The Rural Voice, 2019-05, Page 23These days, they process thousands a
day. A recent kill day looked like
this: 1,620 Peking ducks, 220 spent
fowl, 210 muscovy ducks, 150 water
fowl, 97 meat chickens, 24 guinea
hens and eight turkeys. Maximum
kill capacity is 10,000 birds a week.
Slaughter days are Monday,
Wednesdays and Fridays. Packing
days are Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Increased volume from small
producers and contracts have allowed
him to make improvements to the
plant including an 18x32 shipping
dock, a 48-foot refrigerator/freezer,
electric walkies instead of hand
pump carts, variable speed vacuum
pumps and installation of a large
waxer to process water fowl.
Meats cuts and whole birds are
vacuum sealed into thick poly bags
with metal clips to prevent
tampering; packaging his customers
really appreciate.
Staff are a huge part of the success
at Schefters and something Dale likes
to talk about. “I have 25 staff and I
want them to do well in life. It costs a
lot of money to live,” he says. Pay is
in the $20 range and he wishes he
could pay in the $25 to $30 range but
then prices to the farmers and
growers would have to increase.
While he takes pride in having an
good working environment at the
plant, finding new workers is very
hard. While the plant could expand to
increase the amount of birds they
could process, he cannot find the
labourers required to work the plant.
So he works hard to keep the
employees he has. “Staff is our
biggest asset but can also,
potentially, be our biggest liability
depending on how we handle them.”
While he is on the kill floor himself
every day, he does believe in giving
employees ownership of their job. “I
try to be hands-off as long as the
work gets done well.”
The composting side of the
business doesn’t require a lot of
labour and does save costs. “We did
not have enough material to warrant
a pick-up from a rendering company,
which is an expensive service,” he
says. He figures composting the
blood, feathers and viscera saves him
$50-80,000 a year on tipping fees.
Dale has also discovered creating
something valuable out of waste is a
fun part of his job.
He’s proud of all his work. “What
we do here is beneficial. We make
food to feed Ontario,” says Dale.
“We also help our staff meet their
requirements to live.” He says when
customers see the birds they grew all
professionally packaged, their
thankfulness is also a big reward.
Creating compost out of the
poultry “leftovers” is a big bonus as
far as Dale is concerned. ◊
May 2019 19
Clinton Spring Fair
Friday, May 31 - Sunday, June 2
Stock Garden Tractor Pull at 11:00 am
Saturday, June 1st on the racetrack in front of the grandstand.
See website at www.clintonspringfair.com for more info.
* Mini Tractor Pedal Pull * Midway * Youth Activities - Complex
* Miniature Horse Show Demonstration - Livestock Arena * Poultry * Pet Show
* Entertainment - Southwest Great Lakes music festival 4:00 pm - midnight
featuring Eric Ethridge and David Wilcox
Sunday, June 2ndSunday, June 2nd
12 - 4 pm Bracelet Day
Ride the Midway for one price
Gates open at 4:00 pm
General Admission $10.00; Children 6-12 $5.00; 5 & under - FREE
* Demolition Derby * Midway * Indoor Exhibits
For more information contact Janet at 519-482-7925
Central Huron Community Complex & Clinton Community Park
165 Years of the Fair
Friday, May 31st
Saturday, June 1st - FAMILY DAY
General Admission $4 Family $6; Single $4; Children (6-12) $2.00; 5 & under Free
Friday, May 24th - Libro Hall
Ambassador Program, Opening Ceremony
Music/Fashion Show on arena floor ($25)
14 yrs of age and under free
* Fish Fry
~ For tickets contact
Janet Cameron 519-482-7925 or
Marg Miller 519-525-7641
$15; ages 6-12 $7.50; 5 and under Free
* Goat Show at 9:00 am
* Arabian and all breed horse show at 9:00 am - REACH Huron
0RXQW(OJLQ2QWDULR
3)
WULSOHSFRQVXOWLQJ#H[HFXOLQNFRP
• • • • • WE WORK FOR YOU, NOT THE FEED COMPANY • • • • •
MORRIS SACHS
SILO
CONSTRUCTION
R.R. #2 Elmwood, Ont. N0G 1S0
519-363-3900
Cell # (519) 372-5375
New stave silos now available
SILO ACCESSORIES
SILOS DISMANTLED,
REBUILT AND REPAIRS