If you raise meat chickens and turkeys to sell, what do you charge?

[snewman]

I know there are some laws and whatnot about selling processed chicken without being USDA inspected and such. Let's forget about that for now and suppose I wanted to raise enough chickens to sell a few to friends and aquaintances. What is a reasonable price to charge? I know I can't compete with the grocery store sales ($.69/lb sometimes), so this would just be for people who were interested in farm raised birds.

Also, same question for turkeys...(can't compete with $.39/lb at holiday time, that's for sure!).

 

[4-H chicken mom]

When my DD raised meat birds for the fair, the extras she sold for $10 a bird butchered. The birds weighed around 9 lbs. People were happy to pay that price for a fresh chicken. In fact, some of her buyers even put in orders for the next year how many they were going to want. She would usually get around 25 birds, take the best two to the fair and sell the rest. She put the money away for college.

Oh and forgot to add a friend of hers raised turkeys for Thanksgiving. Her buyers were all to happy to pay $50 for a fresh 20-25lb bird. Fresh is some much better than store bought. You never know how long those birds have been frozen.

 

[CARS]

Cornish X's usually sell for $1.00 a pound. I sell whole only.

Turkeys on the other hand.... I have to just add up all my expenses (feed, processing, initial purchase price) find the total weight and divide it out.
I skipped Turkeys last year because the people that agreed to buy them from me didn't like paying $20-$30 a bird (guessing at a number) when they can get a Butterball for $.69 a pound. It's nice to raise your own Thanksgiving bird, but it isn't cheap

 

[CTChickenMom]

I'd like to know this too. I'd like to get into processing myself as there isn't really anyone near me who does it (that I know of).

 

[CARS]

Quote:
Processing yourself is a great way to increase your profits, but it is no fun doing it by yourself. Try to get together with others. It makes the work almost fun!

 

[LizFM]

This place gets $47 each, apparently!
http://www.heritagefoodsusa.com/index.html

I have 2 questions...how many do they sell, and who do they sell to??

(more power to any place that can make a profit farming)

 

[TimG]

Quote:
That's some crazy stuff. From the chicken page of the catalog:

The 150-year-old Plymouth Rock, or the king of
meat production, is the ultimate broiler chicken;
it is also a member of the American Poultry’s
Standards of Perfection.​

 

[anthonyjames]

This is my first year for meat and turkeys. I took orders ahead of time.

I already sold Cornish X 40 of them for $3.25 lb processed or live and same for the 40 Red Broilers. I ordered 50 of each and I am keeping 10 of each for my family. If all goes well I will raise another 50 of each before the end of year.

For the Turkeys I have ordered BR (20) of them. I already sold the 18 I had alloted for $4.50 lb processed or live. 2 I am keeping for my family. I may get a batch earlier then July to see if I can sell them as well.

 

[CTChickenMom]

Quote:
That sounds reasonable. How big are your turkeys? Do you know how many birds you can process before needing special permits?

 

[CARS]

Quote:
When I was raising turkeys I averaged 22 lbs a bird. At your price per pound.... $99.00

This is why I am having a hard time finding buyers. You just can't compete with Tyson's $.69 a pound

I know there is a market, it's the sticker shock that breaks the deal.