Does growing meaties save $

[sonjab314]

Well I have a small flock that I grow just for the fun of it. I intend on adding to it this spring (I have eggs being shipped as we speak). I was just curious about the costs invloved. I already have the overhead capital in place such as the coop and my chickens have free range over my back yard which is really big. The only thing I would need would be the equipment for butchering. I know Cackle will sell me any amount that I want. They sell chicks in their store front. I can buy only one chick at a time (which I have done). I was just wondering about the comparative costs. Maybe when my hens get old enough that their laying slows considerably? Would they be too old to butcher at that point? Would their meat be tough?

 

[MrsPinkKitty]

We grow our own Grains so lets just say it well worth it for us. I think people have lost sight of growing your animals food that is were the saveings are!!!!

 

[babalubird]

Your older hens will just have to be cooked differently, i.e., cooked very slowly, stewed, turned to soup, etc.

How to Cook An Old Chicken Part 1: http://waldeneffect.org/blog/How_to_cook_an_old_chicken/

How to Cook An Old Chicken Part 2: http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/How_to_cook_an_old_chicken__44___part_2/

But the pay-off is that the taste is much more intense and superior.

 

[Me & My Peeps]

Have kids? there's no price on the experience for them and watching them learn. To see the fascination and caring in their behavior is in my opinion........priceless.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

yes, it is cost effective and comparable IF you are buying homegrown, free ranged, humanely raised & fed birds, grown buy local famers, delivered fresh to your door never frozen or shipped.

 

[sonjab314]

Me & My Peeps :

Have kids? there's no price on the experience for them and watching them learn. To see the fascination and caring in their behavior is in my opinion........priceless.

Yes I have young chilren. My son is 9 and I have twins that are 6. They love to help me with the chicken. They even have their own pet chickens. My daughter's chicken laid on egg in her lap

. They help me clean out the coops. They help with the feeding and watering. They LOVE to throw scratch for the chickens. But I don't know if they could help me butcher. My daughters get upset when I clean fish. My son has recently started helping but I still think that the entire process may be too much for him. Up till recently I think it was too much for me. I though about setting some quail eggs and try to butcher them before I move to meaties, just to see if I can do it and how I hold up. I think I could do it but until that time comes you never know. I know I would have no issues cleaning them after they were dead. I don't want to see meat go to waste (I HATE TROPHY HUNTERS THAT LEAVE THE DEER CARCASS IN THE WOODS AND JUST TAKE THE HEAD

) but back to the issue at hand. Maybe if someone can come over and kill them and let me do the rest LOL. Just joking. I need to learn to do it myself.​

 

[dreamcatcherarabians]

Quote:
Yes I have young chilren. My son is 9 and I have twins that are 6. They love to help me with the chicken. They even have their own pet chickens. My daughter's chicken laid on egg in her lap

. They help me clean out the coops. They help with the feeding and watering. They LOVE to throw scratch for the chickens. But I don't know if they could help me butcher. My daughters get upset when I clean fish. My son has recently started helping but I still think that the entire process may be too much for him. Up till recently I think it was too much for me. I though about setting some quail eggs and try to butcher them before I move to meaties, just to see if I can do it and how I hold up. I think I could do it but until that time comes you never know. I know I would have no issues cleaning them after they were dead. I don't want to see meat go to waste (I HATE TROPHY HUNTERS THAT LEAVE THE DEER CARCASS IN THE WOODS AND JUST TAKE THE HEAD

) but back to the issue at hand. Maybe if someone can come over and kill them and let me do the rest LOL. Just joking. I need to learn to do it myself.

For me the big issue is that my birds are raised with love from day old chicks, fed and treated very well for the length of time I have them. I let them be chickens, not in battery cages, they get hand fed treats and are respected for the valuable commodity that they are to me. I don't kill 500 at a time, only what I need for my family. Sometimes, they get to just grow old here because we never get around to it. And our rule is that anyone, at any time can ask for a 'stay of execution' for one bird and it will be granted. The bird is then their pet and will not be used on the table. I love all my birds and it hurts to kill one when it's time, but I also know that I'm raising them for their meat and it's their purpose. I've found we appreciate our hens a lot more for their eggs and the meat than we ever did the store bought variety. We actually think about what we're doing when we're eating, it isn't like it just came from the grocery store already made, if that makes sense.

 

[sonjab314]

Well I am getting ready to hatch a 4-5 dozen eggs. 3 dozen will be Black Australorp. Maybe I should keep a few roos and see how it goes.

 

[Omniskies]

Do so. If you have any questions about processing just ask. If they are ready to go when we meet up this spring I can walk you through the process if you want.

This year we plan on putting a lot of roosters in the freezer. I'm going to play around with how young I can dress out a rooster without jeopardizing too much of the development. I'd much rather have a smaller bird in the freezer than have a larger bird that I have to allot space to for four months. I just need to find out the best age per breed for dressing them out.

 

[sonjab314]

Thanks Omniskies. Maybe I can bring a roo to you and you can show me what to do. I've watched a few videos but thats not the same thing as somene who knows what they are doin.