Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
When we raise Cornish Cross for butchering we do not feed only high-protein, artificial feed mix-
tures, but rather allow our Cornish Cross chicks to free-range in pastured areas. Instead of reaching
full size in the 7 to 8 weeks as commercial chicken houses experience, we butcher our chickens in
about 11 to 12 weeks but have only used half the “recommended” feed amounts. This keeps the
cost of feed down, and makes sure that our chickens are able to enjoy a healthier lifestyle for the
few weeks they are with us.
We still dressed out an average of 5-pound carcasses to put in the freezer, so we have had good suc-
cess with this method. Last year we purchased 40
straight-run
chicks (a mix of
pullets
and
cockerels
),
received 42, and raised 38 to butchering size. The slightly slower growth rates seem to keep our
chicks healthier and our death rates are very low.
deFinitiOn
When you order baby chicks as
straight-run,
you are getting a mix of male and female chicks because
they haven't been sexed, or sorted by gender. A
pullet
is a young female chicken; a
cockerel
is a young
male chicken.
We fed about one 50-pound bag of feed a week at $7 average per bag of feed. The cost of feed
was about $84 (this price includes feed used for the laying pullets as well). The cost of our chicks
was about $50 with shipping and handling. The total cost spent was less than $150 total for the
38 birds we put in the freezer. The chickens were an average of 5
1
⁄
2
pounds dressed out, giving us
roughly 200 pounds of meat. With grocery store prices at more than $2 per pound for industrially
raised chicken, we saved more than 75 percent on the price of chicken and enjoyed a higher-quality
meat that was raised in more humane conditions.
When I truly understood the filthy and sickening conditions that the average meat bird is raised in
I was able to set aside my momentary discomfort a couple times a year to do my own part to avoid
contributing to this system. I never take it for granted, and certainly don't find pleasure in killing
animals of any kind, but rather I am grateful for the ability to provide for my family and for the
provision we enjoy from our flock. I hope that makes sense.
I will discuss butchering techniques in Chapter 16. If you choose not to raise meat birds for your-
self, I hope you'll make purchases from locally raised poultry and support local backyard farmers.
Other Types of Poultry
Depending on the size of your backyard farm you might enjoy trying your hand at some of the
other types of poultry. Geese, ducks, guinea fowl, and turkeys have all found an excellent place in
the homestead.
