300 broilers- UPDATE

[erinchelsea]

My DH came home from a meeting at church yesterday and informed me he volunteered to raise 300 broilers for a church fundraiser. Oh my. He did get an earful about not asking me first!!! Last year was our first experience with meat birds, we raised 50 CRX in tractors in the backyard and LOVED it. Planned on doing 75 this year for ourselves. But we don't have experience raising that many!

Fortunately I think we have a good set-up for raising that many. We have a 500 sq ft shed that used to house several hundred leghorn layers & a good amount of yard we can fence off for them to free range during the day.

I'm more worried about the amount of work this will be! We've ordered the Featherman kit (scalder & the plucker & the cones) so that will help, and should have plenty of help processing- lots of people around here have raised chickens. We're planning on spreading out the work over several weekends & asking other church members to donate deep freezer storage room for the birds.

Any other advice from those with experience raising many broilers at a time? I'm really nervous that we'll do something wrong!

UPDATE 3/29: DH had another meeting regarding the fundraiser. The concern was raised regarding selling non- USDA inspected meat. Therefore, we've decided to donate chickens from the grocery store. I appreciate SO very much all the wonderful advice and encouragement I've received here!

The great news is, now I have a free building so I ordered my Bourbon Red turkeys I've been wanting!

 

[Flyboy718]

My DH came home from a meeting at church yesterday and informed me he volunteered to raise 300 broilers for a church fundraiser. Oh my. He did get an earful about not asking me first!!! Last year was our first experience with meat birds, we raised 50 CRX in tractors in the backyard and LOVED it. Planned on doing 75 this year for ourselves. But we don't have experience raising that many!
Fortunately I think we have a good set-up for raising that many. We have a 500 sq ft shed that used to house several hundred leghorn layers & a good amount of yard we can fence off for them to free range during the day.
I'm more worried about the amount of work this will be! We've ordered the Featherman kit (scalder & the plucker & the cones) so that will help, and should have plenty of help processing- lots of people around here have raised chickens. We're planning on spreading out the work over several weekends & asking other church members to donate deep freezer storage room for the birds.
Any other advice from those with experience raising many broilers at a time? I'm really nervous that we'll do something wrong!

Dang! I would pray! You'll have $3.75 in each bird in food costs alone...assuming you can get it for $0.25 a pound for the feed. Do you think you would get $10 a bird...? If so, you are only looking at raising $1,800. Man, that is going to be a tremendous amount of work on processing them and storing them until sold. I think I would bake some cakes and/or cupcakes and have a silent auction.

 

[kuntrygirl]

No advice but I'm sending you a big hug.

 

[lincolnsilkies]

Your nicer than me! I would say it is not gonna happen. That is going to be alot of work. But i do wish ya luck and hopefully you will have fun doing it!!

 

[erinchelsea]

We're not selling the frozen chickens. The plan is we will raise the chickens, & pay for all costs associated. Then the day of the fundraiser (there is a huge event in town), a group that grills chickens for fundraisers will grill up the chickens and sell them by halves and quarters. So they should be able to raise quite a chunk of change. DH has some money set aside from a side job he did and he wants to donate it this way. I think I'd rather write a check!

Dang! I would pray! You'll have $3.75 in each bird in food costs alone...assuming you can get it for $0.25 a pound for the feed. Do you think you would get $10 a bird...? If so, you are only looking at raising $1,800. Man, that is going to be a tremendous amount of work on processing them and storing them until sold. I think I would bake some cakes and/or cupcakes and have a silent auction.

 

[ThePigeonKid]

DH has some money set aside from a side job he did and he wants to donate it this way. I think I'd rather write a check!

I like DH way of thinking!!!

 

[Life is Good!]

I'm with you OP, I'd write a check too!

So, if 1/2 of your 'crop' is halved, that's 300 pieces - if the other 1/2 is quartered - that's 600 pieces. That's 900 pieces of chicken to sell! Really?!

Sorry, I guess I've never added up what our Knights of Columbus sell for the 4th of July fundraiser they do (brats, corn and burgers). Our town of 13000 attends this event - so I presume it's about a one-for-one ratio. Wow. Yikes, that's huge.

Nope, haven't done it on this scale. But you might contact FredsHens by PM. I think he does this many at a time....but he's in the midst of chick-land, so I've not seen him post as of late.

 

[Beekissed]

Bless your DH and you for doing this! My best advice to you is to give unpasteurized apple cider vinegar in their water each and every time...it will replace lost electrolytes from their constant poops and it may also reculture their bowels enough that they won't have constant diarrhea.

That is the biggest problem I can see with raising the CX~and it is easily remedied if one just puts a little effort into it.

I wish you all the blessings you will need to bring those birds to the finish line..but you have God on your side with this one, so don't worry!

I wish I lived close to you as I would come and help you process them.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

I would find out if you could spilt the chickens with another member? My only worry is that 500 sq ft. is not large enough for 300 meat birds. If the weather is bad, they won't be able to be outside and they will be cramped, which in turn causes stress and stress is very bad for meat birds. Good luck with your endeavor.

 

[Beekissed]

Maybe you could arrange some shelter/shade outside with some use of cattle panels and tarping...sort of a temporary lean-to on the side of your shed? As long as these birds have shade, they seem to do alright. You could also place some low roosts and train them as chicks to use them...multiple levels of space can increase your total space, particularly at night when they go to roost. One of the OTs on here provide low roosts for their meaties and says it helps prevent piling and smothering.