Has anyone ever done the math...

[jaj121159]

Wouldn't some of this depend on the type of feed the birds consume? Typically, a meat bird like a Cornish X is going to receive the high protein diet of a meat bird food, which costs more. Most people growing DP birds as meat birds seem to have them in with their layers, so they eat more of a layer type diet after the first few weeks. This will have less protein and cost less. I would like to experiment next year by feeding a broiler regiment to DP roosters destined to be dinner while at the same time, feeding a regular DP diet to a portion of those birds to have some comparison weights at certain ages.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Just an educated guess, but if the internal processing of the bird's metabolism isn't genetically disposed to rapid fire growth, the super high protein feed wouldn't have all the great an effect nor as beneficial effect upon a growing, young DP roo. The protein would like just be excreted as excessive.

 

[Beekissed]

The protein would like just be excreted as excessive

As I'm sure a lot of it is with the CX....their food goes through them so quickly that no matter what is fed, it comes out in hot, yellow liquid.​

 

[homesteadapps]

This link displays how to do a simple variable cost analysis. Plug in the actual numbers for your area. If you want to add other things in feel free but this is shows how to compare the apples to apples when comparing Cornish X to Dual Purpose Breeds.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=442602

 

[johnsons-r-us]

Quote:
As I'm sure a lot of it is with the CX....their food goes through them so quickly that no matter what is fed, it comes out in hot, yellow liquid.

EWWWWWWW!

And I read through your posting on raising your cornishx birds. Very interesting. 20 would be too many for my space and time, but I didn't know you could get them at a TSC. I would be willing to get 5 or so and raise them up the way you did, with my flock. Interesting. I did notice you thought the poop was extra stinky compared to "normal" chicken poop, even on the same feed. Another bit of hesitation on my part to do this. Seems strange since they are on the same feed.

 

[johnsons-r-us]

Quote:
This could get kind of tricky. I would live in the same house whether or not we had chickens. So I don't consider it to be any extra cost. We didn't build a coop, came with the house. So did the barn, which we don't use yet. Maybe someday. We got our house kind of "accidentally" as the market crashed we kind of did someone a favor and wanted to be in the country. What hourly rate do you use for a persons time? I am an accountant. With my current small flock, they free range, I open the coop in the AM, close it in the PM, when they greet me as I get home I may or may not give them some attention/treats, I fill feed in the winter (none the other times of the year), fill water year round. Teaching my very eager kids to do this so soon it will be about a hour a month for my time.

So a few minutes a day for my time, when I get my WR's I will hatch out my own chicks, so no continued purchases like I would have for the cornishx. From what I've read, cornishx take a lot more time, more feed and more attention to cleanliness. Which means more money/time outlays.

I know everyone has different set-ups, so costs will vary, but even within that variation there are too many factors to put a price out there. I have no doubt that the way I am planning to raise my DP birds will be much more cost efficient than doing cx, especially considering the extra expense for me to do the cx.

 

[Beekissed]

Their increased metabolism doesn't allow for proper digestion to occur and their fecal matter still has fermentation going on...this smells more soured than does normal chook feces. We all have experienced that smell when we have had diarrhea for some reason or other....it has a strong, soured odor. This is the fermentation of contents that didn't get to the final stage of digestion in the intestines.

The meaties lose an amazing amount of fluids and electrolytes this way and it explains why they drink so very much water...it wouldn't be a bad idea to add something in their water to replace the electrolyte loss of this diarrhea. I use unpastuerized ACV for the vitamins, nutrients, and increased enzymes that aid in absorbing nutrients that are eaten.

I don't know that I've read anywhere about people considering this aspect when they raise CX and lose them to heat exhaustion, illness or organ failure. Plenty of fresh water is fine but adding electrolytes to that water can replace valuable sodium, potassium and calcium to their diet and prevent heart attacks, dehydration during hot weather and a weakened immune response to illness.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I've run the figures for Pekin ducks and unless I hatch and raise more than 25 ducklings, it is cheaper to buy my ducklings in the spring than it is to feed a trio of breeding stock all year round.

Since chicks cost about a third as much as ducklings, you'd have to hatch out even more chicks in order for it to be cheaper to hatch your own instead of buying from a hatchery.

Someone else will have to run the figures to see how many chickens you have to hatch in order for it to be cheaper to keep breeding chickens than to order them.

 

[johnsons-r-us]

Quote:
That may be true, however, I don't need to buy feed most of the year. The hens will give us eggs when we're not hatching. We can sell chicks or eggs to offset other costs. So for me I still think it's less money to keep the dp birds then to purchase cx chicks. And with cx there can be many more losses to compensate for. If I have a nest of 10 egg and only 8 hatch, I still have lost nothing.

 

[just2rosey]

Johnsons-r-us,
Your poultry keeping mirrors what we do. We free range our chickens all day, too. We do offer feed free choice, but most of the chickens don't eat that much of it. We are selling the extra eggs to off set the feed costs, and plan to hatch and sell chicks next spring to help balance the poultry budget as well. As I hatch out chicks to replenish my flock I plan to put the extra roos in the freezer. I do plan to invest in some larger dual purpose birds for my home egg and meat productions, I like that the dual purpose don't have the big nasty fat deposits I see in grocery store birds. If I am unhappy with the egg production of my DP flock, I may decide to keep a few hatchery leg horns or sex links for egg sales.