Cornish Cross Spring 2018 Cost/Profit/Loss or Freezer Meat

[baymule]

My husband bought me a fish scale and new knife sharpener today!

When we got home, I loaded up a chicken in a plastic bag (appropriately a Chicken Express take out bag) and weighed him. 8 pounds and 10 ounces! I got another waddling behemoth and put him in the bag. 8 pounds and 8 ounces! I think I’m there.

I went to BYH and asked about live weight to slaughter weight. The answer I got is 70%, so it looks like I have the slaughter weight I wanted. I sure am glad that I have 2 groups so that they aren’t ALL ready now!

 

[NH Homesteader]

How old are they? That's awesome! I feel like you got them like a week ago, lol. Time flies!

 

[baymule]

TSC batch we got March 20 and they were a week old. Batch #2 we got March 23 and they were 3 days old.

TSC batch will be 8 weeks old May 8, Batch #2 will be 7 weeks old May 11 (counting from 3-23)

I added up all my feed costs today and the total is $253.24 I still have 3 unopened bags.

 

[FarmerJamie]

7-8 weeks is just about there

 

[baymule]

I don't know. BUT weight before & after butcher & let us know. You could use a bathroom scale, holding bird?

But, I suspect a hanging fish scale be more practical. I'd put it in a cloth bag live. You can tie legs & hang, once flopping stopped. I'm thinking 2# loss would not be unreasonable.

They are looking good & you have more than I'd want to do in one session.

Good idea! I'll weigh each bird, live and slaughtered weight-without neck, gizzard, liver, heart-just the chicken carcass.

 

[baymule]

We slaughtered 4 today. Live and slaughter weight in pounds and ounces; 8.8/5.10 and 8.8/6 and 6.11/4.13 and 6.11/4.10

We have a total of 21 pounds, 6 ounces of whole chicken.

I should have got a picture before I vacuum sealed it. Kinda wrinkly looking. LOL

I have a question, do y’all freeze the whole chicken or do you cut it up and freeze it? I’m thinking make cuts!

 

[baymule]

‘Nother question, do chicken pluckers get the darned pin feathers off?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Woo Hoo for butchering! Good weights on them birds, lol.

I do both...some whole...some cut up.

 

[NH Homesteader]

We've always done whole chickens, but next time I'll do some of each. The plucker gets most of the pin feathers, DH says.

 

[FarmerJamie]

.....

I have a question, do y’all freeze the whole chicken or do you cut it up and freeze it? I’m thinking make cuts!

In my best (or worst, depending on your perspective) Forrest Gump voice....

Whole chickens
Chicken quarters
Chicken wings
Diced chicken
Shredded chicken
Chicken necks for soup