Is it too late to raise meat birds before winter?

[DawnSuiter]

You should totally keep the order. And make your mental notes about the process this time of year and make your decision about it next year.

Myself, I raise the Colored Rangers for 12-14 weeks, and really have a personal cutoff of August 1st, so that they grow up not needing any heat or lights, can eat all this free food out there aka nature and we do the processing the week before Thanksgiving. Perfect weather every year, perfect natural supply every year. Really decreased my per pound cost doing it this way. HOWEVER I would never have found what worked best for me, if I didn't try a few things first. Like learning that processing from may-september here in my climate is UNBEARABLE to me! but I had to try to know. and learning how peaceful it is not to have to consider an overhead light for chicks! these things to me are valuable lessons and you will learn what is important to you this way to. never shy away from experience

best of luck!

 

[halo]

One of the best blogs Ive ever seen for showing how to process chickens:

http://ramblingredneckmom.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-process-chickens-at-home.html

 

[Chickapooh23]

Yeah, I had to butcher on a hotter day once it was terrible. Flies out the wazoo. I really prefer 50's, November works great for me here but you should be OK in December too. I like to do it before Thanksgiving, then I have birds for both Thanksgiving and Christmas but that is me. I have also butchered in March so I would have birds for Easter. Really it's just what you need.

 

[cbohn80]

the meat comes out better when you butcher in the cold also, i havent done my own chickens yet but i've hunted pheasant, quail and duck. you can gut and feather at your own pace and leave the birds hanging to bleed out for a few days if you really want to. the longer you let it hang in the cold the more tender and tasty the meat will be. up to a week or so as long as it stays in the low 40's or cooler. i plan on raising my own ducks for next year.

where i'm at i cant have a rooster so ducks are my next best option. plus they can live off grass and bugs in the backyard bringing down my cost for food dramatically. pekins are also at a great size at about 8 weeks, however mine will be some mix of pekin/cayuga/indian runner all of which have a mild flavor. more like chicken than wild mallards or blackduck.

 

[jaj121159]

I just got 150 Cornish X's last week. They are scheduled for processing right before Halloween. It's a crap shoot here in Nebraska (and I'm sure in Indiana) for October weather. Last year it was in the 70s for most of October, the year before we had four inches of snow on the 6th. I would think you should be fine though.

 

[BoomChickaRocka]

Lots of people raise chickens year round. just need a space heater. or some sort of heat in the coop during winter months