The Market for Organic/Pastured Poultry is Growing

[LauraSBale]

Yes there a lot of people that will pay that, you just need to advertise in the right place, and by passing the word to friends and family.

the sad thing is it cost twice a much to eat healthily.

friends of ours were sell there eggs last year at 4.00 dz, but they made a mistake, and said they were organic, they thought if they free range, and feed the (O) garden foods, that then chickens eggs would be 100% (O), but there feed wasn't (O). So I told them they cant put that there Certified (O). that they state that they are free range, and 50% (O).

and this summer people were still willing to pay 4.00

I just didn't want them to miss lead any one.

and in my area there is no one that sell (O) feed.
I just love when its summer, so you can grow you own Vegs for them.

 

[justusnak]

I raise my CC on pasture...and had a woman ask about buying a few...butchered and table ready. I told her I would have no idea what to charge for them. She asked how big...I told her between 6 and 8 pounds butchered ( yes I over feed) and she offered 15.00 per bird.....so, I asked her how many she wants! LOLShe also offered me 40.00 for a pastured turkey...table ready. Between 12 and 15 pounds.

 

[dancingbear]

The 1st part of the article made it sound like the birds are different just because they're pastured, (the Cab Calloway comment) then further down mentioned the soy and mustard flour. The article didn't claim "natural", it just said "organic". Better than GMO soy, for sure, I'm just saying a chickens natural diet is forage of many kinds, whatever is growing, bugs, small reptiles, amphibians and mammals if they can catch them, and grains. Free ranging birds get all that. Not saying it's bad to feed birds something extra, nearly everybody does. If they only got forage, egg production would probably go down, and birds would be smaller. I'm just saying soy and mustard flour isn't a normal chicken diet.

There's a big difference between mainstream organic, naturally grown, and an organic gourmet specialty market. These folks have cornered a niche in the latter. As I said, more power to them. And to you, if you can manage to do likewise. But it's not mainstream organic. It'll never be the top choice for the average family, they couldn't afford it. Even most people who try to eat mostly organic, and buy organically raised meat at Whole Foods or some such, couldn't afford it.

And it's not just "twice as much". It's more like five times as much, for these mustard-flour fed birds. Like I said, if you can get that price, good for you, go for it.

The portable car-port shelter's a nice idea, for protecting birds from predators. But they really do just fine being exposed to rain and sun, they DON'T get overly stressed from it, as long as food, water, and shelter are readily available to them. They'll go to the shelter whenever they need to. They don't need shelter 24/7. Anybody who free-ranges can tell you that. When mine are out and it starts raining, they go back in the coop if they're near it, or under the shed, under the P/U, or where ever they can get under something. I've often seen a few standing inside the doghouse, looking out, waiting for the rain to stop so they can go back to foraging.

 

[greyfields]

I find I can sell all th broilers I can produce. The problem is you simply don't make much money of broilers compared to our other livestock endeavors. But, I do it simply so I can have good chicken to eat.

Going organic, though, would be an extra step. Although I'm a proponent of oragnic, I don't hink my customers would support the price/lb I'd have to charge. So, for now, I just market as "natural" and "pasture raised".

Whatever mode you choose, the quality and presentation of the product are the most important thing.

 

[TexasJoe]

Quote:
The only people laughing are the owners. All the way to the bank. One was a lawyer, the other an investment banker. They gave that up to become butchers.

There are almost 2.5 million people living in Toronto, & the average house price is $400,000.
http://www.midtowntoronto.com/2008/02/14/average-price-of-a-home-in-toronto-400000/

So there is plenty of people willing to spend top dollar for a product that they can't raise in the city or find elsewhere.

I see this as a growth market as more & more people want to eat healthier products. The fact I live so close to this area, makes me want to consider a business venture with organically raised poultry. I'm going to look into the requirements for getting certified organic in Canada.

I look at it this way. What's the worst that could happen? I end up with more chickens. A win-win situation if you ask me.

Who are you trying to convince? Us or yourself?

 

[dancingbear]

Greyfields, I'm with you on this one. I consider my birds "naturally raised", and they're free range. I can't say "organic" because I don't buy organic feed. Around here, I've never even seen organic feed. I'd have to grow my own. But I'm not selling mine, either, just raising them for home use. Maybe someday I'll decide to expand, maybe not.

I've seen your website, I think you have a great operation going there. Natural and pasture raised seems like a good alternative to supermarket birds, to me anyway.

 

[blueskylen]

i hadn't had chickens since i was a girl on my parents dairy farm and my family pooh-poohed me when i ordered 25 meat birds and 12 eggers this spring - i heard chicken jokes all around.

Well, we had a big 4th of July picnic and roasted 10 of the birds over a wood fire and they were especially good.
So when I went to order 25 more this fall - i had to order 30 extra for my family ( who are going to pay their share of costs) for me to raise - also, they are begging for fresh eggs too.

there is a big difference in the taste of grocery birds/eggs vs. semi-organically raised and many who would be willing to pay a bit more for the latter.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

At the college my wife works at the students are vegan and vegetarians, into organic, natural, whole food preparation and biodynamic farming, they sell their eggs for $6.00 a dozen my wife will sell hers for $3.00 and we have trouble keeping up with the orders.

 

[greyfields]

Don't get me wrong, there are crops I'm eyeing for oragnic.. ducks, geese, hay, field grains, etc. Just chickens, being single stomached animals, are going to be your costliest to converst. Ruminants, on the other hand, beign grass fed are a different story.

 

[kstaven]

Quote:
The only people laughing are the owners. All the way to the bank. One was a lawyer, the other an investment banker. They gave that up to become butchers.

There are almost 2.5 million people living in Toronto, & the average house price is $400,000.
http://www.midtowntoronto.com/2008/02/14/average-price-of-a-home-in-toronto-400000/

So there is plenty of people willing to spend top dollar for a product that they can't raise in the city or find elsewhere.

I see this as a growth market as more & more people want to eat healthier products. The fact I live so close to this area, makes me want to consider a business venture with organically raised poultry. I'm going to look into the requirements for getting certified organic in Canada.

I look at it this way. What's the worst that could happen? I end up with more chickens. A win-win situation if you ask me.

We did an experiment along this line through the local AG society here. 500 birds where the test. We live in a very small community and I have to say most birds sold OUTSIDE the general area at a very good price indeed. A little marketing got us everything we wanted for price and preorders for 4x as many on the next go round. We held two price scales. One that is affordable for the local market and one for orders out of zone. The price and numbers out of zone allow us to sell local at a price people here can afford. Just something to consider. The potential on the internet and the number of people buying over the net is incredible. This project will continue into next year with an increased number of participants.

I guess I am saying that just because chicken sells for $1.00 a pound where you live does not mean with a little work you can't get that $5.00 and up per pound. You would be amazed at the number of people that are very willing to pay to have frozen farm fresh shipped to them also.