Someone tell me if this idea is even feasible.

[AgroUrica]

First off, to give you some background (and I'll leave the politics out of the discussion), this country barely functions sometimes. I recently bought an incubator with a 640 chicken egg capacity with the intention of producing my own broiler chicks. My logic is that as business becomes more and more difficult to complete, as I believe it will, at least I'll have the means to produce my own chicks for personal use and for resale via my feedstore.

I'm currently buying broiler chicks from a supplier about 45 minutes drive away. Everyone else in the area also buys from that area though many folks here do not have transportation and must pay a roundtrip fare to get their birds. And the supplier's supplier is unpredictable. Actually, all the suppliers seem to be unpredictable.

For instance, I put a deposit on the birds in December of last year with the promise they'd arrive in early January. I didn't get the call to pick them up until the 1st of February! There are constant production problems it seems and the devaluation of the local currency is also causing problems because so much of what's consumed here is imported.

Today I learn that the eggs that are incubated here to produce the broiler chicks are imported from either Brazil or Colombia, which, of course, further complicates matters. Now, there are commercial chicken producers in the area who raise 100,000 birds or more at a time, so I know there are a lot of fertile broiler eggs entering the country. The trick is to find someone who will sell me the few that I need on a recurring basis and also someone I can trust to not pass off substandard eggs.

I own my own cattle and free-range hog ranch here and have the means to build the facilities to house a few thousand adult broiler chickens if I so desire.

Would it be worth if for me to try to arrive at a point where I can produce my own supply of fertile broiler eggs.....say 500 - 600 per week? And I ask that not from the financial point of view (I can sell the chicks, of that I'm confident) I'm asking from the standpoint of being able to produce a quality product?

Since I had this idea in mind from the beginning of my chicken days here, I've done some research via the net. What concerns me is if I can arrive at the optimum genetic mix to produce fast-growing broiler chicks AND maintain that proper genetic mix.

Anyone here ever produce their own broiler chicks from their own adult birds?

 

[cassidy22]

I have not made my own broilers. If you are discussing the cornish rock cross version, the reason I have not is because it's not as simple as hatching an egg. Standard and heritage breeds of birds can mate naturally, and if you have a good rooster and some hens, you can hatch good offspring.

Broilers are a specific combination of other birds - I believe a Cornish rooster, and some Rock breed, I am not entirely sure of the parentage. You don't take broiler eggs and hatch them, they are a hybrid of other breeds. So you would need to maintain the other breeds, to cross breed to make a broiler.

So you would need to do your homework on the breeding requirements to make this hybrid. Cornish Rock X's can't breed naturally for 2 reasons - a) sometimes they don't live until mature age. They are raised for 8-10 weeks to be butchered, and often weigh so much their legs don't function well much after that, and sometimes die of heart attack, or malnutrition or dehydration from not being able to walk and b) their proportions are such that their parts don't actually mate while mating, just like double breasted turkeys, so you would have to artificially inseminate to get fertile eggs.

 

[MeatKing]

There was a thread on here a while back, of someone, trying to figure out, how to cross/make their own broilers,,
He had done a lot of research and trial and error. Will try to remember the thread name, or the poster...

 

[SowdersHomestead]

This is the whole problem with trying to compete, even on a small scale, with the broiler industry with out using the CX. The consumer is manipulated to think that the fat, plump, double breast is the way a chicken is suppose to look.

We have raised all sorts of heritage breeds and butchered the roosters. Mighty tasty but a V breast. I don't mind. But Mr. and Mrs. Consumer hasn't been educated to know any better.

This year I'm raising some Delaware's with the intent to start a sustainable flock that I can raise meat from. Since these were the standard bearer of the meat market back in the 50's and 60's, I'm excited to see what the carcass looks like and how well they dress out.

Good luck

 

[AgroUrica]

Quote:

There was a thread on here a while back, of someone, trying to figure out, how to cross/make their own broilers,,
He had done a lot of research and trial and error. Will try to remember the thread name, or the poster...

Thanks! That certainly sounds like it would be a helpful thread.

 

[dbaydak]

SowderHomestead,

Nice to meet you, I am in Findlay, Ohio with a small backyard flock. I would be greatly interested in knowing how you Delaware's dress out when you butcher. I would like to raise my own chickens for meat, but haven't figured out what breed would be good on a permanent basis for our personal use. This year I bought some Jersey Giants to try, research says they are a good dual purpose breed. I am not interested in broilers, as they require much more work and it seems they suffer to much prior to being butchered. I am more interested in raising healthy organic birds that can provide a good protein source. Thanks for you time, look forward to seeing more of your posts.

 

[ash10383]

Quote:
Also wanted to say I am also interested in to how your jersey giants and SowdersHomestead's delawares finish out. I'm getting some red rangers this spring to break into the meat piece of chickens. I'd love to do heritage breeds but need to break the husband in slowly Also I live outside of Tiffin so the 3 of us practically neighbors in the online world

 

[SowdersHomestead]

Also wanted to say I am also interested in to how your jersey giants and SowdersHomestead's delawares finish out. I'm getting some red rangers this spring to break into the meat piece of chickens. I'd love to do heritage breeds but need to break the husband in slowly Also I live outside of Tiffin so the 3 of us practically neighbors in the online world

Take him over to Rural King during chic days. Guarantee he'll come out of there with some chics!!

 

[SowdersHomestead]

SowderHomestead,

Nice to meet you, I am in Findlay, Ohio with a small backyard flock. I would be greatly interested in knowing how you Delaware's dress out when you butcher. I would like to raise my own chickens for meat, but haven't figured out what breed would be good on a permanent basis for our personal use. This year I bought some Jersey Giants to try, research says they are a good dual purpose breed. I am not interested in broilers, as they require much more work and it seems they suffer to much prior to being butchered. I am more interested in raising healthy organic birds that can provide a good protein source. Thanks for you time, look forward to seeing more of your posts.

After doing CX's for 2 years my wife has had enough of them. I'll definitely keep everyone posted. I did give some thought to the Jersey Giant but decided to go with the Delaware. So we will see.

 

[Baymule]

AgroUrica, you don't mention what country you are in. A lot would depend on what breeds are available to you. If I read this right, you are considering raising your own meat birds to produce broiler chicks for your customers. I recently ran accross this site that promotes a sustainable broiler. Perhaps you could contact them and purchase hatching eggs. I don't know the logistics involved, but you might be able to do this.

http://sandgpoultry.com/heritagewhite.html