Let's Talk Numbers?

i have noticed that where the chickens wer last year--the grass is actually green, compared to the brown of the rest of the yard. that chicken poo is a GREAT fertilizer!!

That's funny as when we move the tractors over the fields in the spring time, the manure is spread in squares... and you will know when you miss a spot as there will be bright green pasture where the birds were.... It looks bizzare, and it's crazy how healthy pasture absorbs the manure so fast.​
 
I saw a plucker, on Youtube, so if I had that I'd do chickens all the time. A dear friend has a habit of getting roos' in the fall on special. each friday he kills 2 or 3 young ones. His cost for the chicks is .25 each. He allways finds 3 or 5 hens in the batch.

Then he gives them lots of space. I think he has 2 pens so that one pen is regrowing as the birds are in the other. When you think about the fun in production, and the time with others put to a common goal rather than wasted at the mall it pays for more... I also think on the time I'M NOT at the store as saved time.
smile.png
 
Well, this is our first time to raise them. We are getting 30 (should come tomorrow or Friday). My plan is to raise those now, and do 30 more in the fall. We are planning to skin some, if not all, and I am going to bone out some of the breasts for our bnls, skinless breasts - from those we'll just save the leg quarters separately. The others we will keep as whole birds.

For me, it's not about saving money, but it IS about having the fresh chicken humanely raised and pastured. We are getting a silver barred meat bird that is supposed to free-range. We'll see.
 
We raised 25 CX's by starting them late last summer. Brooded them in cardboard melon box inside garage til 3 weeks. Moved them into a 10 X 12 tractor and butchered them at 9 wks 2 days. Total damages were $1.56 per chick, 27.5 lbs of feed or $7.04 in feed per chick, $3.30 to process each bird. OR $1.93 / lb of dress weight. It was still worth every penny even though I hope to greatly improve my bottom line this year. We're planning to raise another batch of 25 this year....maybe 2. Just our experience, take it for what its worth.

The $1.93 / lb of dressed weight is based on an average dressed weight of 6.19 lbs. It's amazing how much meat is actually on them.

Towards the end I was moving the tractor every other day, which was plenty. So 1/2 acre dedicated entirely to the pasturing should be plenty. My pasture is also a checker board of lush green grass where the tractor was. Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
We did 25 last spring and 50 last fall. calculated total cost to be about $2.00 /lb . we divided them between family and all agreed that the meat was delicious and more flavor than store bought - even tho they are the same breed of chicken.
we had some of them cut up, and some left whole. we took the backs and boiled them - then canned the broth with lots of back meat in it. Also canned some of the legs - 4 to a quart jar - and they are unbelievably easy to clean off the bone for tacos,etc or fry . Had the livers, gizzards for fishing bait-dog food ( none of us like the gizzards )

We will do 50 or 60 more this fall, as I really think that doing your own is a better and healthier value than store bought.
 
Quote:
No reason you'd have to do a big batch, though. Last summer/fall I raised up 10 CornishX (in a 4x6 indoor pen plus a 4x14 run) and processed them all myself, solo. It was really not very much work at all, except 3 mornings spent processing them (I didn't do them all at once). you could send them off to be processed though.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat
 
I too realize I can buy it cheaper in the store but I think mine taste so much better. The unbiased opinion comes from friends and neighbors who tell me how good my BBQ chicken is my annual 4th of July party. I don't do anything special to the bird, throw it on the grill when almost done lather on the BBQ sauce several time and cook until done. TASTY!!!
Two weeks before butcher I switch them to scratch grain and add a little extra cracked corn and they get to free range in the evening when I get home from work and eat grass and any other goody they can find and I am also convinced the exercise gives the meat a better texture (best way I can find to describe). I think grocery store chicken or KFC chicken is MUSHY.
 
Last edited:

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom