Now that you've filled the freezer, what did they cost?

[New adventure]

I'm wondering how much it costs to raise a batch of meaties? I want to get the colored rangers from JM and know that they would eat some "free" food, but just in general, what do you all think? Meat bird ration is my town is about $14 for 50#.

Thanks in advance for any input!

 

[saddina]

Well... Free, but I've got special accomidations*.

You're not likely to save $ over regular chicken in the store (even in CA I can find 99 cent sales), but if you're compairing to the "healthy" $4.00/lb chicken you save a bit. I *think* it's about $2.50 a lb here, but 50lb of feed is $20 here.

* My grandparents raise the meaties for all 3 familes at thier place, they buy the feed/chicks and we all process together. They're concerned about mass farmed food and thier grandsons' health.

 

[CARS]

"It is what it is"

I stopped calculating costs years ago. My birds were expensive

I raise them for fun and love knowing that I filled our freezer with hard work (not really that hard though until processing day).

You can cut about $2-$3 off your bottom line per bird if you process yourself. That seems to be the spendy part. Well, that and if you live in CA and pay $20.00 for 50#'s of feed

Wow! I never paid more than $9.99 for a bag of "Meat Maker".

 

[jaku]

Mine run between $6-7 per bird. If you get the feed ground for you at the mill instead of buying prebagged, you'll save quite a bit, although you have to buy it in bigger quantities- my mill needs 500 lb increments to grind.

 

[New adventure]

I'm not really concerned with saving money, just wondering about what I can expect to spend.
I'm just planning my strategy for getting meaties, since I can't force myself to buy grocery chickens anymore.
It's a bit early to decide, since we haven't even processed the extra roos yet, and don't know how that experience will affect us, but it's sounding a lot more possible to me lately. DH says he'll be fine, but I notice that he steers clear of the chickies lately. Doesn't want to be too well acquainted, I guess.

 

[kenman]

I don't save a lot of money by raising & processing my own. In fact, I think it would break even. However, I only pay $13-14 per hundred pounds of feed. It is a 16% protein starter/grower. It takes maybe a week or more extra time than those who feed the higher protein, but it does not cost $14 per 50 pound bag. I'll take an extra week or two for half the feed costs.

 

[beak]

Our birds all came out at 6-8 lbs each and cost about 7.00 each. I paid 2.25 ea for processing. We didn't give them as much feed as some of the people on here do. I just didn't realize they were supposed to have that much, but they turned out fine and are absolutely delicious.

 

[katkat92]

We did it all ourselves (processing). Butchered the cornish X at 7 weeks. Birds were large and meaty with TONS of white meat. They averaged about 6+ LBS each and we figure it to be about $4.00 cost per bird beginning to end. That included what we paid for the birds and the feed.

I thought it was well worth the effort. We got 2 meals out of each bird and then we boil the carcasses and make awesome stock which we freeze as well.

 

[roche477]

I have not raised any meaties as of yet. I raise dual purpose chickens...Delawares and Cuckoo Marans. I sell hatching eggs and chicks and slaughter the excess roos for meat. With what I sell, it pays for my feed costs every month plus other supplies I need, so I'm out $0 cost wise for anything.

 

[THunter]

My cost about $4.50 each including chick cost. They dressed out around 4 lbs each.