When is it too late to raise meat chickens?????

[Quail_Antwerp]

Ok so I'm kind of thinking - especially with food prices going way way way up - about creepy meats.

I am 5 and a half weeks away from having the baby (YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and I know they are ready to process in 6-8 weeks, so I'm thinking after we have her, ordering some creepy meats, and if I time it right, they should be ready to go to freezer camp when I'm about 8 weeks post partum, which will be end of Oct/beginning of November.

Is this a bad idea to raise meaties this late in the year???


My reasoning, if E can get hogs to raise for pork, I want chicken! Chickens that I won't name, won't get attached to, and will be happy to take a hatchet to their necks!

Suggestions?

 

[Wifezilla]

What kind of forage will be available in your area that late in the fall? You can technically raise them any time I would think...it's just that if there isn't grass and bugs, that's more feed you will have to provide.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

There will not be much in the way of forage, so I'll be feeding probably the whole time. Now would be the best time for forage, but I don't want to have meaties ready to be processed when I'm just out from having the baby.

I could probably order them before she's born, just waiting until mid-end of August to order them, and they'll be ready to process around baby's 4 week birthday (I think). Which would be around mid-October.

 

[Farmfresh]

My "creepy meats" usually take about 5 - 6 weeks to be ready. Welp Cornish Rocks Look at the weight chart on their site. It is pretty darned accurate if you ask me. I like to butcher at about 4 1/2 to 5 pounds live weight. I also prefer to buy the pullets, since they seem to move more than the cockerels.

I just got mine for the year. I MUCH prefer to raise them in the fall and even the winter months. Meat birds do not do well in the heat.

 

[~gd]

You need to give the project some thought, unless you are already set up for chickens there is some expenses involved. Even if you are set up the meat from your own chickens is rarely cheaper than supermarket chicken, it just tastes better! Check into the price of chicken feed it is not cheap anymore. In cooler weather you will probably have to buy 25 chicks at a time and heat their brooder.
As WifeZ said you can raise chicks anytime of the year but some times are cheaper than others. If buying from a Hatchery buy straight run meat birds don't get taken in buy fryer specials which turn out to be any type of rooster they have on hand at the time unless they are cheaper enough that you want to gamble. good Luck!

 

[miss_thenorth]

I screwed up my order and got my meat birds a month early. I prefer to gt them in August when it is still hot, so I dont have to run the brooder light asmuch. I also brood them outside in the summer. nd as they get older, the night start cooling off, and they are hpeeir that way when theyr are really big. An s for forage, they will have plenty still in September. unless you are not freeranging them. then it really doesn't msatter. That way you can raise them whenever, but make sure you can still order them. Infact, I would put your order in now.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I just got off the phone with Welp Hatchery and the lady was super nice. She helped me figure a date for when I need to get them by to not be having to process chickens within 2 weeks of Baby Girl's birth.

We should be getting our meaties the end of August, 25 Cornish Rock pullets like Farm suggested!

I have a hoop house I can raise them out in - will kick the Royal Palms out of it first I figure I can hang heat lamps through the top of the hoop house like I have done for other chicks if need be.

Also not sure if I need to have 25 birds in my freezer or not, so might talk to a couple family members about ordering meat chickens with us.

 

[pinkfox]

meaties dont do well past brooding in the heat of summer...most people ive talked to typically get a batch in early spring and then one very late summer/early fall

i know alot of folks whove tried to raise a batch over summer and they tend to loose alot to heat even here in connecticut. the meaties seem to be incredibly heat sensitive.

 

[Farmfresh]

Come on now that herd of yours OF COURSE you need 25 meaties! Remember you could always de-bone and can some of them.

Here is what you have to look forward to. These were August babies from Welps as well!

GOOD eatin'!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

well goodness, she's a pretty white little pullet

pretty meaty, pretty juicy, and look pretty tasty!

Since we can get snow as early as September, I'm really hoping it holds out with snow until late October!

If they are not getting much forage, due to time of year, how much feed do you think I can expect them to consume each week?