Does raising DP for meat equal out?

[NYRIR]

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Thanks for the advice! I guess I knew it would be more expensive...but was hoping it would at least equal out.
I really was referring to the places that slaughter...how they are transported,handled etc.I'm glad there are people out there you can vouch for

 

[NYRIR]

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That is nuts! We raise the cornish cross. It works out cheaper per pound for us than the store bought birds, but we started raising them for my daughters health. She is allergic to preservatives and the "solution" the birds are injected/packaged with hurt her stomach. Same with most hams and sandwich meats.

My daughter as well has allergies but the doc thinks milk proteins...I personally think it's one of the preservatives they use in foods.She gets bad stomach aches and shakes uncontrollably.It's one of the reasons we're trying to get away from as much store bought as possible.

 

[Birdbrain99114]

This past Spring/summer we raised both Cx and DPs. I wanted to compare flavor, cost of raising and also desired a rooster for my girls. Long story short, I butchered the Dps at 20 weeks because we had to travel some and figure the meat cost us $4 a pound easily. The rascals burn so much energy chasing each other around getting rid of their testerone they don't convert much to meat. After 20 weeks on these guys, (we raised both Barred Rocks and Buff Orpingtons), there is just enough meat for my wife and I. The meat on their breasts is about as big around as the base of my thumb. They had large giblets and bones but not much meat. Their taste is almost exactly like that of the Cornish Crosses. The rooster we saved for the gals, smallest of the group, a Buff, does his hen servicing tasks but fails to give me the crowing I desired. The silly dude sings like a hen when they lay an egg.

The DP roosters did provide lots of entertainment as they were developing their voices and learning to crow(I guess the keeper failed his crowing class). Would I do it again? NO WAY! We can buy rib steak on sale for less than what it cost us for the DPs. Doesn't matter to me if the rib steaks have hormones aadded since momma and I are well past the stage where the hormones affect us and eat mainly wild game anyway.

I've read where the CX smell worse but we kept plenty of wood shavings in their pen and never had any problems.

Have fun rasining whatever you decide. It's enjoyable to love up the little, fuzzy butts regardles of what color feathers they have.

 

[Ridgerunner]

We all have different circumstances and conditions. If you have a flock that free-ranges and can forage for themselves, you can do pretty well economically. I find that broody raised chicks can forage a whole lot better than brooder raised chicks, even if the mama hen was brooder raised. But if you wind up buying their food or most of their food, no, Dual Purpose chickens are not very economical. None of my brooder raised chicks are good foragers.

 

[terri9630]

Quote:
That is nuts! We raise the cornish cross. It works out cheaper per pound for us than the store bought birds, but we started raising them for my daughters health. She is allergic to preservatives and the "solution" the birds are injected/packaged with hurt her stomach. Same with most hams and sandwich meats.

My daughter as well has allergies but the doc thinks milk proteins...I personally think it's one of the preservatives they use in foods.She gets bad stomach aches and shakes uncontrollably.It's one of the reasons we're trying to get away from as much store bought as possible.

My daughters stomach bloats, gets rock hard and hurts. She doesn't have any shaking though. They have tested her for everything they can think of and kinda gave up so I started my own testing. As long as I make everything home made she has no problems. She eats all the same foods, just not "premade". Some things just aren't the same though.......

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

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Originally Posted by AlbionWood

My goodness that is a handsome rooster in your avatar.

 

[dawnwinds58]

We raise meat poultry because of antibiotics, steroids, and hormones in commercialy raised meats. They all can be in the meat, cooked and still active, when you eat. I have Polycystic Ovary Disease and my doctor said the hormones in the meat I ate made it way worse. I went to raising, and hunting, guess what, no more huge bad cysts. We also DON'T accept the process and results of volume chicken "farming" and what it does to and how how it treats chickens. I'd rather raise my own in a humane way. It is worth it to me. There must be a death, for there to be meat. How that death occurs, is a statement of your humanity. Don't mess it up!!

I have Buff Orpingtons which I class as a dual purpose, 12 eggs today and a rooster the size of a good turkey. They get fryer size fairly quickly to us, and make efficient feeders. We do plan on adding a line of Black Jersey Giants. They are not like Cornish which grow body before the bones can support it. The Jerseys get "gangly" first as the bone lengthens and increases in density BEFORE they get their weight on. They just are truly ugly in "gangly" stage. They will be our roasters with eggs secondary, as the Buffs are eggs, meat secondary.

We also raise freezer geese, also without chemicals and additives. The Muscovey ducks will be the addition in the water fowl population this, UNLESS, I can find a Pilgrim Gander of breeding age.

I have 3 great Pilgrim girls that came with a mean Chinese/African hybrid gander. They are wasted on him and need to be producing goslings to help keep the Pilgrim breed alive and thriving. If anyone knows of an available Pilgrim gander in Central Kentucky, or extreme South Indiana, or extreme North Tennesee near
I-65, PLEASE send me a link or information??? These great girls need a proper "date."

 

[Cowgirl71]

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It is not cost efficient to raise DP cockerels for meat. However, the meat will be much more healthy for you, and raised humanely. With the cost of feed alone you'll spend at least $4 per pound of meat, plus all the time you'll spend caring for and processing the birds. However if you hatch your own straight run chicks, you're saving $2.50 +/- for each pullet chick, which you could technically put toward the cost of feed for their brothers. What breeds do you have? That could make a difference...

 

[dawnwinds58]

Cowgirl71,

Your sig says Angus, but isn't that a Randall on your avatar? If not, that's a real cutie no matter the breed!!

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
It is not cost efficient to raise DP cockerels for meat. However, the meat will be much more healthy for you, and raised humanely. With the cost of feed alone you'll spend at least $4 per pound of meat, plus all the time you'll spend caring for and processing the birds. However if you hatch your own straight run chicks, you're saving $2.50 +/- for each pullet chick, which you could technically put toward the cost of feed for their brothers. What breeds do you have? That could make a difference...

I have currently, 8 (soon to be four) roos that are all production reds save one who is an australorp mom and ?? dad.My hens vary some though....BR,GLW,Welsummer,NH's,BJG's,Production reds,and some barnyard mixes.And yes,the humane factor is huge along with the chemical free aspect.