Done With Meat Birds

[gmendoza]

Thats why I bought Dark cornish bulldogs from my breeder in Fort Mill,SC.That way if I want to I can eat them,raise them for more chickies and then eat them when the time comes,or try a cross with plymouth rocks and see what comes out,then eat them.

om nom nom!!!

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
Have you followed
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5902327#p5902327
For some people it's the fun of trying to develop something different while putting meat in the freezer.

 

[blueskylen]

everyone has a preference and ideas of how they want to spend their time - that's what makes us all different and so much fun seeing what and how others are doing things.
i have been so surprised and informed by all of the hints and ideas on this site.

if i had a real farm and lots of room, i might consider breed crossing and such. i am just a person who likes to have 1 dog, 1 cat, 11 or so hens, 1 roo, and raise my own meaties. might want a goat too

 

[f8thnjc]

Think about hatching your own eggs (dual purpose) and that seems like a whole lotta feed.

 

[MissMandyinVT]

I just did Cornish Cross, started with 75, ended with 58.... they have about a 30 % mortality rate... I spent $495.20 total, not counting the packaging to freeze them all..... it was about 1.71 a pound which is expensive when I can get roasters for .99 a pound in the store, probably will not do again as they are dirty, don't care to forage, die easily etc. I don't get a lot of satisfaction out of going out in the morning to find a dead one, it's like throwing money away. Grain here is $14.50 a bag and that is the cheapest (game bird feed). I am assuming that commercial chicken farms get a lower cost on grain as they probably own the grain companies as well, this is how they can sell at the price they do, there is no way to raise them cheaper then in the store, someone above said .75 a pound, they either get cheap grain I can't get here or they produced extremely large birds. Either way, my experience wasn't beneficial enough for me to do it again.... seems the commercial producers have us over a barrel, it is not cheaper to produce your own meat these days and even so, you are not producing the grain, therefore you really can not have peace of mind.

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
Actually your mortality rate was 22%, I know still high.
Yes you can buy chicken cheaper at the market but one of the reasons for raising your own is to know how they were raised.
Can you provide some details as to how you raised your birds. Did you free range them? What did you feed them and at what age did you process them?

Next time I would raise twenty-five at a time.

 

[CARS]

I am done with meat birds too. I just butchered 38 out of 40!!!

Average weight was 7 pounds and they were not as fatty as last year. I am happy.

Over the last 5 years I have had better years than not. This year I paid more for feed (about $9.00 a 50 pound bag) because I didn't raise enough to buy feed by the ton. And I suppose Corn and Beans are higher too.

I raised a smaller amount because I just didn't want to work as hard this year. Our first daughter graduated and I have a ton of projects going on.

 

[Bluff Country Chicken]

Quote:
What kind of feed are you getting for $9/bag?

 

[CARS]

From the Co-Op a few miles away. Stores like Runnings, TSC, and even my favorite Mill's Fleet Farm are buying from other sources and marking them up. That markup is usually 30%. If you go to a place that mills their own feed you can save hundreds a year in feed. Last year I bought my 22% feed for just under $8.00 for 50 pounds, but I had to buy in bulk (which requires a bin for storage) 1/2 ton at a time.

Plus I am buying from local farmers not from lord knows where.

 

[CARS]

Oh, what kind?? 19% Grower/Finisher. I just supplement with ground shells for my layers. Everyone eats the same and forages for anything they may lack from the bag.