Anyone raise Chickens for eggs AND meat on 2 acres or less?

[Ekim]

oh, I forgot to add, sheep don't need much extra feed other than pasture and water. lambs go for around $75 or more apiece. that's extra money for the feed bill.

 

[enola]

I have raised chickens and sheep for more years than I want to admit........ if you put 1,000 meat birds on an acre of land for 3-4 months, there will be nothing left for the sheep to raise her $75 lambs on.

 

[LindaB220]

You will know the needs of your family. We are a family of 4, and I started with 16 Cornish X. They are nearly 4 weeks old, and I added another 15 meat chicks just in case. We will probably do another 25 in the fall. I think that will suit us just fine.

That sounds about perfect Coralie, about 1 per week. Between leftovers and making broth with the bones that's several meals a week on one chicken.

 

[Coralietg]

That sounds about perfect Coralie, about 1 per week. Between leftovers and making broth with the bones that's several meals a week on one chicken.

That's what I figured! I miscalculated at first because we generally cook a whole chicken every 10 days to 2 weeks, but we also use parts all the time. I would be so mad at myself if I ran out before our next lot!

 

[Ekim]

I have raised chickens and sheep for more years than I want to admit........ if you put 1,000 meat birds on an acre of land for 3-4 months, there will be nothing left for the sheep to raise her $75 lambs on.

8 weeks does not equate to 3-4 months.
also, perhaps i'm just used to thicker pastures out here in oregon. don't matter none, the op ain't after that many at one time anyway.

 

[LilyD]

I have 2 acres, probably closer to an acre and a half if you take out the house and the outbuildings. I have 30 chickens right now 27 of which are hens for eggs and the other 3 are roosters to keep the flock sustainable. I raise meat chickens (usually just the boys that have hatched out from my DP flock but occasionally some freedom rangers as well) I shoot for processing about 100 to 150 a year to put in the freezer to last us until I can process more. I also raise turkeys (usually around 20 to 30 a year) and ducks plus have a 1250 sq foot garden space and about 7 raised beds. As long as you rotate the animals so they only have a short time on each space having them on a small amount of land is doable. I don't have a tractor (was thinking about building a few this year) but I have done it before with fencing and moveable shelters and it worked fine. I also run a horse and two beefer calves as well on the same property. It leaves very little land for me to have to mow but since I don't really like to mow it works out fine for me.

 

[LindaB220]

I have 2 acres, probably closer to an acre and a half if you take out the house and the outbuildings. I have 30 chickens right now 27 of which are hens for eggs and the other 3 are roosters to keep the flock sustainable. I raise meat chickens (usually just the boys that have hatched out from my DP flock but occasionally some freedom rangers as well) I shoot for processing about 100 to 150 a year to put in the freezer to last us until I can process more. I also raise turkeys (usually around 20 to 30 a year) and ducks plus have a 1250 sq foot garden space and about 7 raised beds. As long as you rotate the animals so they only have a short time on each space having them on a small amount of land is doable. I don't have a tractor (was thinking about building a few this year) but I have done it before with fencing and moveable shelters and it worked fine. I also run a horse and two beefer calves as well on the same property. It leaves very little land for me to have to mow but since I don't really like to mow it works out fine for me.

Wow, LilyD you go girl....

 

[LilyD]

My goal is to get to the point where I buy less than 50 dollars a month from the grocery store and all my vegetables, fruit and meat are taken care of here. It's safer that way.

 

[mnmom4]

I have 2 acres, probably closer to an acre and a half if you take out the house and the outbuildings. I have 30 chickens right now 27 of which are hens for eggs and the other 3 are roosters to keep the flock sustainable. I raise meat chickens (usually just the boys that have hatched out from my DP flock but occasionally some freedom rangers as well) I shoot for processing about 100 to 150 a year to put in the freezer to last us until I can process more. I also raise turkeys (usually around 20 to 30 a year) and ducks plus have a 1250 sq foot garden space and about 7 raised beds. As long as you rotate the animals so they only have a short time on each space having them on a small amount of land is doable. I don't have a tractor (was thinking about building a few this year) but I have done it before with fencing and moveable shelters and it worked fine. I also run a horse and two beefer calves as well on the same property. It leaves very little land for me to have to mow but since I don't really like to mow it works out fine for me.

This sounds amazing. We don't have any outbuildings right now. They tore them down before they sold the house... Would a portable chicken tractor work to house them overnight or when they are not free ranging? Is your property fenced at all? We have no fence... a pond/marsh area on one side of the property and woods in the back. There is one neighbor close to us- separated by a row of pine trees but I can see that it would be easy enough for the flock to migrate over there when they are free ranging. Don't seem like the kind of people who would mind that though.

 

[mnmom4]

My goal is to get to the point where I buy less than 50 dollars a month from the grocery store and all my vegetables, fruit and meat are taken care of here. It's safer that way.

Sounds like a great goal!