How much do you charge for your chicken meat?

[shepherd]

My neighbors want to buy some meat from me but I have no clue what to charge.

Im going to clean the birds my self and everything. If any of you have a clue on what to charge, then ill be greatfull. The birds are good sized too, they are 5-6 month old roosters.

I was thinking around the lines of $2.50 or $3.00 for one but im not sure.

 

[cluckcluck42]

I did 3.25 but depends on your area. Check out your local for sale websites and see what ppl are charging.

 

[eKo_birdies]

i charge 3.50/lb for pasture raised birds fed certified organic feed

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Per pound?? If you can get $3/pound for some six month old roos, go for it. I wouldn't think they would be worth much except to the person who raised them, but more power to you if you can sell them! You've gotta consider that selling roos of that age is going to leave people with a skinnier, tougher bird than the one they'd get at the store for .99/pound. Unless your birds are organic AND your customers are willing to PAY for organic, that may be a tough sell. I get $10/bird for 8 week old pasture raised Cornish X's that average around 6.5 pounds dressed.

EDIT: Oops- I see you said "$3.00 for one." In that case, sure, that's probably a fair price, but consider giving them away for free. Unless you have a TON to get rid of, what's $3 compared to having your neighbor owe you a favor? That's why I don't sell my eggs. I don't have enough birds to make any real money doing it, and I'd rather just give my friends free eggs, because they're going to remember that the next time I need something. Having help on just about any chore you could think of would be worth more than $3 in my book!

 

[Buster52]

A heritage breed of the age you are talking about is going to weigh less and taste much better than a store bought bird, and it cost you a lot more more to raise out than would a CX.

Around here, good heritage breed birds bring $4 to $4.50 a pound if they are young like yours, and that's in Oklahoma. Sure, there is less meat than on a CX, but that meat is better.

I would charge at least $3 to $3.50 a pound, if you even want to pay for the trouble of raising them. Otherwise, butcher it for your own freezer. Anything else and you are losing money. Unless you are just trying to be neighborly.

Soup birds are another story entirely.

 

[sonew123]

3.50$ a lb thats what My extras Cx's are going for and they are already sold-customers just waiting for processing

 

[shepherd]

ok thanks you guys you've helped me alot

 

[backyarder717]

I get $2.00/lb next summer $2.25

 

[Kassaundra]

Selling your processed chickens to neighbors sounds like a liability lawsuit waiting to happen to me. If someone gets sick for any reason after eating the meal (store bought salad contaminated w/ ecoli, or salmenilla etc..) your bird is going to be guilty as charged no matter if it was the issue or not. If God forbid that happened then there could be other issues that generates (no food handlers liscence or any other liscences needed etc.... ) I know the likelyhood is rare, but if it happens would be devastating. Seems to me to be a big risk for a couple of dollars.

 

[malignstar]

My neighbor wants to buy some off me too when I'm ready next year but I was thinking along your lines, Kassaundra, about the liability issue. I just told him to give me fruit off his trees for a few chickens and we're even.