PETERSBURG, Ill. — Central Illinois brothers Cavan and Steele Sullivan always tend to do their homework, research issues well and take calculated risks that so far

have paid off handsomely.

 

And the bird producers now hope their latest venture of operating their own processing facility will pay off not only for them, but for other bird lovers in the region as well.

When they launched their business as an FFA project at Petersburg PORTA High School in 1999 – after careful study, of course – the brothers began by only hatching pheasants and other game birds. After more study, about five years ago, they filled a void in Illinois by adding turkey production to the mix. They raise antibiotic-free birds and

sell out each year during the holidays.

 

Just this past November, they opened Petersburg Poultry Processing, expanding their enterprise to include the processing of chickens, laying hens, pheasants and turkeys.

The goal is to encourage other farmers to raise their own birds as well, without making a significant investment themselves in a processing plant.

 

The brothers’ facility is one of only four poultry processing facilities approved and regularly inspected by the USDA in Illinois. “It was a formidable challenge to build our own facility,” Cavan said. “But the only way to meet (the growing demand) and encourage others to do it was to have our own capacity.”

 

The brothers, again with careful study, acquired and turned a former FS facility into their new production building and already have grown to employ 20 people for production

shifts two or three days a week. Each shift slaughters about 2,000 chickens.

 

“It’s an opportunity to revive the broiler industry in Illinois. We saved money where we could, built a lot of it ourselves, and repurposed equipment,” Cavan said.

 

Last year, following the avian flu outbreak that put a big dent in holiday turkey supplies in 2015, the brothers raised and sold all 5,000 of their antibiotic-free birds, double

what they usually had done. Their farm also raised about 180,000 pheasant chicks last year. Cavan said the four main components of their current business is the production of free range and organic chicken and turkey products; pheasant production; cuts of

poultry that fit Islamic dietary standards; and then other custom work involving other backyard birds.

 

Demand in all four areas continues to grow, he said. “We know the demand for these products is there and continues to grow. We may outgrow this plant in a short amount

of time,” he said.

 

The brothers are looking to form a “grower network” with other farmers in the region.

“We have the capability to hatch broilers for folks to raise the birds and then bring them back (to Peterson Poultry),” Cavan said. “You don’t need to put up a $300,000 poultry

building (to raise birds). We’re leveraging manpower over infrastructure. Adding a poultry enterprise may make it possible for a younger person to stay on the farm and

make some extra money.”