Cornish Cross Spring 2020

[baymule]

We drove an hour and half away to get 50 baby chicks on March 2. It has begun......

 

[BarredBuff]

So, I ran the cost analysis on this project this evening. We were shipped 27 Cornish Rock Cross from Cackle Hatchery on March 17th. We slaughtered on May 12th. It was approximately 8 weeks. The lowest weight was 3 lbs 1 oz. and the heaviest weight was 5 lbs. 4.4 oz. I purchased all of the feed up front in the beginning due to concerns of acquiring the feed during COVID-19. I bought two bags of 18% starter/grower and five bags of 20% meat bird feed. That fed them to the 8 week mark. For processing, I had to buy 10 large bags of ice to chill the carcasses overnight to allow them to rest, and we purchased a Food Saver vacuum sealer and the bags to wrap the birds. In the cost analysis, I spent $264.59 on chicks, feed, ice, and bags. I did not include the cost of an additional waterer, or the Food Saver as they will be used for other projects.

We harvested 103 pounds of meat. This was 24 whole chickens, 1 bag of livers, 1 bag of necks, 1 bag of hearts, and 1 bag of giblets for broth. This equated to $2.56 a pound for the chicken. Last week, we purchased a whole chicken for $1.59 a pound. So, we were 97 cents higher per pound. However, the security and blessing of a full freezer is priceless.

This is not my first rodeo at all, but this has been my favorite one! I ordered another batch for the fall a few weeks ago too.

So, here are the things I'll do differently in the Fall...

1. Larger capacity feeder. The feeder I used needed to be larger to accommodate the amount. I will also make sure I feed broiler feed the entire time. I think that was why they were on the smaller side.
2. Larger water capacity. I used 3 one gallon founts, and they were out every evening. I need to add an additional source in there toward the end.
3. Killing cones. I tied them upside down on the clothes line, but I had some that popped wing bones as they flopped. I need a better way to do that.

Things that went great...

1. This was the healthiest batch ever. I only lost two, and messed one up in processing. They were clean and the smell was not that bad either for some reason. I tripled their room in their pen and brooded outside. It made all the difference.

2. The vacuum sealer was a terrific purchase. It was worth the investment! I have read for a decade how awesome they were, but did not buy in. Well, now I believe it!

3. The processing was super successful. I had four people helping (including me). We each had a job and finished in 5 hours. We could have been done quicker, if I had been killing two at a time to deliver to them.

Overall, a great turnout I think. I have some changes to make, but I have definitely learned a lot since I brought home my first broiler chicks from Tractor Supply in a KFC bucket in 2012.

 

[baymule]

I don’t feel so energetic right now. Today I canned 9 quarts of chicken dog food. I simmered breast bones for broth and got 1 quart and 4 pints of white meat from them canned. I have broth in the canner now, 4 quarts and 5 pints. Add that to what I’ve already canned and I have 23 quarts of dog food, 11 quarts of broth, 5 pints of broth, 1 quart and 4 pints of meat for us. Plus a pot full of chicken skin cooked up for the dogs, mixed with their kibble, that will last them 3 days. I also have 3 quarts of dog broth in the refrigerator. I still got more to go. It’s all packed up in the freezer.

 

[baymule]

Got the 13 processed. I am tired. 5 were whole chickens, the rest I cut and vacuum sealed. These chickens are so big, I like to not got the whole birds in a gallon vacuum seal bag. The biggest one was 7 pounds, 9 ounces. The smallest was 6 pounds. These are big and ready 2weeks sooner than when we have raised them before. We will go back to the same place and get more!

This is a 7 pound 6 ounce whopper.

 

[baymule]

The little stinkers are on the porch in tubs. One more week and they can go outside, maybe. For the first time ever, I am prepared. I do have to move a batch of pullets out of the meat chickens tractor, but I HAVE IT BUILT!! They got pretty big last year before I got it built and could put them in it. LOL I will need to play chicken moving day, but I have the space to move them around. Phenomenal. Is this really me? The queen of "I got 'em, now where do I put them?" is actually READY! Wow...….am I growing up or something? Perish the thought! We even sucked it up and bought two 5 gallon waterers for them. Last year I only had 1 gallon watering containers and we filled up 3 of them, 3 times a day. That. Got. Old.

 

[baymule]

I moved them out yesterday. I had already played chickens moving to a new home, moving layers around. So the tractor was empty, moved to fresh ground and ready to go. The tubs are still on the porch, we’ll be gone today, so I’ll drag them out and clean them up this evening. I lost more than I wanted, the heat lamp was too hot. I couldn’t find old fashioned incandescent 100 watt light bulbs. Finally found some and chicks stopped dying. I moved 44 Chicks yesterday, now I just gotta keep them alive until slaughter.

Naked little things sure are ugly. LOL

BIG water container! I got a feeling I’m gonna love using these.

 

[Sassafras II]

My Cornish cross chicks came in today!

 

[baymule]

The pasture the chickens are in was a snarl of green briars and saplings a year and a half ago. I pastured chickens there last spring and doing it again this spring. There are some stumps that have to get cut down to ground level. Most of them I can lift the tractor over, but there was a tall stump that was in the immediate way, so I asked a neighbor to come cut it for me. He cut several for me and I will pay him with a chicken. LOL still have some more to cut, but I have a couple weeks to get them done.

This is where I’m going with the tractor, down over and back.

I started them on the fermented feed Friday evening. They were all excited to get their food, chirping loudly, and plunged into the pan when I set it down. They jumped back out, looking for their Feed. Other chicks jumped in the pan, not liking what they found. Confused, hungry, chirping loudly and milling around, I laughed at the silly dirty birdies. I sprinkled the top of the mush with dry crumble. THAT they recognized and they chowed down. I had to keep adding dry crumble to get them to eat. Yesterday morning , same thing. Had to add dry crumble to get them to recognize it as their food. Yesterday evening the pan was empty. They had eaten every speck. I had dry crumble ready, but didn’t need it. When I set the pan in the tractor, the Chicks swarmed like a wad of piranhas. It was an eating frenzy.

This morning I’ll move the tractor over, move the 5 gallon water container over, fill up the pan and watch the piranhas dig in. I have 2 buckets going, I feed one in the morning, one in the evening. @Beekissed do you think that is enough time to ferment or do I need to let it set longer?

 

[baymule]

Whew! We got 13 on ice. Plus one mean rooster with 2” razor sharp spurs that won’t be flogging me again! Barely got the ice cooler in the house. BJ backed the mule up to the steps, we slid it across the porch, up the step and onto a waiting towel. Then we slid it to the kitchen. We cleaned up our mess, came in, got cold drinks and collapsed. We are tired. I got a full days work ahead to cut, vacuum seal and freeze them. I need a shower! I smell like chicken guts. LOL

 

[baymule]

28 more to go. 25 are sold. I’ll process the 13 tomorrow. We sat down and both took a nap. LOL