Cost of raising chickens

[fishhead]

I just picked up my processed chickens and the numbers are done.

I started with 26 red ranger pullets. I bought pullets because I don't like listening to the roosters picking on each other. I lost 2 early in the process.

The finished weights ranged from 3.70 lb to 7.75 lb. with an average of 6.07 lb. (6.18 if I toss out the outlying 3.70 lb). The second smallest was 5.19 lbs.

Total cost including chicks, feed, and processing came to $442.79 with an average of $3.04/lb finished cost. I didn't include electric and driving to the processor.

I picked up the chicks on July 1 and processed 1/2 on November 3 and the other 1/2 on November 7 so they were about 17 weeks.

[TexasGunOwner]

Some pricey chicken. Reminds me of a friend's story about his $80 tomatoes.

[fishhead]

Yes they are more expensive than store bought but I know they were well feed and well taken care of during their short life. Plus they taste a whole lot better than the store bought chickens.

[sisterpine]

I agree, we do not do this to save money. I hope to not spend more than good store bought but mostly I want more healthy.

[ladycat]

Originally Posted by TexasGunOwner

Some pricey chicken. Reminds me of a friend's story about his $80 tomatoes.

I'd be afraid to figure up how much some of my Marans cockerels have cost by the time I've butchered them.

Especially the chicks I paid more than $15 each for and ended up with too many males and had to eat the surplus.

[FakeMountainMan]

What is the cost of processing? I imagine they would be considerably less expensive if you butchered them yourself, no?

[Fire-Man]

Originally Posted by FakeMountainMan

What is the cost of processing? I imagine they would be considerably less expensive if you butchered them yourself, no?

This is what I want to know----the cost to get them to processing size? As well as what was the average weight after being processed? Did you keep feed to them 24/7 or less? Thanks

[idigbeets]

You forgot to amortize the cost of their coops/moveable pens, labor for raising them...

Raising chickens is not a very great profit model on small scale imo. If one is looking to get fed well, then it works out, otherwise you gotta be in the $5/lb and up category to even make a small profit.

I will add that your feed costs seem high.. for me 50 broilers come in around $425 for just chicks, feed, processing costs (if I were to take them to someone, I do my own) with a 4-4.5lb average dressed.

[docholiday]

I plan on doing meat birds next year too, it will be interesting to see what they work out to be price wise. If they cost more than the store, I don't really care, to me I'm creating a far better product that I would be willing tO pay more for anyway. I plan on building their shelter for free from materials on hand, they will be able to free range a fenced in area and I will probably do a soy free or maybe even an all organic feed, not sure yet. We are on a well so the water will cost me pennies if that, and I'll only do a heat lamp while they are small and at night, so very little cost there as well. I also am going to sell a few birds to family to help off set the feed cost.

[fishhead]

Processing was $71.71.

The shelter was made from scraps but when I decide where I want to retire I'll build a proper shelter and pen.

[Wendy]

Maybe try raising Cornish cross as they are ready to butcher in 6 weeks. The feed conversion is much better on them. I raise 100 every year at least. The cost for my chicks was $160 with shipping. Actually this year they messed my order up & sent it twice, so my chicks were 80 cents each. Feed was less than $300. I sold 60 of them for $540 & that left me 40 in the freezer for us. I process them myself because the local place that does it charges $2.50 each & I'm too tight to pay that much for something I can do myself.

[larryfoster]

Wendy, I just started a post on my first attempt at Cornish.
My results are a lot different.
Please feel free to visit my thread and I would appreciate your insight.
Thank you

[crazyfarm]

I've never really kept track before. They were just something I enjoyed. A hobby for me. However, this year I finally stopped keeping the feeder full and the costs have plummeted, the environment has benefited and the chickens are happy. Turns out I've been over feeding them for years. So now the cost of raising my chickens is pretty small. I really should have realized that I had 40 acres of food for them before. :P

[fishhead]

I kept the feeders full because I wanted the largest chickens I could raise in my limited time frame.

The chicks cost $62.20.

[simi-steading]

Just curious why you would pay someone to process your chickens? How do you know you actually got your chickens back?

I never understood people who deer hunt, then take the deer in to have it processed... OK, I can MAYBE understand if they want sausage made from it, but still, not real hard to do yourself. Just time consuming... It makes the deer meat WAY too expensive in my eyes... By the time you bought all the fancy hunting clothes, the fancy deer stands, the fancy gutting hooks, so on and so forth that most hunters feel you have to have... I just don't get it... anyway,,,,

I've always butchered my own animals, so that's why I don't understand taking anything to have it processed...

[Wendy]

The only thing we don't butcher ourselves are beef & pork. Some people just do not have the time or the knowledge to do it themselves. A friend of mine always takes her chickens to a processor to be butchered because she just doesn't want to do it. There's nothing wrong with that.

[Fire-Man]

Originally Posted by simi-steading

Just curious why you would pay someone to process your chickens?


I've always butchered my own animals, so that's why I don't understand taking anything to have it processed...

Why would someone pay someone to change their oil, wash their car, replace their shingles, cut their grass, etc, etc, etc, etc. Probably Because They rather Pay someone than do it theirself.

I like you do all my processing, include making pork and Rabbit sausage BUT I do not or have not processed a chicken in Many years---Many Years. I would do it if I needed it done----but I rather eat rabbit.

[idigbeets]

The processor I know (only used him once for ducks) does your birds while you wait, 100 birds an hour. ezpz.

[jwal10]

We just let a couple hens set and raise the young. They free range and get a little feed wheat and oats as scratch, garden waste and rabbit food waste (oats). I figure it doesn't cost much and I am not spending time and gas running to town. Kind of a hobby, here. We don't like those mushy fat X breeds. Ours are just surplus, Buff Orpington pullets and roosters, but cheap....James

[Wendy]

I'm the opposite. I can't stand the regular roosters. I butchered some for my brother awhile back. They were about 6 months old, leggy, a greyish color that did not look good to me, & tough from running around the barnyard all the time. Cornish rock are kind of like tame rabbits. They don't get tough very quickly because they aren't running around building up that muscle mass. I have Mexicans that come here to buy all of my old hens. They won't take the Cornish cross for anything.