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

[kuntrygirl]

I do and it works great. I also have sheep and a goat.

Yeah, but last I heard you were insane    I still can't imagine that many meat birds at once 

Yea but the meat birds were only for a short period. My other chickens and animals are manageable. And then it's only me. I don't have help, so if the person has a husband/wife/kids, then it's a piece of cake to raise them. I have to re-charge my batteries from time to time and function as if I were 3 people.
:/

 

[boyswillbeboys]

We have 4.5 acres, our 30' by 16' run was quickly depleted, so the majority go out free ranging in the afternoon over the 5' fence, some come up in the front yard, most stay in the trees behind the run, and very few forage on the far side of the trees (more in the fall, none now) where the neighbours seeded but didn't harvest a wheat crop, due to installing grain bins right there. I just hope they stay out of the seeded field in years to come, I cannot go organic, for this reason (neighbour is a commercial wheat farmer, and we have fields on two sides, the bins behind, and the road along the front, we have trees along 3/4's of the property line, front back and one side.

Edit: in 2 weeks we are getting 60 meat birds, about 1/2 are spoken for by friends who are willing to help process, we need to move a shed up by the existing chicken run, and connect it to the run for them. We did 25 last year, with our first flock of layers, which I had 25 of but am now down to 21 and a roo, due to predators, but I'm brooding a dozen more straight run chicks right now.

 

[kuntrygirl]

We have 4.5 acres, our 30' by 16' run was quickly depleted, so the majority go out free ranging in the afternoon over the 5' fence, some come up in the front yard, most stay in the trees behind the run, and very few forage on the far side of the trees (more in the fall, none now) where the neighbours seeded but didn't harvest a wheat crop, due to installing grain bins right there. I just hope they stay out of the seeded field in years to come, I cannot go organic, for this reason (neighbour is a commercial wheat farmer, and we have fields on two sides, the bins behind, and the road along the front, we have trees along 3/4's of the property line, front back and one side.

Edit: in 2 weeks we are getting 60 meat birds, about 1/2 are spoken for by friends who are willing to help process, we need to move a shed up by the existing chicken run, and connect it to the run for them. We did 25 last year, with our first flock of layers, which I had 25 of but am now down to 21 and a roo, due to predators, but I'm brooding a dozen more straight run chicks right now.

Congrats and good luck with the 60 meat birds. I started with 100 meat birds and it almost killed me. :/

 

[ShelleyJ]

When you started with your meat birds were they all the same breed? I'm looking at getting a hatchery special on males to use and they can be any breed except the cornish x. I'm hoping they will have some growing faster and some slower so I can spread the processing out over a week or so. I won't be processing alone either but it's still making me a little anxious that I'll get into it and something will happen.

 

[AmericanMom]

Congrats and good luck with the 60 meat birds. I started with 100 meat birds and it almost killed me.

Our local farm store gave us 10...figured what the heck, they were free and we didn't have to buy anything to get them.. (went in for a gallon size waterer for the chicks) We shall see what we shall see, we have done this before but was more into raising our own dual purpose, I dunno, we may like these buggers better??

 

[LindaB220]

Yeah, but last I heard you were insane

I still can't imagine that many meat birds at once

Bahahahaha Good one.

 

[Baybrio]

mnmom4,

So many great replies and hundreds of posts for you to read.

Just my two cents - start SMALL. If you can get the meat birds through a feed store why not start with 12 or even 6? They are ready to process so fast. That way you can get a feel for raising the birds, a feel for processing and see how your storage goes.

Then after the first 6 to 8 weeks when you process the first group you will have a much better idea what it takes and can order enough for your needs.

My self, I loved raising 12. I hated raising 25. These birds are just for my family so I get to do what works for me.

I also had mine processed professionally. For my small family this makes a big difference. The way the processor shrink wraps them allows them to last longer without freezer burn. I've just eaten one that got lost in the bottom of the freezer which is three years old - it was just perfect. (I'm sure this is not normal and the USDA just fainted, but hey I didn't want to waste it).

I free ranged mine in my yard and put them up in a covered secure shelter at night.

One other thought - I think chickens get a lot of food value out of ranging in the woods. Lots of bugs and other goodies for them under the leaves.

Will it be cheaper? - I think so - if you are currently buying organic chicken. If you are currently buying from a super market, from what I've read probably not.

Have fun!!!!!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Congrats and good luck with the 60 meat birds. I started with 100 meat birds and it almost killed me. :/

Our local farm store gave us 10...figured what the heck, they were free and we didn't have to buy anything to get them.. (went in for a gallon size waterer for the chicks) We shall see what we shall see, we have done this before but was more into raising our own dual purpose, I dunno, we may like these buggers better??

Congrats on the FREE birds!!!! You will be changing out the gallon waterer every hour shortly. Mine were going through about 15 gallons a day as they got older. :/

IF IF IF IF I do it again, it will be on a VERY VERY VERY small scale. No more than 25. 100 was TOO TOO TOO much for me.

 

[kuntrygirl]

mnmom4,

So many great replies and hundreds of posts for you to read.

Just my two cents - start SMALL. If you can get the meat birds through a feed store why not start with 12 or even 6? They are ready to process so fast. That way you can get a feel for raising the birds, a feel for processing and see how your storage goes.

Then after the first 6 to 8 weeks when you process the first group you will have a much better idea what it takes and can order enough for your needs.

My self, I loved raising 12. I hated raising 25. These birds are just for my family so I get to do what works for me.

I also had mine processed professionally. For my small family this makes a big difference. The way the processor shrink wraps them allows them to last longer without freezer burn. I've just eaten one that got lost in the bottom of the freezer which is three years old - it was just perfect. (I'm sure this is not normal and the USDA just fainted, but hey I didn't want to waste it).

I free ranged mine in my yard and put them up in a covered secure shelter at night.

One other thought - I think chickens get a lot of food value out of ranging in the woods. Lots of bugs and other goodies for them under the leaves.

Will it be cheaper? - I think so - if you are currently buying organic chicken. If you are currently buying from a super market, from what I've read probably not.

Have fun!!!!!!

Shrinking wrapping is what I need to look at next time. With so many birds, I will need mine to last a long time as well. I have looked into getting one of those vacuum seal machines for my next set. I am hoping top free range next time as well.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I liked the bags that you dip into hot water and they heat shrink around the birds. They work great!

And as for the water issue, I found that feeding wet feed really helped. A lot. I fermented mine but you could just soak yours for 1-2 minutes instead. It does wonders!