Selling meat birds

[Justtrying]

This is my 2nd batch of CX. Out of the 1st batch, I have sold a few. I asked $10 per processed, cut, sealed and frozen bird. Myself, I think this is a bit cheap. Given that the chick and feed to age is $6, I feel that my care and processing are worth more than $4.
My birds are outside "ranging", as much as the little fatties will "range". I don't want to take advantage, I just want a fair price for my area, kansas.
Any help I can get in this area will be very appreciated.
TYIA

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

They should easily sell for $15-20 each. Or $3-4/lb. It's a great price to know where your bird came from and how it was treated every day. I see people advertising on Craigslist farm and garden section all the time.

Good luck.

 

[Justtrying]

Eggsighted4life,
Thank you for your input. That was the range I was thinking. I guess I was afraid that was too high.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Eggsighted4life,
Thank you for your input. That was the range I was thinking. I guess I was afraid that was too high.

For people who know the difference, that won't be too high at all.

For people who struggle to make ends meet... they should buy the precooked Costco chickens for $5. Did you know that Costco even takes food stamps, though probably not on cooked items.

Anyone who has EVER raised their own food... they understand the value of what they are paying for. It's unreal how cheap things at the super market are when you realize that land, months of time and other energy factors that go into growing it. Gives me a new appreciation for value.

Advertise early and get your stuff pre-sold if you can. You aren't taking advantage. Don't sell yourself short. Our time is more valuable than gold to me. Once it's gone, you can't get it back and you can't make more. That's it.

If your birds come out great, you will be sold out every time you offer them... NOT less than $15. Yes, it is hard for me to pay that too... but the difference is immense and it really comes across on the dinner table. It's an adjustment to spend that much, and has been a process for my family. My hubby still buys supermarket chicken for the huge potlucks they have at work. But MANY people are wrapping their mind around spending a little more to get humanely raised and butchered. And that trend will NOT be going away with all the information we have available these days... our kids are becoming more aware too.

Try not to burn yourself out. I know nobody is gonna get rich quick off of chicken. It truly is a labor of love!

Best wishes!

 

[Krazyquilts]

For people who know the difference, that won't be too high at all.

For people who struggle to make ends meet... they should buy the precooked Costco chickens for $5. Did you know that Costco even takes food stamps, though probably not on cooked items.

Anyone who has EVER raised their own food... they understand the value of what they are paying for. It's unreal how cheap things at the super market are when you realize that land, months of time and other energy factors that go into growing it. Gives me a new appreciation for value.

Advertise early and get your stuff pre-sold if you can. You aren't taking advantage. Don't sell yourself short. Our time is more valuable than gold to me. Once it's gone, you can't get it back and you can't make more. That's it.

If your birds come out great, you will be sold out every time you offer them... NOT less than $15. Yes, it is hard for me to pay that too... but the difference is immense and it really comes across on the dinner table. It's an adjustment to spend that much, and has been a process for my family. My hubby still buys supermarket chicken for the huge potlucks they have at work. But MANY people are wrapping their mind around spending a little more to get humanely raised and butchered. And that trend will NOT be going away with all the information we have available these days... our kids are becoming more aware too.

Try not to burn yourself out. I know nobody is gonna get rich quick off of chicken. It truly is a labor of love!

Best wishes!

Part of why I want to hatch out my own chicks is to have a steady source of farm-raised chicken for the freezer. We've been trying to eat less factory-farmed meat for several years but $30-40 for a chicken from the farmers market is hard to justify, even though the taste is amazing! Store bought chicken is just gross once you've had real chicken.

Though the cockerels we butcher probably cost us way more than $30 each by the time you factor in the cost of feed, housing, fencing, etc. But they do provide soil enrichment and vast hours of entertainment too, so I guess there's that? ;-)

Anyway, to the OP: you should be charging a MINIMUM of $15 per processed bird. Minimum. I charge $8-10 just for live cockerels.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Anyway, to the OP: you should be charging a MINIMUM of $15 per processed bird. Minimum. I charge $8-10 just for live cockerels.

Yes, I won't sell a live cockerel for less than $2.50 per month of age. People always want me to throw in the rooster for free. Well, they don't live in my pasture or hatch for free and cost me just as much as my pullets to raise. Maybe for some people who don't eat their birds and just need to find a good home with the insurance it won't be eaten, that is a good choice. It cost $15 to take a LIVE rooster of my dinner table, minimum... when I have a truly good older rooster that has proven himself in the flock and family they will be offered to another home before the dinner table. Processing is hard work, those aren't offered at all. I found someone willing to do it for me and so I pay $5/ bird to get fully processed. He picked them up yesterday and will drop them off today.

$40 for a chicken dinner is WAY beyond my reach (maybe those are organic). Paying $20 my first time was hard.

If I count housing, fencing, dishes and all that stuff... each egg cost me at least $10.. never mind how much the chickens run. But yes, I count that I don't have to go to the gym or therapy and the countless hours of entertainment into my budget factor.

Hope you will let us know how it goes.

 

[RUNuts]

WOW! $10/bird processed. I'd like to place a large order!!!

I'm paying $4/lb for a 4.5lb carcass. Figure $20 a bird. Or the commercial pastured poultry raiser gets $6/lb. And he is usually sold out. He sells to a bunch of fancy pants restaurants in the big city. SOLD OUT!

Yes, you are too cheap. But you are building a customer base. That is valuable. Preordering is a great idea. Have some of the money up front so you don't get too deep. Have a clause in case of disease, natural disasters, or other catastrophes. Business is hard. Good luck!

Search John Sucovich on utube. Good stuff!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

For people who know the difference, that won't be too high at all.

For people who struggle to make ends meet... they should buy the precooked Costco chickens for $5. Did you know that Costco even takes food stamps, though probably not on cooked items.

Anyone who has EVER raised their own food... they understand the value of what they are paying for. It's unreal how cheap things at the super market are when you realize that land, months of time and other energy factors that go into growing it. Gives me a new appreciation for value.

Advertise early and get your stuff pre-sold if you can. You aren't taking advantage. Don't sell yourself short. Our time is more valuable than gold to me. Once it's gone, you can't get it back and you can't make more. That's it.

If your birds come out great, you will be sold out every time you offer them... NOT less than $15. Yes, it is hard for me to pay that too... but the difference is immense and it really comes across on the dinner table. It's an adjustment to spend that much, and has been a process for my family. My hubby still buys supermarket chicken for the huge potlucks they have at work. But MANY people are wrapping their mind around spending a little more to get humanely raised and butchered. And that trend will NOT be going away with all the information we have available these days... our kids are becoming more aware too.

Try not to burn yourself out. I know nobody is gonna get rich quick off of chicken. It truly is a labor of love!

Best wishes!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Yes, I won't sell a live cockerel for less than $2.50 per month of age. People always want me to throw in the rooster for free. Well, they don't live in my pasture or hatch for free and cost me just as much as my pullets to raise. Maybe for some people who don't eat their birds and just need to find a good home with the insurance it won't be eaten, that is a good choice. It cost $15 to take a LIVE rooster of my dinner table, minimum... when I have a truly good older rooster that has proven himself in the flock and family they will be offered to another home before the dinner table. Processing is hard work, those aren't offered at all. I found someone willing to do it for me and so I pay $5/ bird to get fully processed. He picked them up yesterday and will drop them off today.

$40 for a chicken dinner is WAY beyond my reach (maybe those are organic). Paying $20 my first time was hard.

If I count housing, fencing, dishes and all that stuff... each egg cost me at least $10.. never mind how much the chickens run. But yes, I count that I don't have to go to the gym or therapy and the countless hours of entertainment into my budget factor.

Hope you will let us know how it goes.

We are currently getting $20 per roo in the 5 to 8 m/o range. Like you said, people who know the difference are the buyers. The Walmart shoppers who tell me I'm too expensive don't understand the difference between night and day. A gross misconception of a chicken is just a chicken.. Same with our swine. A pig is not just a pig. Diet and breed and no chemicals or hormones.. NOT trash fed= high quality product. To receive a high quality product, you must pay extra, since extra costs went into it from the ground up.
Small farmers don't get rich, but eat very well.

 

[Justtrying]

For people who know the difference, that won't be too high at all.

For people who struggle to make ends meet... they should buy the precooked Costco chickens for $5. Did you know that Costco even takes food stamps, though probably not on cooked items.

Anyone who has EVER raised their own food... they understand the value of what they are paying for. It's unreal how cheap things at the super market are when you realize that land, months of time and other energy factors that go into growing it. Gives me a new appreciation for value.

Advertise early and get your stuff pre-sold if you can. You aren't taking advantage. Don't sell yourself short. Our time is more valuable than gold to me. Once it's gone, you can't get it back and you can't make more. That's it.

If your birds come out great, you will be sold out every time you offer them... NOT less than $15. Yes, it is hard for me to pay that too... but the difference is immense and it really comes across on the dinner table. It's an adjustment to spend that much, and has been a process for my family. My hubby still buys supermarket chicken for the huge potlucks they have at work. But MANY people are wrapping their mind around spending a little more to get humanely raised and butchered. And that trend will NOT be going away with all the information we have available these days... our kids are becoming more aware too.

Try not to burn yourself out. I know nobody is gonna get rich quick off of chicken. It truly is a labor of love!

Best wishes!

Thank you.
I have to say, I love my chickens!!!
I have layers, (my ladies), as well as a separate coop with 6 ladies and a big oh beautiful Delaware rooster. So far, I've incubated and hatched almost 100 birds. I added some to my ladies and some to the freezer...
I take great pride in all that I've learned since moving to the farm, and most of that has been from reading BYC!!!
I've read and learned ssoooo much over the last two years..
Now, to figure how I can get one of my ladies to hatch the eggs on her own!! Also, the room to do so.
If, no one wants to pay for the meat, I won't be too heartbroken, I'll keep em for myself, I love fried chicken!!
Thank you again.