To sell these chickens, your local butcher would need to be a USDA inspected or Minnesota “Equal To” inspected processing plant. These plants must meet more stringent food safety standards than those for custom exempt plants. During a USDA or Minnesota Equal To inspection, each chicken is inspected for food safety and wholesomeness to ensure the chickens have been processed to the highest level of food safety. For a list of USDA plants, contact the USDA Des Moines District Office at 1-800-990-9834. Minnesota Equal To plants are listed online at Minnesota State "Equal To" Plants. A farmer can also process their own poultry for sales to end consumers at a farmers' market. Learn more in our fact sheet: Selling Farm-Slaughtered Poultry and Rabbits.
To sell these chickens, your local butcher would need to be a USDA inspected or Minnesota “Equal To” inspected processing plant. These plants must meet more stringent food safety standards than those for custom exempt plants. During a USDA or Minnesota Equal To inspection, each chicken is inspected for food safety and wholesomeness to ensure the chickens have been processed to the highest level of food safety. For a list of USDA plants, contact the USDA Des Moines District Office at 1-800-990-9834. Minnesota Equal To plants are listed online at Minnesota State "Equal To" Plants. A farmer can also process their own poultry for sales to end consumers at a farmers' market. Learn more in our fact sheet: Selling Farm-Slaughtered Poultry and Rabbits.
There are no regulatory requirements for an individual to process their own birds for their own personal use.
There are no regulatory requirements for an individual to process their own birds for their own personal use.
Access to Information in an Alternative Format
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture strives to ensure that reasonable steps are taken to provide meaningful access and an equal opportunity to participate in services, activities and programs to individuals whose first language is not English or who need an accommodation for a disability.
Translation services are available if individuals need assistance to access services, activities and programs; key documents and resources may be translated upon request.
For assistance in obtaining access to services or to arrange for translation services, please contact the Dairy and Meat Inspection Division at 651-201-6300.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
Emergency Quarantine FAQs
An emergency quarantine is a restriction on the movement of spongy moth life stages and materials from leaving the designated emergency quarantine area. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) emergency quarantine will be in effect from May 1, 2025 to June 15, 2026.
An emergency quarantine is a restriction on the movement of spongy moth life stages and materials from leaving the designated emergency quarantine area. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) emergency quarantine will be in effect from May 1, 2025 to June 15, 2026.
Due to federal budget uncertainties and significant funding delays within the USDA Forest Service, the MDA did not receive the federal funding needed in time to perform Btk aerial management operations. This has forced the MDA to cancel all Btk management for 2025, which was proposed in areas with high-risk spongy moth infestations. Btk targets and kills spongy moth caterpillars.
As a result, the MDA is placing an emergency quarantine in these areas to prevent the spread of spongy moth. The MDA will intensely survey these areas in 2025 with hopes to manage in 2026.
