Colored Rangers Grow Out Journal/ Video Added pg 11

[shelleyb1969]

Mine are coming at the end of the month, and I plan on keeping a few hens out of them. I was planning on letting the hens I want to keep continue to eat the high protein with the others until processing time...then I'll switch them over to a lower protein food. Does that sound ok? Or should they be fed a lower protein at an earlier age?

 

[vermontgal]

Based on this thread, I just calculated approximate cost to raise these guys, and it looks like similar to the cost of grocery store chicken - but that is with feeding organic feed. (All based on Vermont prices.)

I would raise mine in the prime summer - which might help for both heat and forage availability. Thank you for the informative thread!!

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Based on this thread, I just calculated approximate cost to raise these guys, and it looks like similar to the cost of grocery store chicken - but that is with feeding organic feed.

Yes it is going to cost you just as much or more then if you went to the grocery store, but the quality will be WAY BETTER !!!

People forget, you have to compare homegrown chickens with the ones at slaughter houses and organic food stores/food co-ops, not big corp. stores. look at the prices of quality chicken in your area and then you'll see the savings.​

 

[vermontgal]

Harp - I was meaning that is a great deal, to be able to compare raising my own to grocery store chicken. For nice chicken at the coop, it is $3.69 lb - so typically $13 for a 3.5 lb bird, or $18.50 for a 5 lb. Farmer's market prices vary, but $3 lb is a steal, and $3.25 is more common. There are some farmers who do meat CSAs, and they charge $75 for 5 chickens, with typical dressed weights of 4.5 to 5 lbs. None of that is organic - it is just "natural raised."

That was last year. I don't know what this year holds. The local feed store says that fewer folks are raising lots of chicks to sell at the farmers market ~ apparently they ordered them through the feed store, which charges 99c per Cornish X.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

There are some farmers who do meat CSAs, and they charge $75 for 5 chickens, with typical dressed weights of 4.5 to 5 lbs.

WOW, we sell ours for $105.00 for 10 birds or a total of 40lbs. Yeah when you compare with those prices you can raise your own and SAVE alot of $$$$$​

 

[ODS-n-ENS FARM]

Quote:
WOW, we sell ours for $105.00 for 10 birds or a total of 40lbs. Yeah when you compare with those prices you can raise your own and SAVE alot of $$$$$

We have a farm around here that charges (and gets)$6.99 lb for heritage birds. They raise white dorking ,houdin and i think its ancona. (edit spelling,its after 3 am brain is shutting down)

 

[shelleyb1969]

Quote:
Can someone please answer my questions?

It seems that they got overlooked.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

If you can tell the hens apart at a young age then yes a normal chick starter is what you would want to use. I wouldn't use anything more than 20% for the hens if your keeping them for laying.

 

[shelleyb1969]

Quote:
Thanks so much, Jeff.

That's exactly what I was wanting to know.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Thought i would share some photos of the oldest ones as of today. I opened their area up to the new grasses growing for their last week here. Their original area is 75'x70' and then I opened additional 80'x80' so they have 155'x150' to let them help burn the excess fat off them LOL. They are already big enough so I figured why waste feeding them feed for the last few days, when they can run and eat

I weighed some more yesterday, and the biggest is 11lbs and the smallest is 7lbs I think you could process at 10 weeks to get a good bird, but I'm going the full 12 to see what we get. As i have read a lot of people on here have very mixed reviews on them. Not getting big in 12 weeks and some that get big in 12, well for now my have gotten big in 12 weeks. And they have been free ranging everyday since they where 4 weeks old, so yes they can gain wieght and free range at the same time.