Photo blog on how to process :)

[GiddyMoon]

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I agree..I mean I want healthier meat..but heck, I can get organic boneless for $4 per lb! LOL

There has got to be other ways besides relying on this crazy feed industry.

 

[Bossroo]

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This was really awesome, thank you...


I just posted asking people to help me convince the guys to do meat birds..but the issue is..it is no where near the cost of going to the store. Rising costs = water and feed prices. While I get the desire to raise our own so we know what is in it...when I buy chicken for 99¢ a lb which means I am buying a whole chicken for under $5 usually, the cost to buy the birds, feed them, water them, etc...is almost $10 per bird..or am I missing something?

From what I can find..small quantity of meat birds in the 2 dozen range is $2 per bird plus shipping...I know Meyers charges $20 = $70, you said 200lb of feed x 2 = 400lb = 80 bags of feed at basically $20 each = $160, plus the additional water..let's be cautious and say $25 in water..so now we have $160 plus $70 plus $25 = $255 for 25 birds..over $10 per bird

I am open there are options to feeding meat birds more economical feed..ESPECIALLY since all the feeds here that aren't over $1 per lb, have soy and are not organic anyway.

Yes, and that is only the cost of chicks, feed, and water... then there is the labor , housing, prorated power /fuel, equipment, property taxes and insurance , vaccines and / or medications, death losses, etc. that most people don't figure into the equation. In today's economy, anyone who raises organic heritage chickens and expect it to cost less than $4 per pound is living a pipe dream.

 

[booker81]

Well, for my raising, I paid $1.95 a chick so $23.40.

Feed was $13.49 + tax for 50lbs, so $57.20.

Fencing for the pen and the supplies for the brooder we had from raising the layers last year.

Water is free but for the cost of the well pump. Had a lamp on them for a bit. I didn't see much in the way of a raise in electric, but let's overestimate and say $20 a month for two months, though it wasn't that much.

No medications, no loss. All the supplies I used to process, I have here - a pot and my scalpel (which I purchased for $7 (handle), and $15(blades), years ago, and I have a few years of blades left....and I use them for other things).

For time, I'd be doing something around the house anyway for home food making - working in the garden or something else that doesn't make money, but feeds my need to be self sufficient and productive.

The average weight is 5lbs.

So total was $120. Total weight was 60lbs. So $2/lb. I saw chicken at the store for $0.99 to $3 per pound, but then you have to figure in the 5-10% added weight and sodium, so an extra $0.10 to $0.30 a pound for stuff you probably don't want

In reality, I don't do it to save a ton of money. I grow my own and hunt and fish because I like to know how my food is handled, and if home growing, what it's being fed and how it's treated while it's alive. I also like having the ability to *make* food - I have the skills to feed my family without depending on a store or anyone else.

Plus, at gas at $4.20 a gallon, in a vehicle that gets 17mpg, I'm not saving a ton when I have to drive 15 miles one way to the store that has the cheaper food

The organic chickens at the store were running $5/lb and didn't look near as nice as the ones I have in the freezer anyway.

I'm not raising meat chickens or even layers to get rich, I'm raising them to eat better and more humanely.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Good answer Booker..thank you..

 

[stormylady]

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Ditto on that!

 

[CowgirlJules]

I processed my first two meaties last night (I'd been doing dual-purpose roosters.) Instead of circling the vent with the knife like I'm used to doing with mammals, I tried your way. Much better! I didn't pop the intestines at all that way, and I usually make a bit of a mess.

The meaties are so much easier to pluck too, with no down feathers at all. The two Freedom Rangers I happened to grab dressed out at 5 pounds, 1 ounce for the pullet and 5 pounds, 12 ounces for the cockerel. I'm quite pleased with them.

 

[ChristyMarie82]

Wow! This is amazing! Thank you for posting!! I was just searching to find out how to process my own chickens if I happen to get any roosters this go-round (and I'm sure I will). I was a bit leery of doing it myself, but I can do this. I'll be using this post when I do.

 

[chicken pickin]

Im so glad to come across this thread and your home processing blog is great. I am processing for the first time this weekend, just hubby and myself (maybe a few helping hands if people decide they can handle it). We have 26 CX to do and 2 BBWs and I am definitely going to use your blog as a guide to help us. We may need to do them over a few days time. But I hope it goes quick

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I just wanted to add in my possible price per lb because i dont think its that expensive to raise your own meat as others have mentioned. I have 26 cx they will be almost 7 weeks when we process
price per chick(straight run) 1.29x25chicks= 32.25 + 1 chick free
26 chicks 32.25
shipping 14.63
= 46.88

Broiler Booster 9.99 free shipping

6 50lbs of broiler feed = 105.84

total cost = 162.71

if the average weight is 5lbs
that is 5lbsx26= 130lbs of meat

That would average out to roughly 1.28 per lb

I didnt add in cost of shavings for the 1st 2weeks as the bags were shared with other poultry
I have well water
heat lamp I did not add in
cost of knives and freezer bags
the actual freezer
or the $20 spent to build the tractor
as I see most of these things as a start up cost that will be reused again and again.

I do this for the pleasure of raising the animals I enjoy watching them and tending to them daily and I love to teach my kids. So for me the cost is the chicks, the feed and my time.

 

[bird dirt 40206]

Yes, thank you very much for sharing your blog. i just culled a roo for the first time and used your blog as the #1 source for guidance. The only thing I had to look up that I didn't see is the approximate time the bird needs to hang while draining (other source said approximately 4 or 5 minutes). As far as I could tell, everything went fine, took me a little while since it was my first time and did it by myself, but as long as it cooks good, eats good and no one gets sick, I'll be happy.
Thanks again, very helpful.

 

[chicken pickin]

I did my first processing this past sun and I had my laptop by my side to follow yours steps. It was extremely helpful in doing our first processing. I wanted to thank you again. You got us through our first 26 birds.