Meat Birds

[johnjk]

I’m always amazed at how fast they mature. I missed raising them last year with my back but managed to get a batch in this year. This time I kept track of the costs and quantities. At week 7, 30 birds and around 575lbs of feed. One week left. Cost is around 12.00/bird today.

 

[PHPaul]

I raised them for years. Your numbers pretty much matched mine, if you provided the labor of feeding, watering, cleaning, killing, plucking, butchering, cutting, wrapping and freezing for free.

It got to the point where it was more work than Mrs. PH and I wanted to do.

Can't beat the quality tho.

 

[JimmyJazz]

I’m always amazed at how fast they mature. I missed raising them last year with my back but managed to get a batch in this year. This time I kept track of the costs and quantities. At week 7, 30 birds and around 575lbs of feed. One week left. Cost is around 12.00/bird today. View attachment 138597 View attachment 138598 View attachment 138599

I think you can buy a whole roasted chicken at Walmart for $6. Just sayin.

 

[johnjk]

I think you can buy a whole roasted chicken at Walmart for $8. Just sayin.

Yeah a 3lb bird…..

 

[johnjk]

I raised them for years. Your numbers pretty much matched mine, if you provided the labor of feeding, watering, cleaning, killing, plucking, butchering, cutting, wrapping and freezing for free.

It got to the point where it was more work than Mrs. PH and I wanted to do.

Can't beat the quality tho.

This is one of my hobbies. The wife loves the start and the end product but not weeks 2-8. I enjoy raising them and I forget about sliding in chicken crap a few days after they are gone. We have Amish butchers that process the birds for 1.50 each. Not worth my time and effort to self process.
Definitely not saving money BUT as you say the quality of the bird cannot be beat. I work with a large number of Chinese who want to buy them from me alive. Not sure my company would appreciate me dealing chickens in the parking lot. For now we just do it for our needs.

 

[fried1765]

I’m always amazed at how fast they mature. I missed raising them last year with my back but managed to get a batch in this year. This time I kept track of the costs and quantities. At week 7, 30 birds and around 575lbs of feed. One week left. Cost is around 12.00/bird today. View attachment 138597 View attachment 138598 View attachment 138599

"Cost is around $12 per bird".
But........2-1/2 lb. prepared (cooked) price at COSTCO is $4.99 per bird?

 

[johnjk]

"Cost is around $12 per bird".
But........2-1/2 lb. prepared (cooked) price at COSTCO is $4.99 per bird?

Plus membership, the plus 1hr each way to get there for me. We do Sams. Similar pricing but an hour away. We go maybe once every couple months.
Doing the math, my birds will butcher out around 9 lbs each so one of mine is 3.6 Costco birds. And that would cost you $17.96 or $19.96 since you can’t buy .6 of a chicken.

Additionally, since these birds live a longer life there is more meat to bone ratio than the Costco /Sams birds. I’d be interested to know how much of the Costco birds live weight is bone that gets tossed?

I get it. There is effort and a larger up front cash outlay but we’re willing to do that for a healthier better product vs the convenience of pulling a cooked bird off the shelf.

 

[Daren Todd]

Plus membership, the plus 1hr each way to get there for me. We do Sams. Similar pricing but an hour away. We go maybe once every couple months.
Doing the math, my birds will butcher out around 9 lbs each so one of mine is 3.6 Costco birds. And that would cost you $17.96 or $19.96 since you can’t buy .6 of a chicken.

Additionally, since these birds live a longer life there is more meat to bone ratio than the Costco /Sams birds. I’d be interested to know how much of the Costco birds live weight is bone that gets tossed?

I get it. There is effort and a larger up front cash outlay but we’re willing to do that for a healthier better product vs the convenience of pulling a cooked bird off the shelf.

I paid up front for a Sam's club membership, but haven't paid our of pocket for the renewal in years.

I took the premium membership. Between the stuff we purchase bulk for the homez the occasional gas fill up, and what I put on my company credit card for work.

With what i get for the cash back benefits, it pays for my membership, plus gives me $150 to $200, towards groceries.

 

[RCW]

9# is a stout bird in such a short time. Amazing the gains they get.

Sounds like a great hobby that provides ample benefits…

 

[johnjk]

Final numbers for birds. Cost came out to $2.25/lb. Spent the better part of today packaging and freezing them. This time they gave everything back. We asked to keep bone and skin on breasts so they ended up giving us the backbones. Lots of meat on those and great for making soup stock. We’re happy and the freezer is full of birds.