Homesteading Chicken Coop Build, Chickens, Pond, Garden & Projects

Nice chicks

 

In most places; on first response on a page that would have a totally different meaning

 

142 meat birds arrived Wednesday afternoon. Will be with us until 5/16.

 

jrider how long will it take to process all of those?
What's an estimate in costs you'll have in when all said and done?

 

There will be 5-6 of us and it will take 3.5 hours to slaughter and clean up. We let them chill in a large industrial fridge overnight and then it will take us another 3.5 hours to cut them up as we each see fit and wrap them.
As for costs, last year we were just under $2 a pound. The previous year we were around $2.65 a pound. The big swing is dependent upon cost of feed and how many of them make it to slaughter day. Out of these 142, about 120 will make it...I hope. They will range in size from about 8.25 pounds to 5 pounds for a few with an average in the upper 6's once dressed out.

 

The little chooks should be arriving around May 13th, 80 Ranger pullets (meat birds) The hoop coop is right outside my bedroom window, no roos if I can help it. Then there's 65 Browns pullets (eggs), up from the 40 that I have now. People want chicks this year so I'll hatch around 40 barnyard mixes for them. In June the 18 broad breasted turk poults will arrive. Because the laying flock is increasing, they'll take over the 3rd bird room and a new brooding room needs to be built in the chicken barn. I also have to build a rough shelter for the turks in the old calving pen. The pile of materials for the build:



Somebody kick me please...

 

How do you like the Rangers? For my meat birds, I get jumbo cornish cross and all roos for quicker growth and bigger. At 8.5 weeks, only a few try to crow at all and they sound like sad teenagers.

 

Blame it on the granddaughter! She loves her chickens as much as she likes 'her' rabbits, both live and ready to eat.

I'm not a fan of the Cornish cross, used to raise them and tried them again 3-4 years ago but they aren't a good fit for my facilities. The Rangers go to freezer camp around 12-13 weeks, weight is about the same at that point as the Cornish. I like the firmer, more flavorful meat, especially in the breast and my customers feel the same. Whatever works is good. I envy it only taking you and your crew less than a day to be chickenless. Kudos!

 

The hatchery I use has 2 kinds of Rangers, the regular and a faster growing Color Yield. I raised those the first year, most birds in the 6-7 lb dressed weight at 12 weeks. Both are active birds without the leg and death problems associated with Cornish cross.

 

My chicks are just over 8 weeks now. Im planning on gradually introducing them in another month or so. They're in the same coop but divided from the others. If the old hens get on a ledge they can see them but it's not like they're able to constantly eyeball one another.

I have never introduced hens into the f established flock that has a rooster. Anything I should be aware of this time around?

 

I just wrapped up chicken season here. 8.5 week old jumbo cornish cross. We ordered 140 (5 families). 142 were delivered and 129 made it to slaughter which is the best we've ever done. They averaged 7.22 pounds a piece and with all expenses accounted for, the meat came out to $1.99 a pound.

 

We still do but have scaled down.

 

We each took a different amount. I took 27. Some took more, some took less.