For Personal Consumption -- How Many at Once?

[3KillerBs]

I was crunching some numbers today. As a general rule, I use 3 (4-5lb) or 4 (3-4lb) chickens per week to serve chicken for dinner twice a week to my large family -- except in December when we suffer the usual TOO MUCH TURKEY syndrome and don't want to see any other poultry on the table.

So it looks like we eat something in the vicinity of 150 chickens per year. That's a lot of freezer space (and a lot of time for freezer burn to develop), so it seems logical to divide it up.

For personal consumption, not sale, how many do you generally raise at once? How many times per year? And do you keep a separate freezer for long-term storage?

Also, if I were to raise heritage breeds such as Delawares or colored ranger-type birds in tractors on pasture situation for the usual 8-12 weeks, would I be getting the 3lb birds or the 5lb birds?

Thanks.

 

[3KillerBs]

Anyone? Please?

 

[jaku]

For my family of three, before I started selling them, 25 Cornish X's in the fall and 25 again in the spring was plenty. You get several meals from each bird- we have chicken a lot. But I've only raised Cornish X's for meat- hope that helps!

 

[miss_thenorth]

I'm not familiar with your climate, but I raise two batches of 50 each. I sell the first batch, and 50 will last my family all year.

If you live in a climate where you can raise them year round, do it. spread out your batches every 4 months. I raise cornish x also, and I raise them for 8-10 weeks, and get about an 8lb bird. We go though one a week.

Also, I have three separate freezers. I have one for frozen produce, two for meat. When one empties out, it gets unplugged. The freezer space below the fridge hold the bread etc.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

We raise all year round. When we want chicken, the day or the day before we butcher one....We just do it as needed with the chickens. We have to use freezer space for deer and turkey which are seasonal....

 

[3KillerBs]

Quote:
Thanks.

I have 6 in my house -- two are teens (though by the time we could have meat birds at least one may be on his/her own), and one is a diabetic on a low-carb diet.

So with that size family we either strip one chicken for dinner or, more often, I cook 2 at once (especially if they're only 3-4lbs), and we get lunch the next day as well. And, of course, somewhere down the line all carcasses are boiled up for soup/stock.

So if 50 does for your family of 3 (without teens eating 4 meals a day (he's 6'2", still growing, and you can see his ribs)), then my numbers for the year are probably close to normal.

 

[3KillerBs]

Quote:
8lbs dressed weight? That would ease the storage issue since 1, 8lb bird would take up less space than 2, 4lb birds.

I'd love to have chickens that big and not have to cook two at once.

In my climate I'd probably want to take January-mid-February off for lack of green stuff and July-mid-August off for appalling heat.

 

[3KillerBs]

Quote:
Could you explain how you manage the flock to do it that way? I would have thought there would be a lot of fighting. And, of course, every piece of advice I've read about meat birds goes into the tyranny of the feed conversion ratios.

I'd love to know about a method for raising the birds in hatchery-order size batches but butchering them in freezer capacity size batches.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

just to pitch in here....

i'd absolutely do in batches unless there is a reason NOT to.... we got 15 colored rangers from Ideal this spring....and to our shock... we LOVED THEM! i was totally against the normal meat breeds thinking they were so weird. but wow these really worked out. we did some at 9 weeks and then just today did another batch.

i was happy with how well they did at 'free ranging' - we had them in a separate pen from the other hens to make sure they got the higher protein feed... but they were outside most of the day.

they dressed out beautifully. the roos got to a pretty good size and then hens of course were smaller.

one thing to consider is that you will end up with a huge freezer full - and then dont forget the stock! i think i got 6 or 8 quarts from just 4 birds last time. we are glad - but that takes up a good amount of storage space.

we have 3 freezers also so we werent overly concerned with storage... but we found that the roo's were all getting a little aggressive so they were the first to go. and we found it easier to feed and manage a smaller number of birds - and less housing so we didnt have to use more space (we are busting at the gills right now!).

another reason we didnt go for a huge number of birds was to spread out the risk. one of my buddies had 50 chickens killed in one nite by predators - what a huge loss! so we figured, since they are kind of 'sitting ducks' if something got them it would be such a big hit at one time.

the last reason i can think of to do batches is that processing that many birds takes some time. and it kind of is icky on a hot day - so if you spread out it wont feel as intensive and you can plan on at least a few cooler days then if its one hot july day.

and of course, not sure you'll end up being cheaper with the dreaded feed ratios -- but the chicken suppers you will have... ahhh delish!

good luck!

 

[jaku]

Yup, 8 lbs dressed isn't uncommon for Cornish X's. I have gotten up to 8 meals out of one of my birds!