Wow what an Experience I am glad that I did this so I know what it takes to raise your own meat chickens. But let me state that this most likely will be my last time doing so at least for the near future.
7 weeks ago I purchased 25 day old Cornish X chickens. I started them in 2 brooders both of them are 3 feet by 5 feet. Man do they stink over the course of the next 3 weeks until they went outside in the tractor I watered them twice a day and feed them twice a day as well as change out the bedding daily. I lost 1 chicken at 5 days.
Then after 3 weeks I brought them outside (24 of them) but due to our colder than normal spring I had a heat lamp in there. The tractor I had them in was 5X10 feet moved daily and towards the end moved them in the morning and in the late afternoon. Again like inside I watered them twice a day and only gave them feed in the morning.
I processed 3 at 5 weeks old all 3 was over 4 pounds. I also lost another one most likely due to being trampled.
So this past weekend at 7 weeks old I processed them a little early due to us taking a mini vacation and going to be gone for 5 days. So 8:30 in the morning Sunday I started processing the remaining 19 birds. This took 6 hours to do so as I tweaked my back and had to take breaks. The birds at 7 weeks ranged in size from 6 pounds 4 ounces to 9 pounds 7 ounces all after processing. I am happy with the fact that I put in the fridge 128.25 pounds of chickens.
Now I know I made mistakes along the way that costed extra money and I wasted some stuff.
But my breakdown goes as follows
142.00 pounds of chickens
Expenses
Feed $150.00
Ice $45.00
Hay $20.00
Freezer bags $30.00
Total $245.00
One time expenses
Tractor $150.00
Brooder $75.00
Lamps $40.00
Feeders and waterers $100.00
Turkey Fryer $65.00
Total $430.00
Total Spent for project $675.00
Note I was able to cut some of the building cost down on fee items I got from work.
So my 142 pounds of chicken cost me around $4.75 per pound for the chicken with the total cost, but if you take out the onetime expenses it breaks down to $1.73 per pound which here in CT is very cheap. Never mind the time it took each day and the fact it had to happen even in nasty weather. WE love the taste of it so the cost is not the issue and I think with the proper equipment mainly a chicken plucker the processing would go by faster.
Over all I am happy with what I have, and I have nothing bad to say about raising them other than the fact that I am just not that committed to doing this again. Maybe down the road when I have allot more free time.
Either way here are some pics
7 weeks ago I purchased 25 day old Cornish X chickens. I started them in 2 brooders both of them are 3 feet by 5 feet. Man do they stink over the course of the next 3 weeks until they went outside in the tractor I watered them twice a day and feed them twice a day as well as change out the bedding daily. I lost 1 chicken at 5 days.
Then after 3 weeks I brought them outside (24 of them) but due to our colder than normal spring I had a heat lamp in there. The tractor I had them in was 5X10 feet moved daily and towards the end moved them in the morning and in the late afternoon. Again like inside I watered them twice a day and only gave them feed in the morning.
I processed 3 at 5 weeks old all 3 was over 4 pounds. I also lost another one most likely due to being trampled.
So this past weekend at 7 weeks old I processed them a little early due to us taking a mini vacation and going to be gone for 5 days. So 8:30 in the morning Sunday I started processing the remaining 19 birds. This took 6 hours to do so as I tweaked my back and had to take breaks. The birds at 7 weeks ranged in size from 6 pounds 4 ounces to 9 pounds 7 ounces all after processing. I am happy with the fact that I put in the fridge 128.25 pounds of chickens.
Now I know I made mistakes along the way that costed extra money and I wasted some stuff.
But my breakdown goes as follows
142.00 pounds of chickens
Expenses
Feed $150.00
Ice $45.00
Hay $20.00
Freezer bags $30.00
Total $245.00
One time expenses
Tractor $150.00
Brooder $75.00
Lamps $40.00
Feeders and waterers $100.00
Turkey Fryer $65.00
Total $430.00
Total Spent for project $675.00
Note I was able to cut some of the building cost down on fee items I got from work.
So my 142 pounds of chicken cost me around $4.75 per pound for the chicken with the total cost, but if you take out the onetime expenses it breaks down to $1.73 per pound which here in CT is very cheap. Never mind the time it took each day and the fact it had to happen even in nasty weather. WE love the taste of it so the cost is not the issue and I think with the proper equipment mainly a chicken plucker the processing would go by faster.
Over all I am happy with what I have, and I have nothing bad to say about raising them other than the fact that I am just not that committed to doing this again. Maybe down the road when I have allot more free time.
Either way here are some pics
