Commonwealth Poultry Company, LLC

To Whom it May Concern,As a business owner it is always concerning to hear of a customers' complaint We strive to maintain quality, efficiency and professionalism at all times[redacted] did have his birds processed at our facility on September 22nd The co-owner of the business, *** [redacted] (who has raised and processed more ducks in the state of Maine than anyone else for the past years) and our plant supervisor [redacted] were running the kill floor that morning As soon as I arrived they alerted me that ***'s birds had been impossible to pluck clean.Unlike chickens, ducks are waterfowl and their feathers are designed to repel water In processing, after the duck is killed it is placed in a scalder (a large steel vat of hot water) With chickens, rotating around in the scalder for several minutes is enough to loosen all feathers With ducks, you have to pause to remove the most stubborn feathers by hand and then let them continue to go around.The second step is to then put the (scalded) ducks into a plucker lined with rubber fingers, which, when the bird is cycled around them, remove all the remaining feathers.***'s ducks were so feathered that these conventional methods yielded poor results In fact, [redacted] and [redacted] stopped using the plucker entirely (to avoid damaging the skin) and plucked by hand I should also note, some feathers do remain on all ducks (even the ones we have the most success marketing) However, ducks grown for commercial purposes are white and any lingering feathers are non offensive, where as the black feathers of less conventional breeds appear offensive[redacted] misconstrued what I had discussed with him on the phone in his complaint He said that he "was told that because (we) had processed of (our) own ducks that day that (we) could not afford to take the hit" What I actually said was that yes, we had processed another batch of ducks that same morning and they all came out great The same people were operating the same machinery under the same conditions The only logical thing to conclude was that it was the type of duck being processed that yielded the different results.He also claimed that we did not want to spend the time to clean the birds properly As I have already stated, the co-owner and supervisor hand plucked his birds in the kill room which is not something we ever do They took their time and stopped plucking when they deemed necessary Employees further down the processing line also plucked by hand We would have, literally, needed to stop production and spend the rest of the day on ***'s birds to end up with a product he would be satisfied with As the owners of the business, we made the call not to do this.Our [redacted] inspector on site that day recalls the incident He inspected each one of ***'s birds and understood it was the breed of bird, not the processing, that was responsible for the feathers He is also willing to discuss the matter with ***, if that could help ease this troubling situation for him[redacted] has since talked to other facilities that process poultry, however Common Wealth Poultry is the only [redacted] inspected poultry processing facility in the state of Maine As a company we also continue to process the most amount of ducks in the state It is not that we are always free from fault, just in this case we are asking to be trusted that we did our very bestIt is to be expected, whenever dealing with customers that some will be dissatisfied I am not able to offer a refund at this time My employees spent more time processing ***'s birds than during any other duck slaughter so far I am truly apologetic it inhibited [redacted] from being able to sell his birds to his intended markets.Sincerely, [redacted] Common Wealth Poultry CoLLC[redacted]

To Whom it May Concern,As a business owner it is always concerning to hear of a customers' complaint We strive to maintain quality, efficiency and professionalism at all times[redacted] did have his birds processed at our facility on September 22nd The co-owner of the business, [redacted] (who has raised and processed more ducks in the state of Maine than anyone else for the past years) and our plant supervisor [redacted] were running the kill floor that morning As soon as I arrived they alerted me that ***'s birds had been impossible to pluck clean.Unlike chickens, ducks are waterfowl and their feathers are designed to repel water In processing, after the duck is killed it is placed in a scalder (a large steel vat of hot water) With chickens, rotating around in the scalder for several minutes is enough to loosen all feathers With ducks, you have to pause to remove the most stubborn feathers by hand and then let them continue to go around.The second step is to then put the (scalded) ducks into a plucker lined with rubber fingers, which, when the bird is cycled around them, remove all the remaining feathers.***'s ducks were so feathered that these conventional methods yielded poor results In fact, [redacted] and [redacted] stopped using the plucker entirely (to avoid damaging the skin) and plucked by hand I should also note, some feathers do remain on all ducks (even the ones we have the most success marketing) However, ducks grown for commercial purposes are white and any lingering feathers are non offensive, where as the black feathers of less conventional breeds appear offensive[redacted] misconstrued what I had discussed with him on the phone in his complaint He said that he "was told that because (we) had processed of (our) own ducks that day that (we) could not afford to take the hit" What I actually said was that yes, we had processed another batch of ducks that same morning and they all came out great The same people were operating the same machinery under the same conditions The only logical thing to conclude was that it was the type of duck being processed that yielded the different results.He also claimed that we did not want to spend the time to clean the birds properly As I have already stated, the co-owner and supervisor hand plucked his birds in the kill room which is not something we ever do They took their time and stopped plucking when they deemed necessary Employees further down the processing line also plucked by hand We would have, literally, needed to stop production and spend the rest of the day on ***'s birds to end up with a product he would be satisfied with As the owners of the business, we made the call not to do this.Our [redacted] inspector on site that day recalls the incident He inspected each one of ***'s birds and understood it was the breed of bird, not the processing, that was responsible for the feathers He is also willing to discuss the matter with ***, if that could help ease this troubling situation for him[redacted] has since talked to other facilities that process poultry, however Common Wealth Poultry is the only [redacted] inspected poultry processing facility in the state of Maine As a company we also continue to process the most amount of ducks in the state It is not that we are always free from fault, just in this case we are asking to be trusted that we did our very bestIt is to be expected, whenever dealing with customers that some will be dissatisfied I am not able to offer a refund at this time My employees spent more time processing ***'s birds than during any other duck slaughter so far I am truly apologetic it inhibited [redacted] from being able to sell his birds to his intended markets.Sincerely, [redacted] Common Wealth Poultry CoLLC[redacted]

To Whom it May Concern,As a business owner it is always concerning to hear of a customers' complaint? We strive to maintain quality, efficiency and professionalism at all times.*** *** did have his birds processed at our facility on September 22nd? The co-owner of the business, ***
*** (who has raised and processed more ducks in the state of Maine than anyone else for the past years) and our plant supervisor *** *** were running the kill floor that morning? As soon as I arrived they alerted me that ***'s birds had been impossible to pluck clean.Unlike chickens, ducks are waterfowl and their feathers are designed to repel water? In processing, after the duck is killed it is placed in a scalder (a large steel vat of hot water)? With chickens, rotating around in the scalder for several minutes is enough to loosen all feathers? With ducks, you have to pause to remove the most stubborn feathers by hand and then let them continue to go around.The second step is to then put the (scalded) ducks into a plucker lined with rubber fingers, which, when the bird is cycled around them, remove all the remaining feathers.***'s ducks were so feathered that these conventional methods yielded poor results? In fact, *** and *** stopped using the plucker entirely (to avoid damaging the skin) and plucked by hand? I should also note, some feathers do remain on all ducks (even the ones we have the most success marketing)? However, ducks grown for commercial purposes are white and any lingering feathers are non offensive, where as the black feathers of less conventional breeds appear offensive.*** misconstrued what I had discussed with him on the phone in his complaint? He said that he "was told that because (we) had processed of (our) own ducks that day that (we) could not afford to take the hit"? What I actually said was that yes, we had processed another batch of ducks that same morning and they all came out great? The same people were operating the same machinery under the same conditions? The only logical thing to conclude was that it was the type of duck being processed that yielded the different results.He also claimed that we did not want to spend the time to clean the birds properly? As I have already stated, the co-owner and supervisor hand plucked his birds in the kill room which is not something we ever do? They took their time and stopped plucking when they deemed necessary? Employees further down the processing line also plucked by hand? We would have, literally, needed to stop production and spend the rest of the day on ***'s birds to end up with a product he would be satisfied with? As the owners of the business, we made the call not to do this.Our *** inspector on site that day recalls the incident? He inspected each one of ***'s birds and understood it was the breed of bird, not the processing, that was responsible for the feathers? He is also willing to discuss the matter with ***, if that could help ease this troubling situation for him.*** has since talked to other facilities that process poultry, however Common Wealth Poultry is the only *** inspected poultry processing facility in the state of Maine? As a company we also continue to process the most amount of ducks in the state? It is not that we are always free from fault, just in this case we are asking to be trusted that we did our very bestIt is to be expected, whenever dealing with customers that some will be dissatisfied? I am not able to offer a refund at this time? My employees spent more time processing ***'s birds than during any other duck slaughter so far? I am truly apologetic it inhibited *** from being able to sell his birds to his intended markets.Sincerely,? *** ***Common Wealth Poultry CoLLC.*** *** *** ***

To Whom it May Concern,As a business owner it is always concerning to hear of a customers' complaint.  We strive to maintain quality, efficiency and professionalism at all times.[redacted] did have his birds processed at our facility on September 22nd.  The co-owner of the business, [redacted]...

[redacted] (who has raised and processed more ducks in the state of Maine than anyone else for the past 5 years) and our plant supervisor [redacted] were running the kill floor that morning.  As soon as I arrived they alerted me that [redacted]'s birds had been impossible to pluck clean.Unlike chickens, ducks are waterfowl and their feathers are designed to repel water.  In processing, after the duck is killed it is placed in a scalder (a large steel vat of hot water).  With chickens, rotating around in the scalder for several minutes is enough to loosen all feathers.  With ducks, you have to pause to remove the most stubborn feathers by hand and then let them continue to go around.The second step is to then put the (scalded) ducks into a plucker lined with rubber fingers, which, when the bird is cycled around them, remove all the remaining feathers.[redacted]'s ducks were so feathered that these conventional methods yielded poor results.  In fact, [redacted] and [redacted] stopped using the plucker entirely (to avoid damaging the skin) and plucked by hand.  I should also note, some feathers do remain on all ducks (even the ones we have the most success marketing).  However, ducks grown for commercial purposes are white and any lingering feathers are non offensive, where as the black feathers of less conventional breeds appear offensive.[redacted] misconstrued what I had discussed with him on the phone in his complaint.  He said that he "was told that because (we) had processed 200 of (our) own ducks that day that (we) could not afford to take the hit".  What I actually said was that yes, we had processed another batch of 200 ducks that same morning and they all came out great.  The same people were operating the same machinery under the same conditions.  The only logical thing to conclude was that it was the type of duck being processed that yielded the different results.He also claimed that we did not want to spend the time to clean the birds properly.  As I have already stated, the co-owner and supervisor hand plucked his birds in the kill room which is not something we ever do.  They took their time and stopped plucking when they deemed necessary.  Employees further down the processing line also plucked by hand.  We would have, literally, needed to stop production and spend the rest of the day on [redacted]'s birds to end up with a product he would be satisfied with.  As the owners of the business, we made the call not to do this.Our [redacted] inspector on site that day recalls the incident.  He inspected each one of [redacted]'s birds and understood it was the breed of bird, not the processing, that was responsible for the feathers.  He is also willing to discuss the matter with [redacted], if that could help ease this troubling situation for him.[redacted] has since talked to other facilities that process poultry, however Common Wealth Poultry is the only [redacted] inspected poultry processing facility in the state of Maine.  As a company we also continue to process the most amount of ducks in the state.  It is not that we are always free from fault, just in this case we are asking to be trusted that we did our very best. It is to be expected, whenever dealing with customers that some will be dissatisfied.  I am not able to offer a refund at this time.  My employees spent more time processing [redacted]'s birds than during any other duck slaughter so far.  I am truly apologetic it inhibited [redacted] from being able to sell his birds to his intended markets.Sincerely, [redacted]Common Wealth Poultry Co. LLC.[redacted]