I'm trying to figure out which is cheaper- broilers or my own hatches

[Bossroo]

If one person gets a yield of 3 pounds of meat in 18 weeks for a free range farm flock bird and second person gets a yield from a Cornish X of 3 pounds of meat in 6 weeks. What does the first person eat for the 12 weeks in between for his extra labor as he /she isn't getting paid in food for the extra work involved?

 

[kycrawler]

i eat chicken pork or beef out of the freezer takes 10 minutes a day to fill water pans and feeders 1x per week this pen are all cockerls i hatched and about 7-8 old hens and 1 lone bantam rooster pen had over 500 in it 4 weeks ago now there are closer to 100 as i have sold a bunch the rest i am going to grow out for the freezer

 

[Buster52]

I'm heading in the same direction you are, warmfuzzies, although for possibly different reasons. The goal (as in something to aspire to) of our little operation is self-sufficiency. That is less about rejecting outside influences or saving money as it is about lessening our carbon footprint on the planet. Sustainability (environmental and otherwise) is our long term goal. The less we import into our micro-system (this includes birds and feed), the more self-sufficient and self-sustaining our project will be.

Example:
We use Jon Jeavons' biointensive approach to gardening. In this system, it is considered a negative to import even seeds or compost, as those items would require outside influences in order to maintain them. Plus, if we import topsoil or compost from somewhere else, that is stealing resources from the land or area where that is found or developed, not to mention the fuel or packaging to get it here. You instead save your own seeds and raise your own compost crops and build your own compost.

So, we will be finding a good meat bird, to be kept as a separate flock from our table egg hens, just for the purpose of producing our meat birds. Our goal is also to feed them only feeds we can grow on our little place, at least what feed they need aside from free ranging.

This may not be attainable, but it is the goal. Short of that, we will get our birds and feed and compost and what have you as locally as possible, supporting our local economy (and fellow BYCers) which still lessens our environmental impact.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
I would guess if one eats a certain number of birds per year, then one can raise that number over a certain period (possible over two periods) and freeze them. Then 6 weeks versus 18 weeks is an irrelevant interval, since next year you already have enough birds to get you through either period.

In theory, anyway.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Quote:
You have exacly described my goals! I am only considered the broilers to fill our freezer now, we would continue to raise and butcher our duel purpose birds too.

Where can I find more about Jon Jeavens methods? I would really like to get better (more food in less room, etc. ) at my gardening. Thanks!

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
I found it in this book . This is my first year using his system, but I'm really enjoying it. In some ways it is like Square Food Gardening, only a lot more advanced, a little more work, and a whole heck of a lot less expensive.

Ecology Action is the organization founded on these principles. They do a lot of good work in third world countries.

I only brought it up because we are extending the same philosophy of self-sustainable systems to our meat raising endeavors, including chickens and turkeys. But since we plan to raise the feed our birds eat, we will be using this gardening system to do it, so in a way it is connected.