Can I raise laying hens as broilers?

[Mosey2003]

So a lot of Hispanic around here that are interested in farm fresh chickens. I’ve had people randomly knock on my door asking to buy chickens.

That's interesting, because my area is actually very similar, yet little interest in paying for roosters. Regional differences, eh? Good for you though!

 

[EggWalrus]

$5 per pound dressed. Little less for live. Heritage are also smaller. How old & how much does he weigh?

We have a lot of Mexicans and OTMs around here these days also.
I've been selling them live roosters for $12 and hens for $10. Soon as I finish the new chainlink meatie pen, I'm gonna start buying CX to sell them. They knock on my door wanting 5-10 birds, at least 3 or more days per week.

 

[Mosey2003]

Okay, now I'm really getting jealous!

 

[cmom]

We have a couple of farm swaps twice a month at our local TSC. I hatch out all of my chicks. My birds are dual purpose breeds. Meatbird feed is higher protein feed. I mostly sell my excess males. It is not a money making occupation. In actuality I have probably not even broke even with the costs of building coops, pens and maintenance. I do sell my eggs. I have processed some of the extra males. I keep most of the females. I have some coops I use as breeding coops and some I call general population for the birds I'm not using as breeders. I do sell some of the females but mostly males except for my breeders and I try to keep a spare male for each of my breeds. Selling some of the birds does help offset the costs of maintaining them. Good luck and have fun...

 

[cmom]

I don't sell birds at my property but if someone comes and asks to buy birds, I tell them about the swap meets.

 

[aart]

I just sold a rooster Saturday for $10.

I’m not dressing them

So 'on the hoof'.....live layer breed males?

We have a lot of Mexicans and OTMs around here these days also.
I've been selling them live roosters for $12 and hens for $10. Soon as I finish the new chainlink meatie pen, I'm gonna start buying CX to sell them. They knock on my door wanting 5-10 birds, at least 3 or more days per week.

What is OTM?

Also, I'm pretty surprised you have someone offering you money for roosters, let alone $10 each live! Lucky duck.

Ditto Dat!!!^^^

 

[Toothpick]

So 'on the hoof'.....live layer breed males?

I think they call it a sex link?? I have a RIR male and a Delaware hen. It was a white rooster that came from them. Dude took it as is for 10 bucks. He said he would take all the roosters I have. Soup!

 

[cmom]

You are correct. A RIR male and a Delaware female will produce sex-links. The males will look like the Delaware and the females will look like the RIR. I have done this cross years ago.

 

[EggWalrus]

So 'on the hoof'.....live layer breed males?


What is OTM?


Ditto Dat!!!^^^

When I worked for the gov, we were instructed to refer to them as "Mexicans" and "OTMs" or "Other Than Mexicans" on our reports.
Basically, any of them from south of Mexico. The Deeper South Boys!

 

[EggWalrus]

So 'on the hoof'.....live layer breed males?


What is OTM?


Ditto Dat!!!^^^

The old fella down the road gets $15/rooster, 13/hen and 50/tom turkey (all live on the hoof).
He's selling the hell out of them, and I just can't keep up. That's why I'm under cutting him on prices. Mine are all raised running wild 24/7, and I do give them some extra feed each day, but he's selling his as "free range organic" and there're all penned up, night and day in a old block horse stable about 100' x 15'. He has a small pen out by the road (10x10) that he keeps the ones he sells in each day. I go by there every few days, and unless he's rotating his stock from the "Sell Pen" back to the old stables, he's selling about 100 per week.