How many meaties you going to raise this spring

[Mr.Grantly]

Quote:
I'm part of a growers group. Toghter we all sell 2-3 thousand birds. We do pasture poultry and they sell themselves. My wife and I are starting small our first year we did 170ish and we had to tell people no because we would have run out. We also get ours butchered at a goverment inspected facility. Someday I would like to cut up our own but for now with working a full time job this still lets us enjoy without being overrun with work. I just finished pasture poultry for profit. Its a little outdated but the basics are still there. I couldn't put the book down it was so well written. Start small and grow thats what everone told me and I belive it to be true. O and make sure you sell yours for a good price. We sold ours for over 8/kg the store price is around 7+ at any given time

Grant

 

[warmfuzzies]

I am hoping to do 50 this spring. We have 2 250-300lb deer, and if we could add a chicken a week or so in there, we would not have to buy any meat all year!!

Well, almost.

I have never done meaties before, but I have raised and butchered a lot of duel purpose birds. Maybe I should do 75 to account for deaths.... that would be a better idea I guess.

 

[theOEGBman]

I'm hoping to raise some quail instead of Cornish X. I just want a fun little project and I don't want more chickens.

 

[becky3086]

Well, I haven't done the cornish x before so I am thinking of just getting 10 from TSC this spring to try them, then there are several roos running around the yard that just have to go, more quail and possibly a duck or two. I would love to get some turkeys and chukar but don't know if I will or not.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Too many....

 

[honeydoll]

Quote:
I found the cornish X to be a wonderful first time meat bird for us. It sounds like this isn't going to be your first time raising meaties, so I don't mean to implythat, just saying they were very easy to raise and soooo good to eat. We butchered a 9lbs.'er at 12 wks! It was still tender and so good.

 

[Kim_NC]

First batch 75-100 for early Spring. Then a early Summer batch, and probably a Fall group as well.

 

[becky3086]

Quote:
I found the cornish X to be a wonderful first time meat bird for us. It sounds like this isn't going to be your first time raising meaties, so I don't mean to implythat, just saying they were very easy to raise and soooo good to eat. We butchered a 9lbs.'er at 12 wks! It was still tender and so good.

Yeah, I have been wanting to try them for a while but don't have a lot of space available so don't want to get too many to start with. If I like them and think I can manage it, I'll do more. Phil is not exactly a lot of help when it comes to processing, sigh, so if I am going to do it, I have to make sure I can handle it myself.

 

[Mr.Grantly]

Quote:
O come on Jeff out with it your the master here. We all need something to aspire to . I should add that my wife and I are going to try for under 9 % moratlity

Grant

 

[10ducks]

I'm going to do my first 25. Still haven't decided where I am getting mine. I'm leaning towards getting the slow roasters from McMurray, but they are pretty expensive. If I go with regular cornish crosses, I will probably drive a couple hours over to Town Line hatchery in Zeeland, MI.