for eggs on our pasture. We have 5 acres with horses on it now. We built an elevated coop for the chickens with a caged bottom on it so they can get out for some fresh air. At what age are the chicks old enough to fend for themselves, so we can let them out to start free ranging? We are a little nervous about this since we have hawks, owls, coyotes, etc. Updated: April 28, 2009
26. How do you contact the USDA to get plant approval? Updated: April 20, 2009
27. How much does the inspector cost? Updated: April 20, 2009
28. How do I insert an active Web page link into an FAQ? Updated: April 20, 2009
29. I operate a meat processing business in Oregon. My workman's compensation insurance provider has all 10 of my employees classified under 2089, "packing houses--all operations," at a rate of $11.06 per hundred. I have a mobile slaughter truck with 2 employees and a part-time butcher that would likely be correctly classified however, the rest of my employees are retail. Can you help clarify classifications and rates for our type of business? Updated: April 09, 2009
30. Are there differences in perceived flavor and quality of frozen vs. fresh meat? Updated: April 04, 2009

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