How much do you sell your processed birds for?

[winstonsgrrrl]

I just bought a farm-fresh turkey last night for the first time. I'm really excited to try it! Just wondering what the going rate is in your area, though. I have no idea if I got a "deal" or not. Either way, I'm happy to dig in!

 

[bigchickenman]

Most around here go for $35-$40 a pc.

 

[rarebreedeggs4u]

I've seen ads here for $5.00 per processed pound (20 lb. bird=$100.00). That is for free range Heritage birds. I may try some Broad Breasted Bronzes next year as holiday birds. If we can find a close enough USDA processing facility, I think it would be a great deal. Of course we'll be breeding our Bourbon Reds and Harvest Golds for us and to sell as breeding birds.

 

[mamanaturale]

$100? wow! around here they are $3-3.50 per pound processed weight. so i paid around $60 for my bird. we will be raising our own for next year.

 

[wombat]

I paid $1.89 / lb. here, but Maryland is rather full of poultry and fresh birds are easy to come by.

 

[chickenannie]

Pricing makes a big difference based on:

1. Breed: Broad-Breasted Whites (cheaper) versus Heritage Breed Turkeys like Bourbon Reds
(much more expensive). BBWs are what 99% of turkey growers use because they fatten in 4-5 months. Heritage Birds fatten in 7-12 months (often twice as expensive because they eat twice as much feed). I've seen heritage birds from $4.50/lb to $8/lb.

I am SURE that no one who raised a heritage turkey is charging $1.89 a pound.

2. How was it raised? Antibiotic-free? Pastured, free-range? Organic? (For example, 99% of turkeys are fed antibiotics either from hatching or for their whole lives. Someone raising them antibiotic free is going to charge more because customers)
All of these will influence the price.

Farm-fresh is absolutely great, but you still want to know what you buying.

 

[the simple life]

We paid $2.50 per lb for the one I bought yesterday ( 27 lbs) but the one I reserved for Christmas is from a different farm and is $3.19 per lb.
I gladly pay this for a farm fresh turkey, I am so excited to cook up our turkey tomorrow.

 

[chickenannie]

The good thing about buying Farm Fresh is that the dollars go directly to the farmer. I think the national standard average, when farm products are sold through a store, is that the farmer gets only 17 cents of the dollar you spend. Gasp... Think about it!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! (I hope I'm not coming across as too crabby!).

 

[the simple life]

Not crabby at all, its a good point and its one that I point out pretty often myself.
I always prefer to buy directly from farms whenever I can.

I order all of my beef from a farm now, I have seen the operation and I know the cattle is well cared for and that they are truly grass fed.
I never trust the labels in the supermarket when they talk about grass fed, free range, pastured etc. but when you can go to a farm and see their turkeys, cattle etc. and how well they are cared for its a different story and I am happy to support them.
I raise my own egg layers and meat birds, have a large veggie garden, fruit trees etc. so between that and the local farms I am able to feed my family fresh, healthy, local food.

It bothers me when people say that I could get things cheaper at the market, its certainly not like farmers are getting rich.
I don't mind paying more money to support our local farmers and to help keep them in business, I hate when I hear about a farm going under its heart breaking and just a tragic loss to everyone.
We need more family farms.

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
thanks. Well said!!

When I pay the farmer directly, I feel like I'm ensuring that they'll be there to produce more food for me...kind of like insurance. And I usually am very happy with the taste and quality of what I buy off the farm.

When I buy at the grocery store, I am so often disappointed by the quality of the item (produce is tasteless and old); meats are bland and full of fatty globules; packaged foods have weird 'cardboardy' tastes or too much sugar taste.... it usually makes me feel like I've been ripped off.