How many chickens would you need to keep to supply all the meat and eggs your family eats?

[Shadrach]

This I'm guessing is based on very small chickens, or bantams?

My numbers say 140 grams of chicken protein comes from roughly 500 grams of actual chicken meat, or about one (1) pound ...

Here in the USA ... a one pound dressed chicken carcass is kinda puny ... 4-5 pounds is more like it ...

It's not based on bantams but I suppose that would be the nearest breed common in the US.
Chickens here, particular those that free range tend to lay fewer eggs and carry less bodyweight than the common American breeds so bantams might make a good comparison.

 

[Shadrach]

This, yes. I'm fascinated in how the genetics pan out. I have this young cockerel at the moment who wiggled his way right out of the crockpot. It's as if he heard me say "He's built too narrow" and knew he wasn't making it to the breeding pen. He's an F2 Olive Egger, so he'd only have value if he was born a female or if he was a well built bird. He might fill out a little bit but his legs aren't going to get any farther apart for that width of body.

He makes up for it in personality. It wasn't nurture that did it, I'm hands off with the boys when they're chicks, so that they don't get over-familiar when they get older. The girls too, I let chickens come to me on their own. Some do. Most don't.

Anyways. This cockerel got snatched up out of a grow out pen and tossed in the with cockerels/turkey grow outs once he started taking out his hormones on a pullet too roughly/too early at 3.5 months old. He needed his reality check. That was the first time I held him and talked to him.

After that, he's been acting like we're friends. Now at about 4.5 months old he comes when called with "Rooster, where are you?" and he comes chattering up to my feet. He flies onto my arm on command. He flies onto things I motion at with my hand. He helps put the Turkeys to bed, then acts like I'm supposed to go in too. He acts like I'm flock. Today he did it for my husband too. So now... I guess there's a pet rooster in the making. A mascot of sorts. We'll see.

I've grown out and eaten about 55 cockerels this year. This one found a way to be special. There are 4 other cockerels who made it through, on merit for how well they "chicken" and how well they reflect their variety. A cull bird found a way to humanize himself, likely unbeknownst to him, so now here he sits, on my lap. As chatty as he could be.

View attachment 1963624

Honestly, it's ridiculous. Reprieve granted. Good thing he wasn't born a CornishX?

Were those 55 cockerels just to feed you?

 

[Shadrach]

I'm confused. Grams of protein or meat? Because 140 grams of meat is only one chicken breast as bought at the store. (approximately) Admittedly home grown birds from lets say excess males from a layer flock, aren't going to have as much meat on them. But, it's way more than 140 grams. Then again, I spotted a whole chicken at the grocery store last week that I could easily pick up and wrap my one hand around. Soo, maybe you're going off of store bought sizes for chickens. I wouldn't butcher larger breeds when they were only the size of my bantams.

Grams of protein. Here a single chicken breast for example will supply between 25 and 30 grams of protein.

 

[FortCluck]

1 cup chopped chicken has 43 grams of protein.

A sedentary man needs 56 grams a day

A sedentary woman needs 46 grams per day

 

[FortCluck]

1 lb of chicken has 123 grams of protein...

 

[Shadrach]

I don't give 3 shakes of a lambs tail about what you think your numbers show. There's a lot you aren't taking into consideration. If, according to your numbers, everyone ate chicken at the same rate in the US,
It would come out to about 26 chickens per person (man, woman, and child) per year. Some people don't eat chicken just cause they don't like the taste or chickens gross them out (they are very nasty animals). Then you have vagitarians. But you also have some that chicken breast (and only breast) is the only meat they eat.
Do you know what that means?
It doesn't mean jack shiite!

I can't help pointing out if "it doesn't mean jack shiite" then it is difficult to understand why you've decided to make an issue of it and bother to post at all.

The people that raise backyard flocks to eat aren't about "ending commercial chicken production". They just want to raise some meat that they know the birds lived good, are healthy, and are good for the human.

I think you'll find that there are lots of other reasons people raise backyard chickens. some people like chickens as pets and wouldn't consider eating them.

Like I said, there seems to be a lot you're not taking into consideration with your numbers. And really, who cares? I haven't bought store-bought chicken in years and years and years. So if I'm not feeding my family with the chickens I raise, just where the hell do you think I'm getting the chicken I feed my family with ?

There is indeed a lot I'm not taking into consideration. It's a point I've kind of acknowledged with the thread title and reiterated in other posts.

So if I'm not feeding my family with the chickens I raise, just where the hell do you think I'm getting the chicken I feed my family with ?

Perhaps you are overlooking the point you made earlier about people in reality not just eating chickens.
I think what you are trying to say is the chickens you raise supply some of your families nutrition.

 

[igorsMistress]

I think it gets overlooked that for the majority of people raising their own food just isn't a viable proposition. I don't know what the proportion of city/suburban dwellers is in the USA but between lack of space and regulation I would think it's a fairly small proportion that could get anywhere near to self sufficiency.
I agree, that millions would make a difference but my belief is it's pressure from the consumers rather than a minority who raise a few chickens that could improve the conditions in commercial egg and meat production.
The most obvious answer is to not buy the products. Once again I don't know what criteria is used when chickens are described by the suppliers as free range. In Europe when you look at the regulations that allow suppliers to advertise their products as free range and all the other variations the reality is pretty shocking.
https://www.chickencheck.in/faq/free-range-chicken/

we'll have to agree to disagree. I don't agree with your parameters as a likelihood. Have a good day Shad.

 

[aart]

You made me snort. I'm totally taking this as you being funny. But that is an actual serious point you made here.

Nope, was seriously asking Shad...and he replied in kind.

 

[EggWalrus]

I can't help pointing out if "it doesn't mean jack shiite" then it is difficult to understand why you've decided to make an issue of it and bother to post at all.


I think you'll find that there are lots of other reasons people raise backyard chickens. some people like chickens as pets and wouldn't consider eating them.



There is indeed a lot I'm not taking into consideration. It's a point I've kind of acknowledged with the thread title and reiterated in other posts.


Perhaps you are overlooking the point you made earlier about people in reality not just eating chickens.
I think what you are trying to say is the chickens you raise supply some of your families nutrition.

I'm over it.
I'm outta here.

 

[FortCluck]

I was wrong.

You are an idiot. And you're mainly just a Troll.
I'm outta here.

You could have just been out of here without insulting someone... If you have nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all!

I'm tired of seeing people insulting each other and thinking that this is okay, It isn't.

Everyone is entitled to sharing what they want to share, but we don't need to insult people for sharing their point of view or their opinion.