How much feed start to finish for 100 CX

[bigredfeather]

That's very helpful. A bit over the Welp chart, but better to overestimate than under. Thanks.

How much do you sell yours for, if you don't mind my asking? And how do you package them? Poly bags or shrink bags?

I get the following this year:
whole - $3/pound
Boneless skinless breasts - $4.75
Leg Quarters - $3.25
Tenders - $5.50
Add $2/bird to cut-up into pieces, and put them all in one bag.
This is my third year at doing this, and I have increased my price dramtically since the first year. I established my pricing by adding together chick and feed costs, then double it for retail price. I bag the wholes in regular poly bags w/ twisty tie and we vacuum seal breasts and tenders. These are higher priced cuts as you can see, so going the extra mile on them seemed appropriate.

 

[ChickenJerk]

Just over 17 lbs for birds as hatched. Waste is not in this number. This is applies to a graduated nutrition program using complete rations.

No "treats", no bugs, no worms, no grass, no DE, no mealies, no scratch, no BOSS, no yogurt, no ACV (with or without mother) or anything else that would screw up or dilute the nutritional program.

And they ought to average about 8.75 lbs at this age, for that much feed.

 

[Buster52]

Just over 17 lbs for birds as hatched. Waste is not in this number. This is applies to a graduated nutrition program using complete rations.

No "treats", no bugs, no worms, no grass, no DE, no mealies, no scratch, no BOSS, no yogurt, no ACV (with or without mother) or anything else that would screw up or dilute the nutritional program.

And they ought to average about 8.75 lbs at this age, for that much feed.

What age is that?

 

[ChickenJerk]

56 DAYS/8 WEEKS

 

[Sundown_Farmer]

We will be doing the processing ourselves.

To get the setup we want, it will cost about $3,600+, and that is doing it on the cheap. Nothing fancy. Thus, the grant. I could go into debt on it, but we are trying to do this debt free.

What if you rented the equipment?

Though we are running Featherman equipment this year, I did a few thousand birds with a $400 whizbang plucker, a turkey fryer for a scalder and homemade cones. That's doing it on the cheap...nothing fancy. No debt.

 

[bigredfeather]

What if you rented the equipment?

Though we are running Featherman equipment this year, I did a few thousand birds with a $400 whizbang plucker, a turkey fryer for a scalder and homemade cones. That's doing it on the cheap...nothing fancy. No debt.

I use the exact same equipment. If you have stuff laying around for the Whizbang, it can be built cheaper than $400. I use a 20 gallon galvinized trash can and a stand burner. I made 6 cones out of some scrap aluminum I had, then mounted them at eye level on a stand made from 2"x4"s (3 on each side). I have a full size pattern for the cones somewhere, I'll try to find it. Six cones works great for me. I load the first three and cut them. Load the next three and cut. By that time, the first 3 go to the scalder and plucker. After plucking them, load the 3 empty cones and cut and so on and so forth. I'd guess I paid off my equipment after about 300 birds.

 

[Buster52]

56 DAYS/8 WEEKS

Wow. 8.75 processed weight at 8 weeks. What are you feeding them?

 

[ChickenJerk]

Wow. 8.75 processed weight at 8 weeks. What are you feeding them?

Should have clarified that- live weight! And typically after six hours off feed, average of the males and females.

 

[WinklerFarms]

Quote: No i don't have mine mixed. I use high protein hog mash called lean gain 95. I buy it in 50 pound bags from our local coop feed store. The price bounces around alot with the corn and soybean prices but for the last year it has averaged $17/cwt. This hog mash runs from 16 to 20% I tried it last year and was worried the lower protein might cause slower growth rates and more bad legs but that hasn't been the case. I am usually butchering fryers at around 6 weeks dressed out at 3 1/2 to 4 lbs. (this is what most people order) This keeps my total cost/lb under or around $1. If i actually figured it out I would bet I would come up with around 7lbs/bird. I am keeping better track of them this time around. They are 2 1/2 weeks old now and have eaten just over 50lbs total. Then next few weeks they will really be putting it away. Good luck!