Will this work?

[JDN]

You'll definitely need to keep the meat birds separate, they grow way too fast and will hurt the others. Meat birds get 24% starter grower, and the regular dual purpose or egg layers get 20% starter grower also. Some people have to withdraw the food from the meat birds overnight also, I did that. As for tractor, etc, consider that you'll need to enter it to catch the birds for processing, or how to access for cleaning (in case it is too heavy to move daily), and how to get the food and water in/out as part of the design. For docile birds, the amberlinks I have are very easy to catch, as are the sapphire gems, they're known for being egg laying machines. THey don't sex by color, so you won't know if you have cockerels mixed in with pullets until they crow, get hackles, etc. Only bad think for amberlink or any other ISA brown, should you change your minds on breeds, is they are supposed to get cancer at around age 2, that could be a problem for the kids. Best of luck, I'm excited for you!

Joel Salatin has a youtube video where it shows their chicken tractors for broilers. I don't think it would be hard to make a tractor or two or three that works well for them.

 

[aart]

Joel Salatin has a youtube video where it shows their chicken tractors for broilers. I don't think it would be hard to make a tractor or two or three that works well for them.

Can be easy to make tractor....but planning out the space to move that tractor daily for ~6 weeks can be a challenge.

 

[C Dohrer]

A good place to start to get information is your county extension office. Each state has its own rules so you need to talk to someone local about all of this. Each county, township, city , or even HMO can have their own rules but with all those animals I'd guess you are in the county so you don't have to worry about town or HMO.

The rules will be different if you are selling meat or eggs or baby chicks. If you are keeping them for yourself there probably aren't many if any rules in the county but check anyway. How much meat or how many eggs you will be selling might kick you into a different category. If you are crossing state lines the other state may have different rules. It could be different if you are selling to a restaurant versus individuals, or in a farmer's market.

@aart in Arkansas it was fairly easy to become a certified NPIP inspector, I have not checked here. You had to go to a class to learn how to to the testing. I think that class was offered twice a year. Other states have different requirements and cover different tests. Maybe what tests are requires influences how hard it it to become a certified NPIP inspector in that state.

@C Dohrer NPIP (National Poultry Improvement Plan) was set up as a voluntary program (States could join if they wanted to and 48 have) to mainly stop Pullorum, a disease that was pretty prevalent and was causing a lot of damage to the poultry industry. It is a government program that worked, now Pullorum is pretty rare. Many states have added other diseases to the testing requirements but not all states have the same. NPIP generally only comes into play if you are selling across state lines or maybe hatching eggs or maybe showing birds. The rules of the state where you are selling are the ones that apply. It's certainly worth asking your extension office about NPIP and whether you need it. I believe in knowing what the rules are so you know what you are working with.

I believe you said earlier you are planning on selling meat. This is where I'd expect them to have rules regarding handling and cleanliness and possible regular inspections if you are doing the butchering. Selling meat is probably your biggest hurdle and some of that could be how much you are selling and where.

It's all doable, you just have to figure out how to make it work for you. Good luck!

Thank you. That’s really helpful advice.

 

[C Dohrer]

Folks have done a nice job discussing layers here, so I'll focus on your meat birds. An 8X8X2 tractor can house 40 meat birds and if you're successful that will be about 240 pounds of meat. A 4' feed trough and a bell waterer along with a solar energizer and some hot wires around the base of your tractor will help ensure you get to eat your birds. If you want more on tractor design I'd be happy to share, as my design has evolved as the predators have taught me where the weak spots were.

With an 8x8 tractor, you'll need to move it 35-40 times (every day and twice a day near the end) assuming you brood the birds for 3 weeks. Those 35-40 squares won't be usable for meat birds again for about 3 months. So plan out your grass. The better forage (grass and legumes) you have the better your conversion rate will be. Best I've done so far is about 3.5:1 That's 3.5 pounds of feed for every pound of finished meat. I raise my cx on an 18% protein feed from start to finish. Those with really well developed pastures are getting a 2:1 conversion rate.

Processing birds is a lot of work and then you need to be able to chill and rest them for 24-48 hours before freezing. I have professional processing equipment and our team of four can do up to about 300 in an 8 hour day, but I'll be sore for a weak after. I prefer to do 40 or so at a time, easier on my body and easier to store for resting. If you want to do cut ups, it takes practice, but I can part a bird in about 3 minutes (assuming I'm well rested after processing). Gizzards are a PITA to clean and have to be well chilled before attempting.

After vacuum packing my cut up birds, we take the feet, carcass and necks and make stock, which get's canned and stored in the pantry. My 160 qt stock pot can handle about 34-35 carcasses and pairs of feet and will give me about 90 quarts of stock, as well as some nice chicken fat (usually a quart or two). I run two pressure canners which hold 14 quarts each. Why so big, well it takes the same amount of work to make 6 quarts of stock and I don't have to store the carcass, necks and feet in the freezer.

You have given me many aspects to explore and think about. The making of stocking canning are not things I have even thought about. One of the areas needed in order to be self sufficient is learning how to use ALL of animal parts, products and byproducts. I’m thinking in order to make your chicken stock you use heat to simmer or boil the flavor out of the remnants. Since that method involves heat I bet the carcass, necks, and feet could be given to our pigs. That would be an effective disposal method. I wonder if there could be any nutritional value left for the pigs to benefit from.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I wonder if there could be any nutritional value left for the pigs to benefit from.

Yes, they will benefit.

With my chickens when I butcher, I have one bucket for the true waste, stuff I'll bury in the garden or orchard. That's head and feathers mainly. Your pigs would eat them. I keep another bucket for bits the chickens will eat, fat and bits of tissue. This bucket included the entire digestive tract from crop to the rear end cut into 2" lengths, including contents. Testicles and lungs. What comes out of the gizzard but not the gizzard. Basically any soft material. I toss these to the surviving chickens after I've finished, but only what they can clean up before dark. I don't want to attract predators. The liver goes to the dogs but you can eat them or give them to your pigs or chickens.

I cut my chickens into serving pieces as I butcher because that is the way I cook them. The breasts, wishbone, thighs, and drumsticks go to the table. I keep the feet, neck, wings, back, gizzard, and heart for broth. To clean the feet I blanch them in hot water for a short time which makes them easy to peel and to twist the claws off. All this slows me down quite a bit when butchering but I'm trying to mention what can go in the broth. The pigs would eat some of this.

After I eat the table meat I save the bones in the freezer. These cooked bones add a nice flavor to the broth. I cook those bones overnight in the crock pot covered with water and save the water. I then toss those bones in the trash but your pigs will probably eat them. I freeze that flavored liquid and use it when I make broth instead of just water.

After I make the broth I strain the liquid through a colander to remove the big chunks. I pick through those chunks and save the meat. That cooked meat is great for tacos, chicken salad, soup, or on a sandwich for lunch.

I save the soft debris from the colander (I use veggies in my broth plus any soft stuff that is not meat) and use that in my traps. It is great for raccoons, possum, skunks, mice, and rats. I even caught a groundhog once but i think that was an accident, he just blundered in.

The only thing I consider that I waste is the bones after broth. With pigs you don't need to waste that much.

I'm sure your butchering will look a lot different from mine, with 50 you are in a hurry and you will have a different end use. My way tales time. Your pigs may not be able to eat that much at a time unless you freeze some. But maybe you can get some ideas from this.

 

[rjohns39]

Great post, informative. I do wish you would include waste disposal techniques. Animal waste from farms can create serious environmental damage if not done properly.

Some goes to the pigs the rest get's composted.

Joel Salatin has a youtube video where it shows their chicken tractors for broilers. I don't think it would be hard to make a tractor or two or three that works well for them.

My first tractor was exactly like Joel's including the dolly, but my environment is a bit different and the 10X12 size had issues I couldn't get past. Two of the four of us couldn't move it. My 8x8 are based upon Joel's design, but no center wire and they have evolved as the predators taught me new lessons. 1/2" hardware cloth replaced the chicken wire. The doors are now hinged. The wire door has 2x4 welded wire secured with metal pipe hanger tape. an then covered with 1/2" welded wire. And I have two hot wires around the base with a solar energizer. I also have two eye bolts on all four sides.

 

[ScottKelly1974]

I've raised chicks for a few years. What I've noticed is some chicks will push others around. I have lost many chicks to being crushed. So you may need to separate them by size at some point. I had this one hen called a Cinnamon Queen. She layed an egg every day except one day a month. It was mistaken for a Buff Orpington. I now have one rooster from her and the BO rooster I am planning to butcher. I've heard you can eat the comb and the gizzard. Anyone know the best way to do that?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't eat the combs. If you clean and take that lining off the gizzard you can fry, bake, or boil it. Never tried grilling a gizzard.

 

[rjohns39]

I've heard you can eat the comb and the gizzard. Anyone know the best way to do that?

Best method I've found for cleaning a gizzard is to chill them in the fridge overnight. I'm right handed so I hold it in my left and and wear a no cut glove on my left hand. There are two tubes one kind of straight in and the other points down. I hold it with the one that points down away from me and the other on top. Then carefully make a shallow cut behind the top tube and about half way down the side closest to you. You want to expose the inner membrane but NOT cut it. There are two membranes. If you're doing your first one, I'd make shallow cuts until you see white. Then tear the muscle away from the white membrane, until the white membrane tears. Work your fingers in and keep the tear growing until the inner sac is fully accessible, then pull it out whole and discard.

Might not be a bad idea to pick up a pound from the store so you can examine what your end product should look like. If you do tear the inner membrane, try not to get the contents on your meat and get all of the inner membrane removed.

Spoiler: Video Cleaning a Gizzard

I like them fried, they are awesome in stock and make for a nice giblet gravy, but I think they are best if slow smoked. Grilled has an awesome flavor but they are tough to chew.

 

[Table4Six]

That wouldn’t be as tough as you think. This would be our meat chickens.
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And these would be our egg layers.
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I just hadn’t figured out which breed or two that I wanted eggs from. While I know this is the stupidest reason ever. But, I hate plain old, boring, white chickens.

LF Brahmas and Cochins are not fast growers at all, nor have I heard of them used as meat birds; more for exhibition/breeding. Also, Ameraucanas are primarily bred for egg laying.