Well today was processing day! Yesterday I sorted out my *hopefully* pullets, only one of which I am 100% certain of, and this morning I packed up 30 rangers for slaughter. $212 for the birds, and due to a equipment malfunction I’m going to double my ferry fare to around $100 and we can’t get the birds until tomorrow. 5 had breast blisters from lying down too much... “broken toes”, the “girl who couldn’t walk”, and probably a few other really lazy ground feeders. $105 cost for 30 birds plus $40 ($80 shared) shipping fee. I have yet to figure out my exact feed costs, as I’m going to have to reverse figure from my remaining bags.
I should have dressed weights and average cost per bird figured out by the end of the week. These Ranger holdbacks might actually be my most expensive breeding pullets yet! So I’m onto phase two... growing these girls out so I can start crossing them. I’m planning two or three more Meat batches, one of Mistral Gris in about a month, and a second Ranger/Dark Cornish batch about 4 weeks after that. So if I’m still short Ranger pullets for breeding I can supplement my stock with those.
With the heat and transportation challenges in getting them to the abbatoir, it’s a good thing I didn’t start another batch two to four weeks after these ones. I may look into eventually buying a small boat, which would reduce travel time from 4 hours to 1, and allow us to get them in in the early morning, before the heat of the day.
, thanks neighbors!) is up on blocks in the horse field and will one day probably be turned into a B&B type accommodation/glamping.
