Can i turn a profit raising cornish x chickens?

[cafrhe]

I sold mine for what I was paying another local who sold them the last few years. I also checked other sellers' prices online (googled several different combinations of pastured or natural or tractored chickens). Many sellers have their prices on their websites. I may raise my prices next year because I am at the lower end for my area. It really depends on what your market can bear.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

I think most of you should raise your prices....

I know everyone has different goals for what your doing, but some of the prices listed on here are way to low for a premium product. My birds whole sale for almost double the prices in the last post.

I'm not in a major city or anything like that either, remember we don't want to under value ourselves to much. You will loose market share to competition that has more in line pricing because of customer expectations. Most people expect to pay a curtain price for what you have, when that price is far lower than normal they immediately start wondering about quality. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your birds, but that's how it goes.

If your trying to actually start a business you must be profitable, the kiss of death to small farms is under valuing the products. It leaves little room for expansion, you don't have the capital you need to satisfy growing volume because the margins are too slim. Once that happens you have unsatified customers who will find someone else that will help them.

Just some food for thought.

 

[blucoondawg]

I am currently raising a bunch of Dixie rainbow/pioneers and red rangers/freedom rangers, haven't been keeping too close of tabs on money with this batch because I am raising 30 for sale the rest are for us and I have some additional layer chicks in with them as well, I haven't raised cx since I was a kid but have looked into it and find my cost per bird to be around the 5 dollar mark as well less if I go to bulk feed. If I were to raise these I'd shoot for the 4 to 5lb bird and try to get at least 2.50 per lb plus butchering costs but your local market will dictate what you can charge. Check out craigslist for other local ads and see what they'll sell for. Hatchery website claims 1 CX bird will eat about 13lbs of feed in its lifetime, 8wks. That is what I based my figures from.

Next time I am going to place an ad for preorders that way I will know right away for many I have sold and not over buy

 

[Askia13]

Mind if i join the conversation?
I live in West Central Illinois and raise quite a few Broilers. My cost per bird here is $5.23, roughly but pretty close, to raise. That included feed, and chick price. I only feed Ross 308 because they have a better conversion for ME. I buy my feed by the ton at a local mill and store in bulk bins, so that reduced costs significantly. I process all my birds and sell quite a few live.
My market consists of a generous amount of hispanics, and healthy food eaters. I am selling 4-5 lb birds processed for $2.00/lb and live birds $8. I am making a decent profit and i enjoy raising them as i grew up raising cattle and hogs.
So yes you can be profitable if you have a market and willing to put time into building customer relationships. Hope this helps!

How old are your live birds when you sell them? How big are they?

 

[Welllaidacres]

I’ve been selling meat chickens for only this year with 3 small batches. I live in east central Illinois. My meaties are pen raised, grain fed. No pasture. They are raised inside my barn with free choice feed and water and plenty of space. Industry standard in broiler house is .8 square foot/bird. My last batch averaged 3.5 square foot per bird. I buy my feed from the local coop and chicks from Welp hatchery. I’ve averaged less than 2% death loss so far. My last batch of 50 cost me:

$1.50 per chick (on sale)
birds ate (Or wasted) 11.8 lbs of feed each, At .25/lb of feed ($2.95)
Processing plant charges $3.10 per bird to process and bag whole.

My birds averaged 5.81 lbs dressed at 6 weeks old and I sold them for $2.75/lb for a whole bird. $16/bird.

Not counting additional electricity for brooding, fuel to processor (80 mile) or my labor I made $8.45 per bird.

I just made a post on my Facebook and have orders for 125 more birds. If this batch goes well i will be raising my prices. Yes you can make money raising meaties. My barn was already on my property and I built their pen inside it from materials on the property except for poultry wire and hardware. I am also in my barn everyday caring for my other livestock. Depending on time of year i have hens, pigs, cattle, and turkeys In that barn, along with the greatest farm dog ever.