Related posts... How to order Chicks, Cost of Raising Meat Chickens

This is our 3rd round of raising our own meat chickens and butchering them.  We have learned a lot along the way about what works, what doesn't, and the easiest way to do this.  Read on...learn from my mistakes, and if you are so inclined, watch a video of the most recent batch of chickens we butchered.

We started out on May 1, 2016 with 25 Cornish Rock Cross Chickens.  This is the breed we choose to raise for meat because they reach butcher weight in just 9 weeks...its incredible really.  After 9 weeks it is time to butcher, and believe me, as much as I like chickens (I love watching my laying hens and do have a harder time when one of them dies) I don't mind when the 9 weeks is up with the Cornish Rock Cross birds.  

They are not cute.

They do not have personality.

They remind me of a severely obese Jabba the Hut with Prader Willi Syndrome.

They are kinda gross.

When it is time to butcher, I am more than ready!

We have done this the hard way and the easy way.  The hard way takes a LOOONG time.  We have butchered with no fancy equipment using just baling twine to hang the chicken upside down, slit the throat, and a pot of scalding water (150-160 degrees) to dunk the chicken in.  When we pluck by hand it takes 10-15 minutes per bird and that is before you even begin the process of evisceration (gutting).  Usually by the time we get 3/4 of the way through the 25 birds we end up skinning the birds as the plucking takes so very long.  But, with nothing but a pot for scalding water and a sharp knife, it can be done.

However, we hit the jackpot this year.  We have some friends who we ordered our chickens with which meant that all of our birds (their 200 and our 25) were ready for butcher at the same time.  They have a fantastic setup complete with stations for all of the steps and when all the stations were manned we had it down to 3 minutes per bird from start to finish.  

Our old school, redneck, by hand method is more like 25 minutes per bird but let's face it, not everyone has the luxury of a whiz bang chicken plucker!

I just have to say that our homesteading friends helped us tremendously this year, our 25 birds were done in less than 1 hour.  Hubby got lucky he had to work that day so 2 of my children and I headed to the neighboring homestead to butcher our chickens and to help with some of theirs as they were so kind to let us butcher on their equipment.  

I had the process slowed down with explanation so I could share with my readers, thank you so much to My Shire Farm for the help making this video and for the use of equipment!

Every year that we have raised our own chickens for meat I have said I was going to keep diligent records so that I would have an exact cost breakdown, but every year something gets in the way.  

This year is an exception.  This is our third year of raising our own meat chickens and I was DILIGENT to keep track of EVERYTHING so that you can benefit from knowing the exact cost breakdown of raising your own meat chickens too.  Whether you are living off the grid or just beginning into the realm of homesteading this is invaluable information to have.

Lets start with some quick starting points first.  

We are a family of 7 people who really like to eat chicken.  We eat chicken at least twice a week so when we have run the numbers we have figured that to produce enough chicken for our family to enjoy and to make the amount of work involved worthwhile, we buy 25 meat chickens at a time.  

Less than that and it is too time consuming, more than that and we are taxing our freezer space as well as our resources.  25 meat chickens for a family eating chicken 2 times a week equals roughly 12 weeks of chicken dinners or 3 months worth.  That means we should actually be raising chickens 4 times a year but we typically do it 2-3 times over the summer months as it is easier that way.

We choose to raise Cornish Rock Cross chickens as these reach butcher weight faster than any other chicken around.  It only takes 9 weeks to raise a bird from chick to a 5-7 lb monster of deliciousness.

We order our chicks from a Hatchery called Mt. Healthy out of Cincinnati, Ohio.  They ship nationwide and have been great to work with.  Our chicks cost us $1.68 a piece this year so the package of peeps set me back $42.00.

Without a brooder in place (we have one since we do this regularly) you need a place for your chickens.  We did have to purchase new heat lamps this year and at our local feed store those ran us $5.50 a piece.

Suggestions for brooders:

A large metal or rubber feed or wash tub
A makeshift pallet construction
A chicken tractor with access to electricity for heat

It need not be fancy and don't be intimidated by the heat instructions for your birds.  I use the redneck way of measuring temperature satisfaction in chicks...no thermometer required.  IF THE CHICKS ARE ALL HUDDLED UNDER THE LAMP THEY ARE TOO COLD, IF THE CHICKS ARE AT THE FAR CORNERS OF THE BROODER AND AWAY FROM THE HEAT SOURCE THEY ARE TOO HOT.  Very scientific right?

NOTE: As soon as the outdoor temps are warm consistently during the day and not dipping below 70 at night we try to transition 4-5 week old chicks outside to the chicken tractor.  This helps with the copious amounts of poo as well as providing fresh air, fresh forage and insects for the chickens to eat.

The only thing left now is feed.  I purchase our feed from a local feed store for $12.99 per 50lb bag.  I spend a little more because I order all natural medication free feed.  (why it costs more to get your chicken feed without medication I will never understand!)

350# of feed set me back a total of $77.94 for 6 bags (50# per bag)

We butcher our own chickens so I also added the cost of vacuum pack bags for our food saver. ($20.00)

If you are keeping track here is the cost thus far...

But what did I end up with for that $145.93?  After all the birds were butchered and weighed I wound up with exactly 145 pounds of fresh, free range, antibiotic free chicken.  That is $1.06 a lb!!!

The cheapest I have EVER seen chicken that is free range (raised on forage and insects as well as feed such as in a moveable chicken tractor) and antibiotic free is $5.99 lb.  I'd say for all of the effort we did VERY well!

Don't get me wrong, it is A LOT of work but to know what my family is eating and to have a freezer stocked with delicious meat is worth it!

Related Posts:
How to order chicks
How to care for new chicks
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Want to learn to butcher your own chicken?
 Read my post here complete with a video!

It was a good idea in theory, I have read about many successful homesteaders keeping ducks and chickens together in the coop with no problems.  I was prepared for the pooping, I mean ducks poop ALOT.  What I was not prepared for was the water fights.  How three small ducks manage to decimate 5 gallons of water from a poultry waterer in just hours flat is still beyond me!

I thought I had done my homework.  I picked the smallest breed of duck that I thought would be a good fit, I mean look at these little guys, so cute!

The first problem was when the chickens (albeit much smaller birds as they are all just under 2 months old) started trying to pick the ducks apart, feather by feather.  That began the separation.  I had to, for a time, put the ducks in a completely different location in the witness protection program for their own good.

After a little R & R in the program, I reintroduced the ducks, I mean they were now almost 3 times the size of the chickens.  Surely they can protect themselves.

The answer was yes, there does not seem to be any further feather picking, but that was only the start of my problems.

It is the incessant water wars.

​I have never seen anything like it.  The ducks must make water bombs that they lob from one side of the coop to the next  when I'm not looking.  I am not even exaggerating here, they are going to rot the floor right out of the coop with these antics!  I fear that whatever water party they are throwing will eventually drown the chickens in a wave of surf (okay, not really but it is pretty ridiculous looking out there!)

I called a friend, a wonderful neighbor with all kinds of fowl, I may have even begged.  She is a dear and said that we can relocate the ducks to her place, she has a large pond and not so many bird dogs as we do so the ducks stand a much better chance of free-range happiness over there.

So much for the duck eggs I was planning on baking with.  

So much for the  cute little ducks that would wander around our place as adorable lawn ornaments.

So much for the advice of all the other homesteaders who have successfully had ducks in the coop.

My assessment, it just doesn't work.  Nope, no ducks in the coop here.  They gotta go.

When you think of bullies and cliques it is usually middle school that comes to mind.  All of those feelings of inadequacy and awkwardness that come with hitting the prepubescent period of life.  I am observing that, even in the animal kingdom, these same behaviors come out in force and likely also due to a surge in hormones and “teenage” behavior though this time of the poultry variety.

It all began as a normal round of morning chores; I stepped to the Dutch door of our new coop and peeked in as I love to observe all these crazy chickens and their behaviors.  It was then that I noticed one of our Indian Runner ducks had blood caked all over its side (still not sure if this is a female or male duck).  Worried, I stepped into the coop for a closer look at the poor duck, wondering aloud who could have harmed such a sweet duckling.  That’s when I noticed that the duck didn’t appear to have any injuries but also had some blood on its beak…the plot twists.
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I followed the trail of blood droplets until it led me to one of our laying hen breeds.  The poor girl had all of her tail feathers plucked out with nothing but a bloody stump of flesh in the place where the plumage had been emerging.  Poor girl.  Now, if you don’t know chickens, they are a bit on the vicious side when they want to be.  And, they are like a teenaged acne victim who cannot control the urge to pick.  They will pick at an open sore of another animal until sometimes, they kill it.  I have seen this happen before and it isn’t pretty.

I quickly scooped up the poor Australorp for a quick getaway and some R & R.

She was put into isolation.

She peeped, she cried out, but it was for her own good.

I then went back to the scene of the crime…who was the offending chicken, or band of chickens who bullied this poor girl to a bloody pulp?  I have my suspicions; “Punk” is one of the prime suspects at this time, he/she the androgynous wonder will be watched very closely.

​“Punk” is one of 6 Polish chickens we purchased for my son’s 4H project, “Punk” seems to be the ringleader in some of the gang activity I have witnessed these 6 hoodlums (3 Silver Laced Polish and 3 White Crested Polish) wreaking havoc in the hen house, and often chest bumping at their accomplishments after riling up the whole slew of hens.
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I will be watching…

What they don’t know is that as soon as we pick the best looking one or two of them, any that show signs of being of the undesirable rooster variety will be banished for a quick exit on Craigslist.
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So even in the animal kingdom, there are bullies.  The difference is that I get to be the one to hand down the court marshall if necessary.  I don’t tolerate bully roosters.

My 15 year old daughter and my 10 year old son decided to show chickens this year at 4H.  I have always wanted some fancy ornamental breed chickens so what better time to check out some new fun breeds?  I mean to tell you that you can find more breeds of chicken than you ever knew existed when you start looking, but we ended up ordering from a hatchery called Cackle Hatchery where we found a few breeds that piqued the kids interests.

 The above pictures are actual photos of our chicks, the below photos are some that I found of adult versions of the breeds we purchased.  My children each got 3-5 of each type of chicken (mostly because you have a minimum you have to order when shipping chicks) and they will grow them out and then decide which ones have the most "show-ability" for the 4H season.

The Polish Chickens are full sized breeds and the others are Bantam sized.  It is really neat watching them start to feather out at this point and change from the cute little fuzzies you see above to what will someday look similar to these pictures below.

Let me start off by saying that these are NOT my laying hens.  These are Cornish Rock Cross meat birds and they grow exponentially faster than any chicken that I have ever known.  This is our 3rd time raising these birds to fill the freezer and though I very much enjoy the end product, getting there is quite interesting.  

You see, these birds were specifically bred to eat to the max, grow exponentially fast, and have the largest breasts you have ever eaten.  Now, before you go off calling me on GMO or other Frankenstein breeding practices, this is a well recognized breed. I didn't come up with this breed and there is no more genetic manipulation going on than when one breeds a specific dog for certain desired traits. (Think of a Dalmation, you want spots, right?)  So here they are a week in.

These birds will reach butcher weight in 9-10 weeks. Yes, you read that right, less than 2 and  1/2 months till full broiler size of 6-8 pounds each.  I know, I know, many of us are so far removed from where our meat comes from that you might say, "I would never be able to raise and butcher my own meat." Let me tell you, I said the same thing several years ago.  But these particular birds go from sweet, cute fuzzballs to ginormous and kinda gross birds.  I say gross because they grow faster than their feathers do so they look rather funny.

These chickens will all be heading outside to an outdoor pen when they are ready to come out from under the heat lamps.  They will have access to fresh grass, bugs, water, sunshine and non medicated feed while they are growing.  What that means for my family is that there are no factory chickens being raised in filthy conditions here.  No chickens being stuffed full of antibiotics to ward off the inevitable diseases that come from too many birds being packed into hoop houses or barns that are overcrowded, under ventilated and disease ridden.  These birds will be raised in a humane, clean, natural environment and I will know exactly what went into the food I am feeding my family.  

At this time we raise about 25 of these Cornish Rock Cross Birds at a time, if we eat chicken once or twice a week, this will last our family of 7 for 3-5 months.  We may do another round of chickens in the fall to store before winter as well.

I will keep you all posted on the exponential growth rate, and current food cost breakdowns for these meat birds in a few weeks. Right now the chickens are eating 2.5 quarts of non medicated chick starter a day, and drinking about 4 quarts of water as well.  Stay tuned!

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Waking with the chickens took on a whole new meaning this morning when my phone rang at 5:30am.  It was the post office calling to let me know that my chicks were in.  I knew to slate the entire day off for the pending arrival of my chicks but I have to admit I was surprised by the post office calling so early, they weren't even open yet but advised me to come to the back loading dock and pick up my peepers.

As I groggily rose out of bed to head to the post office I found myself grateful that I already had my brooder all set up and ready and all supplies on hand.   This kind of phone call would otherwise be a bit on the stressful side!  

So what do you need to have in order to care for new chicks?

A Brooder Area
A Heat Lamp
Water Source
Food Source
Litter (not cat litter, not sand, think straw/hay or pine shavings)
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First and foremost your chicks need warmth.  They are packed into a very tiny little box, not unlike sardines, for the temperature factor, they need to be warmed.  When they arrive you need to be sure to keep them under heat lamps to ensure that you won't have loss due to temperature regulation problems.

When you order chicks from a reputable hatchery they will send along a detailed list of instructions that can make your head swim.  I have always subscribed to the common sense way of raising chicks.  I don't keep a thermometer in the brooder and I don't worry about decreasing the heat by 5 degrees daily after 7 days or any of the other meticulous details that are sometimes contained within the written instructions...it just seems a little to complicated to me.

I rely more on the chicks behavior and mannerisms to let me know if they need more or less heat.  The common sense country way says that if all your chicks are huddled together under the lamp, they are too cold.  If they all are scattered to the edges of your brooding area away from the heat source, they are too hot.  Like I said, common sense chicken brooding.

That brings me to the brooder.  I have used everything from a 20 gallon fish aquarium for just a few chicks, to a livestock feed trough fashioned with a hinged frame covered in metal mesh wire.  I have friends who have used plastic totes with screen on top, and currently I have the Cadillac of chicken brooders courtesy of some plans I saw a friend use for her brooding pen.  My point is that it doesn't matter so much what you brood your chicks in as long as they can't fly out, they can get adequate ventilation and a heat source is not a fire hazard.

Next you need litter.  You should not use kitty litter, sand or other small granules.  You can safely use hay, straw, or my medium of choice, pine shavings.  Pine shavings offer a clean smell and are a great addition to your compost pile once cleaned out of the brooder (just remember that chicken manure needs to season for at least a year before adding to your garden to prevent transmission of diseases)  Pine Shavings are also very cost effective when purchased at a feed supply store.  I use 1-2 bags a month depending on how many animals I am using it as bedding for and it costs less than $6 a bag.

Next you need feed and water containers.  For brooding boxes I prefer these little inexpensive ones from Miller manufacturing that you can purchase on Amazon and attach to pint or quart sized mason jars (I have lots of those!).  Know that chicks drink LOTS of water and they need it to be fresh so plan on changing the water at least 2x's a day.

Finally, you will need food.  I have this thing about medications in our food supply so I always purchase non-medicated chick feed.  I don't find that I have any more loss than my friends who purchase medicated chick feed and I am not introducing more medication into our food sources than needed (Chickens are for meat and eggs for our farm so we want them as medication/chemical free as possible).

Once your chicks have been with you a week or so you will start by moving the heat source a little further away from them to decrease the temperatures.  The best plan is to brood chicks when the outside temp is also warming so that hopefully by the time they are getting bigger, your outside temps are increasing as well which aids in reducing the amount of time that your chicks have to remain under lights.

A few tips you might find helpful

1. Don't handle your chicks for the first day or so after they are shipped to you, they have had a stressful way to go and you want to let them get well acclimated 

2. Give your chicks room temperature water to reduce the problems of ingesting too much cold water which in turn can further lower body temperature of new chicks

3. If chicks won't drink you can add a dash of sugar to the water to help for the first 24 hours

4. If you notice some stuck substances at the chick's vent you will need to help remove this with a warm damp towel, this problem is caused by stress (pasty butt) and can resolve itself within a few days if you continue to remove the crust

5. If you have a sickly chick, you can remove it from the rest for 24 hours and see if it improves, if so reintroduce it to the rest.

,Related Stories...
How to order baby chicks,
​Raising meat chickens

I remember well the first time I decided we were going to order some chicks to start our flock.  I knew little to more than nothing at the time.  I asked around and discovered that two people (my mom and a good friend) had completely different recommendations for what breed of laying hen I should purchase.  However, my friend had some laying hens for us that were the Black Australorp breed so that is where we started.

When I ordered chicks for the first time (for the record, Australorps are still my hands down favorite even after trying Barred Rock, Americauna, and Rhode Island Reds). I ordered both breeds (Australorps and Rhode Island Reds)...here's how to order.
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ASK AROUND- I asked where everyone else got their chickens, what their favorite breeds were and why. I asked what hatcheries they liked, and which ones to stay away from. (some have better success rates of shipping and customer service is of utmost importance if you happen to receive chicks DOA)

LOCATE A HATCHERY- if you can find a local hatchery with the breed you are looking for you are in a win-win situation.  You can drive to get your chicks, avoid shipping costs (they can be a bit pricey) and avoid the almost inevitable dead chick that can come from shipping day old hatchlings.  You can also avoid having to slate off an entire day to be at the post master's beck and call for when they receive a peeping box for you to come get IMMEDIATELY from your local post office.  I was lucky enough to find one hatchery that carries Black Australorps that is only a 45 minute drive away.

PICK YOUR HATCH DATE: This is of utmost importance because when your chicks hatch they will either be shipped to you within that first 24 hours (you will usually get them when they are between 48-72 hours old and they will be THIRSTY) or you will be picking them up from the hatchery that day, this means preparation on your part as you need to have your brooder area set, heat lamps available, food and water on hand and be ready to go!

PAY FOR YOUR BIRDS AND WAIT: If you are smart, and you want spring chicks, you put an order in to the hatchery of your choice in January requesting your ship date for sometime later in the spring.  The reason I say this is because if you do what I did this year, which was wait too long, you are at the mercy of when the hatchery will have your breed on schedule to be hatched, sometimes that can be months after you had planned...especially if you are trying to get 4H breeds that need to be a certain size by fair.