Cost to finish meat birds

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Julie_A

Julie_A

Songster
11 Years
Apr 20, 2008
905
7
153
Brewton, Ala.
Could anyone direct me to a thread on this or give me an approximation of cost to raise Cornish rocks to butchering? We will do our own processing. Probably around 25 birds.

Any input is appreciated. Trying to decide if it is worth it or if I will lose my tail in the venture.

Thanks!!!
 
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We've done it two years running, and it cost almost $10 a bird. That covers purchasing / shipping from Murray McMurray and feed. I forget what the price of feed is here (my wife picks it up when she's near Fleet Farm), but the standard estimate is it takes about seventeen pounds of feed to raise a Cornish x Rock from day-old to eight weeks... It's a little more for males and a little less for females.
 
This week, the local grocery chain is having a sale on whole 4-5 pound friers... Foster Farms, label states... NO salt or water added. for a whopping $0. 67 a pound.
 
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Seriously, I buy that. I also eat Wal*Mart eggs. Can't beat a buck a dozen. It costs $2 for the small farm raised brown eggs around here.

Figure a feed conversion ratio of 2.7. That is, it takes 2.7 pounds of feed for every one pound of body weight at market size.

Now, if you raise ducks that's another story. The cheapest I've seen is $10.50 for a whole duck, and that is close to $2 a pound. A small farmer can compete with that. Bear in mind that we don't have many yuppies with large amounts of expendable income. Unemployment is pushing 15% plus in my area.
 
For 30 birds from Meyers is $36.90 including shipping. In the summer I would have around $30 in grain for 30 birds. So if your already set up it would cost about $2.50 a bird. The extra change I figured in there covers things you don't look at like electric or water used.

I process myself so if you pay someone to process for you then you are looking at $5 a bird.
 
It is such a toss up. Nice to know where you're food is coming from, but with money so tight you're almost forced to go the supremarket route.
 
If I recall when we did ours cornish cross meat birds, it came out to about $6.50 a bird. Pretty close to supermarket prices, but worthwhile to know how they're raised. I must state though that we got our meat birds for free and only accounted for feed that went into them. We did not include time, heat, cleaning up after them, etc.
 
A little over 100 lbs. I let mine free range for most of there food & only feed a small amount to supplement what they find. I also feed some bread that I get for next to nothing but I figured that was still in my over estimation. My birds don't grow as fast as other peoples but they don't have the problems that others talk about ether. My meaties act just like my layers in most ways. They just grow faster & taste better.

I would hate to raise the lazy, stinking, stupid birds that most people describe.
 
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I wasn't counting time ether or the price would jump tremendously but that is why I would say if people don't want to pay $2.50 a pound then they can go to the store & get it.

I don't mind doing the work & try to offer a fair price but my time is worth something.

ETA: Sorry. The $2.50 a # commit was from another topic.
 
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