How to use the whole animal (waste not want not)

[hennible]

If there's any bird that comes close to saving money (which none of them really do), it's the Cornish Cross. 


Properly raised cornish cross will get you 1 lb of meat per every 2.1 lbs of feed that they eat (overall, at about 10 weeks). Typical heritage birds are closer to 1lb meat to 5-10lbs of food. Even birds like Red Rangers are up over 3:1.

Cornish Cross eat "ALOT" because they grow ridiculously fast. Because of their fast growth rate, they don't waste a ton of food just maintaining themselves - a higher percentage of what they eat goes into growth, and meat. 

I suppose the only way to really have it save you money is to be very fastidious in your use of everything... Gardening with the manure etc.... But you really have to bust your butt for that, and enjoy earning a wage of good soil, great food and awesome meat and eggs... Lol
Man I can't wait for spring!

 

[CrazyTalk]

Why can't it always be spring?

I've got a lot of fruit trees on my property (and am continually adding more), and I've got other livestock, so I think the soil improvement, bug control, and entertainment are probably more valuable to me than the actual eggs and meat - it's pretty hard to even come close to breaking even if you're just talking eggs and meat - the economies of scale just aren't there. If you start adding in the $3/bag for manure, etc - who knows - maybe.

Still worth it even if there's no profit there.

 

[hennible]

Totally agree with all of that. A few bucks from eggs or my veggies is a bonus. I do it for enjoyment mainly.

 

[Beer can]

If there's any bird that comes close to saving money (which none of them really do), it's the Cornish Cross. 


Properly raised cornish cross will get you 1 lb of meat per every 2.1 lbs of feed that they eat (overall, at about 10 weeks). Typical heritage birds are closer to 1lb meat to 5-10lbs of food. Even birds like Red Rangers are up over 3:1.

Cornish Cross eat "ALOT" because they grow ridiculously fast. Because of their fast growth rate, they don't waste a ton of food just maintaining themselves - a higher percentage of what they eat goes into growth, and meat. 

That is true but I prefer the heritage breeds even if they do cost more and are tougher meat. I just can't raise a bird that looks like its dieing. I think they look gross. I'm going to start a flock of white jersey giants in the spring, and with the next yrs. hatch caponize all the roosters to see how capons do. I know they cost $ to get to butchering size with their slow growth, but I'll cut costs wherever I can. Free ranging, free cottage cheese from work, and the kids catch blue gills all summer, grind them up, cheap protien.

 

[Amberjem]

I suppose the only way to really have it save you money is to be very fastidious in your use of everything... Gardening with the manure etc.... But you really have to bust your butt for that, and enjoy earning a wage of good soil, great food and awesome meat and eggs... Lol
Man I can't wait for spring!

I know I am getting the spring time blues.. I want it here nowwwwwwwwww

 

[hennible]

Me too... I got birds to butcher and its just to cold to do the work... They would stiffen up because it's cold not because of rigormortis

 

[Amberjem]

Me too... I got birds to butcher and its just to cold to do the work... They would stiffen up because it's cold not because of rigormortis

ha didnt even think of that yeah guess that would make things harder...

 

[hennible]

Literally harder

 

[lazy gardener]

At least you wouldn't have flies and yellow jackets hampering your work. And, you could chill the meat very easily!

 

[hennible]

Very true.... Maybe it is a good time to butcher.