Chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guineas, and pigeons are all eligible for grading and certification services provided by the AMS Poultry Programs’ Grading Branch. These services are provided in accordance with Federal poultry grading regulations.

Chickens and turkeys are the most common kinds of poultry sold today, often as value-added products. Poultry parts and an increasing number of skinless and/or boneless products are meeting consumer demand for convenient, lower fat, portion-controlled items. This shift away from whole carcass birds creates special challenges for buyers and sellers, whether they are poultry producers or processors, wholesalers, food manufacturers, food service operators, food retailers, or consumers. All of these traders can rely on USDA’s poultry grading services to ensure that their requirements for quality, weight, condition, and other factors are met.