[straush]

Hi - we re going to keep some chickens for eggs but am playing with the idea of keeping a few for  meat.   is it worth all the effort ?

e.g. killing and cleaning them - I have not done this before

- I assume its not cost effective but at least you will have better quality birds

any views ?

thanks

[DavidandCollette]

Hi we keep about 15 for eggs and have no problem selling the excess. We also want to keep some for meat next year. For us it's as much about knowing where our meat comes from rather than cost. I am sure that there will be plenty of people on this site who can answer your financial questions

[Eve]

Ours cost us roughly the same as supermarket organic chicken, so whether it's cost effective depends on what you compare it to, and also how much equipment you have to start off with (coops, runs, etc). But yes, they're much better quality birds, and we definitely think it's worth it. 

[straush]

Thanks - we have no equipment but more than happy buying it.

I was more worried about slaughter etc. - but sounds like I should at least give it a go.

[Creagan]

See if you can get someone to show you how to do the killing/plucking/drawing- they'll probably be glad of the help. Will give you much more confidence than doing it from a book or Youtube, and you'll be in a position to do a better, faster job of ut all.

[Eve]

Whereabouts are you based, Straush?


Once you've killed the first it gets easier (though it's never nice), as with many things it's the first one that's the hardest.

[straush]

still in the process of buying but its based near Guildford.

I don't even like killing mice - which I really don't like.   All part of the "fun"

[Rosemary]

I agree with the above. We buy 20 day-old meat birds in May - we've had Hubbards (good), Ross (not so good - much higher mortality) and next year we're having Sasso, which are suitable for outdoor rearing.

They're under heat for about three weeks then on pasture until about 12 weeks old when we kill them - cocks one weekend, hens the next weekend. Size wise, we could kill them earlier - at 12 weeks they are between 3 and 5kg table ready.
There's more info in the article below - it's from 2013 but we're still using the same outdoor pen, although it's had some repairs and will need all the chicken wire replaced this spring.

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/diary/new-pen-for-meat-birds/

I could buy chicken cheaper but I know this does what it says on the tin.

[Marches Farmer]

You could start with something like a Dorking which is a dual-purpose breed - reasonable layer but will also make an excellent table bird, if slower growing than the commercials.

[farmers wife]

Read Joel Salatins Poultry keeping book http://www.polyfacefarms.com/2011/07/25/pastured-poultry-profits/   based on low input pasture raised very good.  Yes, its worth it for the quality and enjoyment.  You wont be able to buy similar from any supermarket.


Plenty of info everywhere.  Buy the best chicks to suit your needs, feed plenty of scraps and enjoy.  The dispatching isnt as bad as I thought.


We raise organically here so feed costs are high. If you can source direct from a mill (not shop) and but in one bag not 15kg bags can make price lower.  Our hens are egg layers however we have done chickens and ducks.

[greenbeast]

We've got a laying flock and will be doing meat birds (for ourselves only) once i can get power to heat lamps at the farm.
I have done it before at my parents farm, even if it cost the same as a 'good' supermarket bird it would be well worth IMO

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I agree with everyone else on this. I myself will be rearing a few for the table. The reason people rear them for the table is because not only do they know what they're fed and how they're kept, but also they taste so much better than any supermarket chicken. I remember from a young age my parents rearing chickens for the table, in fact I reared a whole load of cockerels for the table and they tasted excellent. I say it is definitely worth it to have your own meat, who keeps of a flock and doesn't eat of it? The meat that your chickens will produce, depending on breed, will taste infinitely better than supermarket chicken.  Do keep us updated on how you get on? What breed were you thinking of keeping for killing?

[straush]

not started thinking about breed - was more thinking about the quantity of chickens as I need to build/buy a henhouse and work out where we want to place the henhouse.     we were thinking 3 chickens for eggs but if we (as everyone suggests we should) start keeping them for meat then it will be a few more.     the plan is to keep track of progress either on a blog or at least with photos as the land and house we are buying need a lot of work to get in order - the advice on here is superb. thank you

[Clansman]

I have some commercial breeders for meat.

You'll never be able to produce meat chickens anywhere near the commercial prices, the major cost is feed, if you're not keeping them in a temperature controlled environment the feed consumption increases massively, especially if they are being kept longer than is necessary.

Ideally you need to be killing them as quickly as possible once they reach optimum price to cut back on the feeding.


http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=55467.0

[Buffy the eggs layer]

you might find this post useful from my blog


http://www.thechickenwhisperer.co.uk/2012/11/starting-with-hens.html


There is also one called the good coop guide that might give you some food for thought.


http://www.thechickenwhisperer.co.uk/2012/11/good-coop-guide_11.html