Cost to finish meat birds

[Stefrobrts]

What kind of prices are you people paying when you have someone else process your birds?

I am thinking of raising some meat birds, but I don't want to do the processing myself.

 

[VA from WV]

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I think that the water issue is much more important here than most people realize. Perdue adds, I believe, upwards of 20% weight to its birds by adding a 'solution', which is usually water or chicken broth. You'll find the presence of a 'solution' in many commercial, prepackaged meats, and I find the untreated meat from local beef, chicken, and lamb to be far more filling than what I buy through supermarkets.

There is also a slightly different fat content in locally raised meats, but the variability can be higher or lower than commercially raised, depending on methods used by individual farmers. Genetic variability is one factor, but so is how the animal is finished. You'll note a totally different quality to meat raised by FFA or 4-H over what you'd see from an animal raised on the rest of a particular farm.

Anecdotal yes, but only because the data on satiety is a very subjective thing. Remember that fat content does, absolutely have a role to play in this, so any meat with a slighty higher fat content, even by as much as .5% percent, can yield a significant change in what people report. (Remember that one of the underlying principles of the Atkins Diet was a higher fat content. Fat shuts off hunger centers and keeps them shut off for longer than fat-free foods.)

 

[VA from WV]

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Define 'healthier'. The 'all in, all out' method of poultry production method isn't necessarily unhealthy as compared to backyard. The major difference, I think, is variation in diet and the luxury of taking into consideration the question of ethical treatment.

There are methods of industrial production of broilers that can and possibly should be employed when using industrial birds. The high-end CornishXRock really starts to suffer if you take longer than 7-8 weeks to finish them, because it is apparent that their joints have a lot of trouble. Finishing them faster makes more sense from an ethical standpoint than slower finishing, so it then becomes a question of how much of a compromise am I/should I be willing to make to afford them what I think is a better life for the 6-8 weeks of their lifespan.

Some of the issue is also whether placebo effect has anything to do with the question of whether these genetically manipulated birds are 'better and more healthy' simply because of the control exercised by the producer(me). My conclusions:

Fresher? Yes, at least until they've lived in frozen storage for a bit.

Healthier because of a varied diet including bugs and kitchen scraps? Possibly, but that I'd class as more belief than science. (Is there science on this?)

More ethical? Yes, because I raise birds using methods that fall with my personal ethical and religious parameters.

Better? Yes, but that is subjective based on me having absolute control over the choices being made about my food supply.

I think that belief systems do change how this affects us, but there is also nothing wrong with that, unless and until it leads us to judge others for not making the same choices.

 

[kingmt]

 

[becky3086]

Quote:
I agree.

 

[kingmt]

Sorry OP this thread seemed to run away.

 

[enel 1]

this is what I know...it cost me about 8.50 in to raise a cx, and I could buy one for half that at the grocery store, but I'm not buying the same thing I'm raising.What i mean by that is I know its the same breed of bird,I also know that they don't feed there birds the same high quality feed that I feed mine(they could never afford to buy there food from Purina!) and I also know that their birds never see the lite of day nor feel grass under their feet.they are crammed into battery cages where they spend their short life's in close quarters and lie in there own sh,,,poop. Because of this they have to be continually fed antibiotics and they also feed them growth prohibiters in order to get 4 to 5 lbs in 6to8 weeks.Now my bird don't need antibiotics they don't live in there own poop,they don't live in tiny a** cages and they feel the grass under their feet(not to mention the feed I give them)! if you want a bird like that instead of a disgusting grocery bird,I'll eat my hat(better yet one of them sick birds)if you can buy a free range broiler for under 10bucks! So at 8.50 a bird iI think we're doing darn good. wouldn't you agree?

 

[Beekissed]

I think there are too many variables for this question to be answered correctly without knowing exactly what the OP will feed, how often, etc. You will also get a variety of answers based on how the other posters raise their birds.

CX can be pricey to raise... or they can be only slightly more expensive to feed than the typical layer breed, depending on just how they were raised, what they were fed and how often they were fed.

Last time I raised them I didn't keep track of their feed consumption but this year I am doing so...not going to weigh out the feed or anything but will be calculating how much feed was bought/consumed in their time here.

I agree with those who claim the homegrown meat bird will feed more people for the money spent and that it is clearly a more healthy food...one only has to handle the meat to realize they are holding a superior product in their hands. The texture, the color, the compactness of the meat fibers, the color and amount of fat present, etc...even the smell is different. To anyone experienced in processing, handling, cooking these meats the difference is visible at a glance.

 

[jamesk53]

Ok, a couple things. First, of course you can get cheaper chicken at the grocery store, they purchase feed in increments of 20 tons, the average back yard raiser stresses about 100 pounds of feed. If you just want the cheapest food then raising animals in your back yard may not be the best because it takes a lot of effort to get your costs down, and a lot of experience. Raising your own meat is much more about health and self reliance.

Also, there are many options to feed your birds other than purchasing high priced feed from the store. I use spent grains, which are left over from the beer making process. They are soaked barley and hops (and other misc grains) that do not have alcohol, have a decent protein value and great fiber. They are an all natural feed that makes your meat taste tremendous and they are very cheap. You can contact local breweries to see about picking up their left over grains, I haven't heard of one that charges for their grains. It is a great way to give extra feed to your birds to help put on weight and keep costs down, just takes a little effort to get it.

Finally, there are a lot of costs to get started raising birds for meat. Most of which are due to inexperience. The equipment and room needed for the birds all adds up, but it is all worth it. There is a lot of satisfaction knowing you did the whole process.