Quote:
When someone develops a chicken that put on 2 pounds live weight for every pound of feed, that person will get very rich!
If you figure in your fencing, waterers, feeders, labor, etc. expenses into the cost calculations of your first batch of meat birds, you will find that you have VERY expensive meat. If you also figure in the cost of a freezer to keep them, they'll be even more expensive.
From reading through this forum, I have found that there are people raising meat birds and selling them for $10-$12 each. They believe they make a profit (small though it may be) at those prices. These figures are generally for Cornish Crosses, your Freedom Rangers will eat a bit more and stay on the farm a bit longer. Whether you process yourself or pay someone else to process also factors in. And, if you process yourself, you might also consider whether you have to buy any special equipment for that.
Generally speaking, backyard farmers who raise their own meat birds are not doing it with the expectation of paying less than they would at the grocery store. They're actually paying a premium to raise their own meat.
When someone develops a chicken that put on 2 pounds live weight for every pound of feed, that person will get very rich!
If you figure in your fencing, waterers, feeders, labor, etc. expenses into the cost calculations of your first batch of meat birds, you will find that you have VERY expensive meat. If you also figure in the cost of a freezer to keep them, they'll be even more expensive.
From reading through this forum, I have found that there are people raising meat birds and selling them for $10-$12 each. They believe they make a profit (small though it may be) at those prices. These figures are generally for Cornish Crosses, your Freedom Rangers will eat a bit more and stay on the farm a bit longer. Whether you process yourself or pay someone else to process also factors in. And, if you process yourself, you might also consider whether you have to buy any special equipment for that.
Generally speaking, backyard farmers who raise their own meat birds are not doing it with the expectation of paying less than they would at the grocery store. They're actually paying a premium to raise their own meat.