Backyard broiler cooperative

[osbmail]

I have been having this idea of a broiler cooperative .This how I would like it work . I want to raise about 40 broilers at a time . So I would need 2 or 3 people that wanted to raise 20 or 30 . I would have people pay up front one total price . For this number ( not sure what it would be probably what I have in it plus some gas money ).Than I order chicks ,pickup feed and shaving at mill .People pickup there feed ,shaving and chicks. We set a date 8 to 10 weeks later and everybody brings there birds back and I would have shrink bags and a plucker rented .Everybody butcher there birds with some help from me and my crew.I think this would benefit me and anyone that is interested in raising a few meat birds . Just a idea I have anybody else doing anything like this ? Or have any ideas that might help.We could even have a biggest broiler poll everybody throw in some money biggest bird wins the pot.

 

[ChaoSS]

You would have to figure out how to deal with mortality and what to do when people blame you for birds dying...

 

[osbmail]

That just part of the game I don't want to make money on something like this I would like to get the bulk saving on chicks feed .It really would not be a whole lot more work for me if you think about I would be drive to the same places just picking up more stuff. People would be on there own for the chickens just as you are when you order from hatchery.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I've done something similar this summer. In the past my meat birds have been for myself and my mom, who lives next door. We share the cost in proportion to the number of birds each of us take. I do the bulk of the chicken care but we work pretty much 50/50 on the butchering and processing.

This year my sister-in-law, a friend of hers and a friend of mine wanted in on the action, so I increased my first order and then made a second order 8 weeks later. The cost per pound was calculated after the last of the first batch was processed and everyone paid their share. Cost included the purchase and feed price of any that died prior to processing, so that cost was shared equally among all participants.

I'm not sure it this has been a good deal for me or not, since the work of caring for all the chicks is considerable. However, I figure it doesn't take that much more work to care for 30 than it does for 15. It is the second batch that has me wondering, since I probably would have only done one batch for myself and my family if others hadn't wanted to participate.

 

[osbmail]

I only plan on raising mine let everybody else take there own home and give them the opition to bring them back to process . Talked with someone who said they wanted 20 so I am off to a good start.

 

[ChaoSS]

I misread what you wrote. As long as you have a plan in place for what happens if a number of them show up dead or something, it sounds good. If I were close I'd sure be interested, especially if it meant cheaper food. I'd be interested in some sort of food Co op anyway.

 

[osbmail]

Yeah hatchery should pay for any dead on arrival . I really think this kind of thing would and could be something that brings the meat chicken back to the backyard.

 

[carlye828]

Where are you located?

 

[osbmail]

Newark Ohio

 

[carlye828]

I'm about 2 1/2 hours away. So close, and yet so far away. Where are you renting equipment from?