I don't think the meat tastes much different, but it's firmer and of an OBVIOUSLY better quality. You can also serve about 7-8 meals from a SINGLE bird. It's a big pain, and not really cost-beneficial, but I'll absolutely never go back to store chicken, and neither will you when it's done. The satistfaction of making your own food and knowing exactly what's in it makes it worth the work.
A couple of hints- get a BIG waterer and feeder. I use a six gallon waterer, and I only have to fill it every other day. I think I have a 3 foot trough style feeder, and I fill it in the morning, and again when I get home from work. You can also use a section of rain gutter (available at a fraction of the cost of a purchased feeder,) and make it as big as you'd like.
I can't IMAGINE keeping them in a coop. I have a 6x10 tractor for 25 Cornish X's. I move it every day- Twice a day when I can. The grass will come back greener than ever. All summer there were green patches around my yard from my spring batch.
For me the smell isn't bad. In fact, I don't smell it at all unless I'm right next to the tractor. The secret, though is making sure to move it as much as you can. I was really worried about smell, as that was the main factor in my wife not wanting me to get chickens. Now she's completely on board.
Don't worry about space for the meat birds. It doesn't even compare to layers. As you know, all they do is sit around. Mine have 2.4 square ft. per bird and they're fine. For example, even if you let them out and gave them the run of your yard, you'd have to move your feeder around the yard to keep them from wearing a patch of bare dirt right next to it. In the cold, they huddle together anyway. They don't need much space. Again, move the tractor AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, and you won't smell anything.
A couple of hints- get a BIG waterer and feeder. I use a six gallon waterer, and I only have to fill it every other day. I think I have a 3 foot trough style feeder, and I fill it in the morning, and again when I get home from work. You can also use a section of rain gutter (available at a fraction of the cost of a purchased feeder,) and make it as big as you'd like.
I can't IMAGINE keeping them in a coop. I have a 6x10 tractor for 25 Cornish X's. I move it every day- Twice a day when I can. The grass will come back greener than ever. All summer there were green patches around my yard from my spring batch.
For me the smell isn't bad. In fact, I don't smell it at all unless I'm right next to the tractor. The secret, though is making sure to move it as much as you can. I was really worried about smell, as that was the main factor in my wife not wanting me to get chickens. Now she's completely on board.
Don't worry about space for the meat birds. It doesn't even compare to layers. As you know, all they do is sit around. Mine have 2.4 square ft. per bird and they're fine. For example, even if you let them out and gave them the run of your yard, you'd have to move your feeder around the yard to keep them from wearing a patch of bare dirt right next to it. In the cold, they huddle together anyway. They don't need much space. Again, move the tractor AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, and you won't smell anything.
