How Many???

[Lovemylilcluckers]

How many meat birds would you try to raise for a year's worth of meat?

I'm thinking of raising enough meat for 6 months at a time but trying to picture what that would actually look like. I know the number is based upon a lot of variables but curious what is a solid number? 1-2 chickens per week for a family of 2 currently (just to start)?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Sara Ranch]

When I cook a whole grocery store chicken, it makes 8-12 individual meals. I add pulled chicken to broth, to salads, to rice, to tacos, to pizza...so I make it stretch a bit. My serving size is about 2-4 oz. The chickens are free range, organic - so not huge at all

So for me, 2 chickens a month is fine for a family of 2, eating quite a bit of chicken. I probably eat way less than the average person when it comes to serving sizes.

The minimum order for chickens (mail order from hatcheries) is usually 25. I think 25 chickens would feed my family for a year, the way I do it.

If I used the chicken differently - like cut up the chicken into chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs, then a bird would be fewer meals. But cooked in the crockpot, one chicken is 8-12 meals.

If I have company, I know they eat way more in a meal than I usually do. So one chicken would be a meal. Think about restaurants. They sell 1/4 chicken and 1/2 chicken. Would that be enough for you for one meal?

 

[Parront]

I ordered 20 Cornish-X in the 80's. They got huge! The first ones were processed on time, 8 weeks old. The store chickens are about 4.5 to 5 pounds. These were 7 to 8 pounds. That was the first 15, the last 4 lived another month. I just could not process any more than 15 that hot day! The last 4 were about 10 pounds, dressed, only a month later. Those I roasted like turkey. They were very good, but they were almost unable to walk by that age, and I would not do that again. These filled my freezer for a good 6 months. 2 adults, 2 small children. We ate more chicken than usual, too!

 

[RUNuts]

You are right a personal choice. We go through phases. Get burned out and eat something else for a while.

We got 25 chicks mail order heritage and will be processing most in a bit. We bought 2 Red Rangers and the response was not good from the family. I am trying more chicken soup recipes. The rotisserie just made it too stringy for some of us with delicate palettes. Always wondered why campbells chicken soup was so tough. Old hens, so now I know.

After these are processed and consumed, I'll know how they are liked. So for you, try as small a batch as possible and see how everyone likes it before going large quantity. Out of our 25, we are keeping some for layers. Numbers vary by week. And it looks like I will be processing by myself.

Also, hunting season is coming, deer is liked by all and the freezer will be full (I hope!). Balance deer with pig and cow and chickens. Variety! If not full, I'll plan on more meat type chickens. Learning a lot on this site.

Best wishes and cheers!

 

[Sara Ranch]

Older birds are tougher, more stringy than younger birds. When I bought a bunch of hens from Polyface Farms 4 yrs ago (?) I bought the older ones. Cooked them in the crock pot. Nice and tender and fall of the bone.

One of the tricks is to cook meat low and slow.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Way too many variables. I suggest you get a fairly small number and try it. See what works for you.

I eat one chicken a week and raise dual purpose. I process both male and female. I get at least two meals out of a fairly small pullet plus a lunch or two from a larger bird. There are only two of us. I also get some great chicken broth and cooked meat from the parts of the carcass I don't put on the table. With visits to grandkids and other things that happen, I need to hatch about 40 to 45 chicks a year. I learned that number by trial and error.

One of my issues is that I also raise a garden and freeze a lot of stuff. I quickly run out of freezer room. Right now I need to make jelly and jam from fruits and berries I have stored in there, soup from stuff I have frozen for that, spaghetti sauce from all the tomatoes in there, and who knows what else before I have room to process those six cockerels that are fast approaching the right age. It's also pretty full of cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, black eyed peas, green peas, and greens. Some people pressure can their chicken but most freeze. How much room do you have?

You don't say if you are thinking of the Cornish X broilers, maybe the Rangers, or going with dual purpose. The broilers and rangers grow a lot faster but you pretty much need to butcher them when they are ready. With dual purpose you can butcher more when you are ready but you have to alter how you cook them because of age.

So try it and see how it works for you on a smaller scale so you can appreciate all that is involved before you over-commit yourself.

 

[Parront]

Way too many variables. I suggest you get a fairly small number and try it. See what works for you.

I eat one chicken a week and raise dual purpose. I process both male and female. I get at least two meals out of a fairly small pullet plus a lunch or two from a larger bird. There are only two of us. I also get some great chicken broth and cooked meat from the parts of the carcass I don't put on the table. With visits to grandkids and other things that happen, I need to hatch about 40 to 45 chicks a year. I learned that number by trial and error.

One of my issues is that I also raise a garden and freeze a lot of stuff. I quickly run out of freezer room. Right now I need to make jelly and jam from fruits and berries I have stored in there, soup from stuff I have frozen for that, spaghetti sauce from all the tomatoes in there, and who knows what else before I have room to process those six cockerels that are fast approaching the right age. It's also pretty full of cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, black eyed peas, green peas, and greens. Some people pressure can their chicken but most freeze. How much room do you have?

You don't say if you are thinking of the Cornish X broilers, maybe the Rangers, or going with dual purpose. The broilers and rangers grow a lot faster but you pretty much need to butcher them when they are ready. With dual purpose you can butcher more when you are ready but you have to alter how you cook them because of age.

So try it and see how it works for you on a smaller scale so you can appreciate all that is involved before you over-commit yourself.

I agree with Ridgerunner, my freezer was full and I had a big chest freezer. I also used an old refrigerator in the garage for the Cornish-x butcher day. It was a must! Husband had to deal with the beer getting evicted from the garage frig! Young Cornish-X were fine to roast, the Leghorns and Orpingtons had to go in the crock pot, they were much older, the young, annoying leghorn rooster was about 6 months. Crock pot chicken noodle, yum!