MEAT BIRDS THREAD ~Plans, pics, pens, pluckers, processing! GRAPHIC!

[Beekissed]

Unfortunatly I don't have the money for meaties this year or for the feed if I could get some. but I will be watching this thread because next year who knows? Lol

x2

How much do you all figure it costs to get and feed meaties?

 

[terri9630]

Last year it worked out to $9 per bird with avg wt of 8lbs. It would have been a bit lower but we lost 4 birds to the heat.

 

[CheerioLounge]

Unfortunatly I don't have the money for meaties this year or for the feed if I could get some. but I will be watching this thread because next year who knows? Lol

x2

How much do you all figure it costs to get and feed meaties?

Whatever the cost it is more than I can afford right now. Building a separate coop, etc. I also cannot free-range as I am in the middle of the desert. Right now I am concentrating on layers and getting ready for goats. But I am very interested in the idea and am planning it for next year. Watching your progress will give me an idea as to what I will need and the costs involved.

 

[Beekissed]

I can't give any exact numbers, but mine cost very, very much less than that. I fed once a day and not much more than I normally fed my laying flock~an extra 3 scoops or so, mine finished out an average wt. of 6-7 lbs.

I think I bought 20 chicks at $1.42 per. I fed a combination of layer ration and then near the end started cutting it with some whole grains and cracked corn.

I didn't lose any birds.

My niece had 12 and fed nothing but cracked corn once a day and 10 survived, 2 died in the heat, and they all didn't get processed until 5 mo. of age...seemed to have healthy organs and the meat was good. I don't remember if we weighed them.

ETA: This year I will definitely keep track of the costs better and be able to give a more accurate reporting as to where the money went.

 

[Snowhunter]

I'm wanting to keep track of feed costs as well vs final output vs weight for a good overall cost analysis. I think I'll get some soil samples from the dirt as well, before and after and have them analyzed to see how big of a difference it makes. 1 bad of pearled barley is $10 and the clabber is free since I've got 2 Jerseys in milk.

I shouldn't have to purchase any materials for building the tractor. Between spare tin, pallets and odds and ends of lumber and misc screw box I think I have enough on hand.

I've heard CX fed a diet high in clabber are super delicious and tender, even compared to standard commercial-feed raised CX so I'm interested to see how that goes.

I'm really hoping they do well at both thier jobs.. garden fertilizing and filling the freezer.

I've got a 8x10 coop they'll be brooded in for a few weeks and then out they go, weather cooperating.

Hoping this all goes well. It'll be nice to have home grown chicken in the freezer. Maybe I'll even do a GOOD job at butchering this time

 

[Beekissed]

I guess I don't think much about the cost of raising them, as it seems so small over and above raising my layer flock that I'm buying feed for anyway.

When I think about how much it would cost me to buy over 130 lbs. of free ranged, naturally raised chicken the sum is mind-boggling. It would cost $370 to buy it. I know that I didn't spend even 1/4 of that cost to raise my chickens.

And I also know for a fact that MY free ranged, naturally raised chickens are indeed free ranged instead of pushed onto a new square of grass once or twice a day. They are also not fed the broiler rations that they typically feed commercially raised birds, they are not presented with feed 24/7 so they overeat and can no longer function normally, nor do they have the health problems caused by this method of feeding.

At that point, the little I invest in meaties comes off a real big bargain! Not to mention the peace of mind knowing that I won't be buying commercially raised/tortured birds to fill my freezer. For me it's a win/win situation.

 

[Beekissed]

Have any of you ever pre-stuffed your birds before freezing? If so, how did that turn out?

 

[Snowhunter]

I'm just always curious as to the cost of things. Gives me another angle of perspective dealing with folks who don't live this kind of "lifestyle" (like my Mom but thats a whole nother ballgame )

We actually had a few free range CX's last year (picked some up from TSC just to see what they really were like) and they lived till approx 6mo before one got killed by a predator and the other died trying to lay her first egg :/ But our predator issue here is awful. I lost too many chickens and ducks to skunks and foxes to really let them free range fully

At that point, the little I invest in meaties comes off a real big bargain! Not to mention the peace of mind knowing that I won't be buying commercially raised/tortured birds to fill my freezer. For me it's a win/win situation

Aint that the truth!!! Even my 5yo will say the same thing

 

[Beekissed]

Do you have a good dog that lives outside with your chooks? That's how I get by free ranging all the time. I couldn't do it for one minute without the dog watching over the birds day and night. I've not lost any to 4 legged preds in all the years I've been free ranging and I have a coop that I never close, day or night.

 

[Snowhunter]

I wish I did. My trusty lab was killed a few weeks ago. I'm on the lookout for another good dog as we speak though.

My layers didn't have the problem. They roosted in the coops or trees. Its the few that couldn't fly that met thier demise (Meaties, Runners and Pekins)

They'll have a huge area to cover after I have them concentrated on specific areas. I'm hoping my plan works. They'll fertilize and forage and do some light tilling for me, less garden prep work for me

Might do another batch in the fall garden spot later in the spring too, before I cover with stall cleanout and let rest till August.

I just got off the phone with Meyer Hatchery, and they only had 10 female CX available to ship next week, so I added 15 Austrolorp cockerels to make a full 25. Total was right around $47. Since I'm on a short timetable, I can't wait till TSC gets theres at the end of the month. But I'm gonna keep track of how the meaties do vs the layer breed. Should be interesting.