Raise just to feed your family, or sell also? Pros and cons??

[mommy9994]

again, I'm prolly going against the chicken raising grain here I have about 1/2 acre fenced. In this area, I have 2 coops (no runs, the birds run free over the 1/2 acre). Idealy, 1 is for the pullets, and 1 for the meat birds, but my meat birds didnt like thier coop they roosted in the door to the hen house, under the trees, generally, at bed time, we just had white "feather balls" everywhere LOL They were out of the brooder and on the ground by 2 weeks (they had a smaller shelter to go into to keep warm at night). Having a good size area to roam, the poo didn't smell bad at all--it dries out in the sun, and no biggie. I did try VERY briefly to keep them in a more confined area, and couldn't stand the stink!

As far as legals, I don't know how your state is, but in VA (where I am), my understanding is that you can process and sell up to 1000 birds a year without any USDA stuff.

ETA: I deffinately think I'll turn a better profit on my eggs. again though, I really just want to try to feed my family for free.

 

[UncleHoot]

I started with 10 meat chickens last year, and gave about 6 away. A couple people gave me a few bucks, even though I didn't ask for it. So, I planned on doing 20 for my next batch later that year.

After the new batch was already a couple weeks old, I started getting feedback from people. One person wanted 20 more, ASAP. Obviously, I couldn't meet their order, but I ended up selling them several. I hadn't taken the time to calculate feed costs or anything, so I sold them for a few dollars each, which MAY have covered the feed costs alone, but not processing and the costs of the chicks themselves. So, I just told them it was an "introductory special".

This year, I ordered 50, still not sure if I could get rid of them. Well, without hardly trying, I had about 45 sold before the chicks even arrived. I was planning on 9 week birds, but my processor had to bump me up a week (to 8 week birds). My costs work-out to around $10/chicken at 8 weeks.

I originally told my customers that they would be around $12 each, which should be a somewhere around $2/lb. Of course now the birds will be about a pound lighter than expected, but unfortunately, I can't cut the price by $2 without losing money (or barely breaking even). But even so, unless I start getting really large orders, I don't mind doing this as a service for friends and neighbors, as long as I'm not losing money. If I make $1/bird, I'd consider that plenty, but that's just my feeling...

 

[okiemommy]

Thanks for all of the input everyone. I still am undecided if this is something that we are able to do right now, but will take the advice into consideration. I really appreciate the viewpoints I received on the financial aspect of what this will take to make it happen if we choose to do it. Thank you!

 

[okiemommy]

I also wanted to add that it's great that you got extra orders! Breaking even is what I would ideally like to do. Thanks everyone!!!

 

[UncleHoot]

Quote:
Someone once mentioned (grefields?) that a reasonable goal is to sell enough that you can raise YOUR chickens for "free". e.g. Raise 100, sell 90 at a price that covers your total cost, and you get 10 for "free".

 

[greyfields]

Yeah, exactly. People pay me to eat my own chicken! How frickin' great is that?

I sell at $3.50/lb, but checking feed prices this last 6 months I'm not sure if I'll have to go higher. Considering your spend 8-10 weeks caring for the beats, and make very little money doing it, it's simply a labor of love. I love to eat chicken which doesn't come from industrial farms.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

I started out in late winter with 15 CX's that a neighbor couldn't keep. They were already 3 weeks old. I didn't know much and probably had them processed too soon but now am an almost pro at raising them. Received 26 new CX's

on Mother's Day, they are 4 1/2 weeks old and doing GREAT. I will wait until July 16th to have them processed...around 10 weeks of age.

I learned lots from this site. Had them vaccinated for Coccidia by MM, gave them vitamins in their water...no leg problems...and keep them in 3 (now) 4X3X6' high walk in parrot breeder pens in an air conditioned building with deep Aspen bedding and a bit of straw on top. They have a good life even though it will be short.

Gave a few in my freezer away to friends who wanted to buy more but they really are VERY expensive to raise correctly, a massive amount of work to keep clean (no comparison to raising egg layers) and $3. per to process them. You just have to love them and how good they taste. I will never eat another chicken liver from the grocery store!

 

[HillCountryMomma]

Hmm,

Well I was calculating feed today. I'm keeping a word file of costs for the Rangers to help me determine my final costs.

I have 43 Freedom Rangers that are 8 weeks old (I started with 50, got no extras in my order. Had 5 die in the first 24 hours, one die a week later and one that had to be culled because it had a neurological problem).

I am feeding 2x a day, almost free choice. They usually clean up everything from the morning feed before the evening feed which I think is good. I don't want a bunch of wasted feed as they root around in over-full feeders.

Thus far I've bought 440#s of chick starter (no broiler feed around here) @ just about $15 a 50# bag for non-medicated feed and 30#s of cracked corn @ $10 a 50# bag. Now, I have been feeding several other groups of chicks out of this, so not all this feed has gone to the Rangers so my numbers are a little off. They are getting the bulk of it though, by far. They eat SO much more than my layers!!

I am estimating that my cost per bird for feed right now is $3.63, and they still need another 2-3 weeks of feeding. Yikes. They were $1.13 each shipped, but since I only have 43 of the original 50 that raises the cost per bird to $1.31 each.

That's $4.94 per bird at almost 8 weeks old. Not counting water, or my time!! Yikes. It's not looking pretty right now when I add it all up. Of course, around here people are selling their naturally raised birds for $4 a lb.

My birds are free range and have been for a week or so. I haven't been feeding them less, but I haven't had to feed more either, and they are growing. I don't think you could really free range meat birds and get a big bird in a timely manner. They really seem to need the extra feed. I do free range my layers, so I have a good comparison. Meat birds are not, and do not grow, like layers!!

As Greyfields has said, this is a labor of love. I want healthy food for my family. I want to know where that food has come from. I want to know what was put in the animals. In that regaurd, I'm coming out way ahead! I'll keep telling myself that when I come to the bottom line on butcher day and tally up how much these eating machines have cost me!

I wish the cost of feed wasn't so darn high. We usually buy a naturally raised beef steer from a neighbor rancher but probably won't be able to this year. He isn't feeding anything up because feed is so high, and beef is so low. He wouldn't make anything, might not even break even. It really, really sucks. I'm buying a dairy bred heifer, but it's gonna be over a year before we get a calf from her and can raise our own beef.

Liz

 

[greyfields]

I'm growing my own grain this year, which I realize isn't an option for everyone. But, I'm hoping it will help reduce the feed cost. I plan to put down as much rye/oats of my own as they will eat; then ration the broiler feed to nomore than 25 lbs per day. We'll see how it goes and I hope it gives me a competitive edge.

I also found a processor closer to me. With mileage and gas, it was close to $7/bird to get processed. Now it's going to be closer to $5. An extra $2 over a batch of 50 birds makes a big difference.

 

[dangerouschicken]

No more Harringtons for you!