cheap chicks to raise for meat.

Schlecht hatchery has st. run cx for .95 ea  plus shipping. we have some that just went out on pasture and they are doing  quite well.

89 cents for a leghorn cockerel is way over-priced.  That'll be some really expensive meat, and not much of it.

Schlecht also has Golden Comet cockerels for $0.65/ea.  I was thinking of getting some myself.  I have never heard of raising these for meat but they are supposed to be dual purpose.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexiluke 

Schlecht also has Golden Comet cockerels for $0.65/ea.  I was thinking of getting some myself.  I have never heard of raising these for meat but they are supposed to be dual purpose.

The trouble with dual purpose chickens is that it takes a lot longer, and costs a lot more to get them to butcher weight than it does the Cornish X.  They are not nearly as efficient at converting feed to flesh as the Cornish X.  If you want to raise them, fine, but don't do so thinking they will save you money just because they are cheaper as chicks.  They won't.  Not by a long shot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassie 

The trouble with dual purpose chickens is that it takes a lot longer, and costs a lot more to get them to butcher weight than it does the Cornish X.  They are not nearly as efficient at converting feed to flesh as the Cornish X.  If you want to raise them, fine, but don't do so thinking they will save you money just because they are cheaper as chicks.  They won't.  Not by a long shot.

I am thinking more of pest control and meat birds as a bonus.  I am currently raising Cornish X for the sole purpose of mea as well as having 15 layers for eggst.  My area is the number one in the country for ticks and tick borne illness.  My wife is disabled because of Lyme disease and other coinfections as well as my two young children.  I am going to free range them most of the day.  Very inexpensive tick control as compared to using pesticides to treat my property.

If tick an bug control is your goal, would you consider guinneas?  They are louder than chickens (even cock-a-doodle-doo's).  They tend to free range a little wider than chickens, but they eat ticks better than any other type of poultry.  The also don't scratch and tear up gardens like chickens do.

they are more expensive up front than a frypan special, but once you get them out of the brooder, they basically feed themselves on ticks first, ants second and other bugs to follow.

You might even be able to find mature guinneas on Craigslist or other that are free-to-good-home.  some people don't like the noise they make.  I saw two such listings in my area, but did not act on them because I already had mine on order.  bummer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexiluke 

I am thinking more of pest control and meat birds as a bonus.  I am currently raising Cornish X for the sole purpose of mea as well as having 15 layers for eggst.  My area is the number one in the country for ticks and tick borne illness.  My wife is disabled because of Lyme disease and other coinfections as well as my two young children.  I am going to free range them most of the day.  Very inexpensive tick control as compared to using pesticides to treat my property.

If you want tick control, get guineas.  That is what I intend to do.  My neighbor has them and he swears by them. He doesn't have many ticks on his place.  I do on mine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by akashia26 

murray mcmurray has white leghorns for $22.25 for 25 white leghorn roos. thats about $0.89 per chick. are there any hatcheries offering chicks cheaper than this? i don't care about the breed, sex, or assortment. they are for the freezer. wanting around 25 to 30, don't have room for more than 50. 

 

thanks for the help. 

 

edit: meyers frying pan bargin is $0.57 for 25 assorted roos. 

It will cost you a fortune to get leghorns up to anything approaching butcher size.  Even then they are so scrawny they are best used for making stock.  My aunt used to butcher leghorn cockerels.  She would buy straight run and the pullets were kept for eggs and the cockerels went in the pot.  This was in the 40's and early 50's before the Cornish X were available.