HOW MUCH DID IT COST TO RAISE MY CORNISH CROSS CHICKENS???

Its time to process the meat birds. I do not raise chickens for sale at this time but instead I raise them for my own food. This year was an exceptional year and ended up with my lowest cost per pound ever.. Luck was on my side for sure.

[@foxsea451]

Great deal on the organic feed! Organic meat is getting outrages. I like grass fed. Even my butter. Thanks for sharing! 👍♥️🦊

[@LivingTheDreamHomestead.]

Man your place is so beautiful! I love that foggy morning through the trees :) And that cabin is looking awesome!!! Meat birds are next for us, that plucker is diabolical!! I love it! 6.3 lbs ! Those are pretty good sized! thanks for the great video. 👍

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

Thank you. I love it up here and yes the birds really grew big . The largest was 8.09lbs dressed weight.

[@JoshuaMichail0]

Wow, at 70 cents per pound, or even at $2 per pound, raising your own meat birds is economically a better choice.

[@JustMe-999a]

Depends how much your time is worth

[@virginiareid5336]

Your cost was fantastic. Most people have paid full price for feed and it really does bring the totals up.

[@littlepils4187]

saving 90 percent on the feed was a huge bonus. good for you. I just put 75 chicks in brooder today for a fall crop.I enjoy hunting deer but broiler birds are guaranteed meat in freezer..Pandemic times,,,,

[@dianecharles881]

Great Job! Definitely great price on the feed!

[@cobobrien366]

nice honest informative vid ...Good one!!

[@geneking1918]

Ive found Freedom Ranger Meat birds this year, ordered them from Pennsylvania. Love these birds. We ordered 50, they came out to be $1.50 a chick...less health problems like tge cornish...im impressed with this variety. Thought you'd like to know. Good looking birds and Fabulous flavor too.! Thanks for the videos. Keep up the good job...Shalom & May God bless y'all. The freedom Rangers go up to 9 - 11 weeks till butcher time. Great Foragers and they lay eggs too and breed amongst the flock.

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

great info. Thank you!

[@lindarinner9482]

I enjoy foggy mornings. That was a great deal on the feed.

[@denisemacdonald2062]

Wow that was a hell of a deal on feed!!!

[@davidsanderson5466]

Wow, beautiful area.

[@baylonaj]

Sounds about right. I usually run about 75 cents per pound. I got a 3 for 1 chick special deal this year. You have to process yourself to make it worth it.

[@chapter9388]

Beautiful birds…healthy

[@DebbiesHomeplace]

So glad you didn't show the processing. What awesome savings for the organic feed plus all that fresh grass, they ate good and in turn will feed you and yours. You can't beat .70 a bird, that's a helluva deal. What more could you ask for Stephen, so glad your pleased.

[@zx900steve]

I raised 8 cornish cross last year in a similar tractor. 11 weeks to processing. Average size 7 lbs after processing. Great meat, but the amount of manure they produced was crazy!! Flies and smells were an issue. If youre out in the country, it wouldn't be as much a concern....

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

I have plenty of land for the tractor so it wasn’t an issue here. The amount manure is almost unbelievable. It will leave the grass green for a very long time!

[@hddm3]

Man great job and it’s gona be beautiful

[@PopleBackyardFarm]

great video this year we are doing Brahmas enjoyed this. - Ruthie

[@lancelangford8849]

You’re a better man than most

[@budhames5254]

Thanks!

[@danielwagner6290]

If you include all the helpers and your time than you don't make a profit, but at least you know what your eating and I am sure it's a better product. Peace of mind is a worth something.

[@djpedromixhouston]

Great video 🐣🐥🐔🐔🐔🐔🐔

[@baileyhodges2584]

I wish I could find some cheap feed like that lol

[@OurCabinInThewoods]

Just subscribed . good deal

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

IF you have a feed mill close or a bulk feed supplier is the way to go !!! I had 2 when I was raising beef and chickens. Some use a tote bag, some you provide your container, barrels work great and the cost is sooo much less !!!

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

I have been looking for a feed mill within driving distance. No luck so far.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

@@hickoryridgehomestead9177 Yeah part of the down side to rural living, few services/products readily avail !!!

[@SustainablyYoursHomestead]

That is awesome! We're not quite ready to raise any large batches of chickens, but I'm gonna start watching for deals like the one you found. I can't believe you got you cost down to $0.70 a pound! Even if you were to amortize your infrastructure costs, I'd bet you're still getting way better quality food for way less than grocery store prices.

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

It was just a really good year and luck. Feed cost it what really determines the outcome and I got really lucky.

[@suenorton873]

I so hope you did not kill the chicken to the far right, that's my chick. Her name is Run, as in "he has an axe, RUN ! .. what's for dinner? 😊

[@miriamramos5011]

Thanks for sharing. We are getting ready to begin homestead within a year. How much did the bird plucker cost? and where did you purchase the plucker?

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

I bought this plucker used for the same price as one of the cheap chinese ones.It is an ezeplucker 188 and is very well built but over kill unless you are doing alot of birds. I would start now keeping your eyes open for a good deal. Patients really pays off in the end.

[@mikeries8549]

My first attempt at this is going well. My chicks are about 3 weeks old, fat, and lazy. I plan on 15 pounds per bird on the meatbird crumbles/pellets.. 3 bags is $54. They eat chick feed for 4 weeks. Add another $40. Estimate $94 for ten birds. Around $10/bird. Not cheap but quality.

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

Quality is what matters!! Great job.

[@mikeries8549]

Built a 4x12 tractor for ten chicks. I hate mowing the back yard let them do it.

[@timothygunckel7162]

If you have enough property, plant corn, oats and any other grain. Of coarse you'll have to process it yourself.

[@johnmarquardt1991]

I hope everything is ok.

[@jerylynbean7634]

I'm so grateful you didn't show the culling. I love birds yes even meat birds. I eat organic chickens when I can afford them, but when I was a little girl we went over to my Aunt and Uncles for dinner one Sunday. My Uncle bill cut the head of dinner off right in front of us. The chicken ran around the yard with its head cut off. That made a lasting impression on me. I don't like the killing of animals anytime!

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

I didnt see the need to show the whole process.

[@sarahbrewer8945]

Now that I have read this comment I will watch all the way through! I am quite the hypocrite, can’t stand the thought of any creature being killed but am a meat eater - go figure! There is no way I could raise any animals to eat, but I can understand just how better lives they have had being raised on a small scale homestead rather than on a large production basis.

[@tammystruble3473]

Poor chicken 🐔

[@CliffsideStables]

I had a similar experience when dad killed my Easter chicken. Never have gotten that image out of my head of the headless chicken running around our front yard! For some reason a killing cone doesn’t bring up such thoughts. Go figure. Tim @ Cliffside Acres

[@milenesteele3130]

I hope you had some other people helping you. That is a lot of work.

[@lancez.3287]

Great Job man! If you don’t mind my asking, when exactly during the year do you order your birds and when do you try to process them? Thank you!

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

The summers are mild here so I try to order for the first of June and process first of August. If you’re summer temps are high you might consider ordering earlier. Just make sure they have all the water they want at all times.

[@lancez.3287]

@@hickoryridgehomestead9177 I’m about 80 miles from you near Searcy AR.

[@allabilitieshomestead6868]

I’m curious what you do with the byproducts? Heads, blood, feathers etc. can they be composted or fed to other animals?

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

The blood and feathers were composted

[@ErnieHatmaker]

That isn't bad at all!

[@TriciainGeorgia]

Haven’t seen you in awhile, Please let us know you are okay. 👍🏻

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

everything is going well. Im getting the insulation and final decking on and will have an update video next week.Thanks for checking on me.

[@TriciainGeorgia]

Thanks for letting us know! Glad everything is going good. Looking forward to watching your next video.

[@mamawarriorprincessdaughte797]

What about sealing bags, setting up a chicken tractor..? Buying the tools for processing?

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

The bags were very cheap. All fifty were around $5.00. I didn't consider the cost of chicken tractor or plucker since it will be used year after year. I built the tractor out of leftover lumber and wire so the only thing I spent on it was for the hinge for the door, about $3.00. Unless you have large predators in your area, I wouldn't build a tractor this heavy. It would be tough to move even with wheels. I have large bears here and I needed it heavy built.

[@mamawarriorprincessdaughte797]

Hickory Ridge Homestead we have coyotes, raccoons, possums, hawks.. we thought about buying net fencing.. currently we have around 40 layers, that have a coop and fenced area.. and 40 dual purpose chicks that we will need to make a space for..

[@seektoreason4956]

Also, do I need and certifications or license to sell chickens?

[@kflan3342]

Blessing Birds!

[@ohske]

😯👏👏👏👍👍👍👌

[@danielwagner6290]

You have to include a percentage per butchering session of all the equipment and all it's maintenance including electicity and water into the total cost over all chickens butchered with all that equipment because that is all the actual cost. Don't exclude all of that for simplicity sake.

[@ralphellsworth1019]

Is everything all right? had not seen any new videos in a while.

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

everything is fine, Ive been working away at getting the insulation and decking on the roof. Its a boring process and I just decided to do an update video when that part is over. I hope to be finished with it early next week if the weather holds. Thanks for checking in.

[@seektoreason4956]

I am interested in raising my own Cornish cross chickens for profit. I wanna start with about 10 or 15 birds. Should I buy chicks or pullets? Once I raise them to adult size and butcher them, how much do I need to charge ? $5 a pound ?

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

The price varies by area. Buy chicks from a reputable hatchery. As far as selling poultry for profit, the laws vary by state so you will have to look up the poultry regulations for your area.

[@leahbonham9347]

What size is your chicken tractor and about how many did/will it hold?

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

It is a 10’x12’ and it holds 50 comfortably.

[@leahbonham9347]

@@hickoryridgehomestead9177 awesome!! Thank you!!

[@flemmingengel4795]

it is wrong to keep chickens that way .. the cage should be bigger with so many birds and they should be able to sit on sticks and sleep and rest so it must also be higher .. in nature they would sit up in the trees at night

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

These chickens cant sit on roosts because their breast get so big it would rub blisters on them, they are too big to fly and in nature the majority of them would have been killed by predators.

[@lmfarms4611]

where did you get your plicker

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

I actually bought it used and got a great deal.

[@davidbane8292]

How big was your tractor for 36 chickens ?

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

I built it for 50 birds and it was 10’x12’. The last 10 days or so I moved it 2 times a day to make sure they had plenty of fresh grass to eat.

[@pamelahagan3215]

Where did you purchase your chicken plucker?

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

I actually bought it used. If you don’t process a lot of chickens I would suggest buying a cheaper one. You can find them for around $400 or so. They will save you a lot of time and effort for sure. The one I have is an ezplucker-188

[@suenorton873]

It's been sometime since you posted, hope your ok.

[@vickiulrich6694]

Sue Norton...I was wondering the same thing as I miss the updates. My husband fears he fell off the roof. I pray that's not the case for the absence!

[@suenorton873]

@@vickiulrich6694 I checked his fb page, the front is done n waiting for the metal roof. I dont know about the backside. Sure hope he didn't fall, would be just like a man if he did. Dont know why he cant tie himself to the roof...lol

[@vickiulrich6694]

Too funny! Thanks for letting me know. I don't do any social media other than KZbin and Pinterest so your update is very much appreciated. Hope that we see him back to vlogging soon!

[@williamwalters581]

Organic is overrated for the money if not worth it!

[@hickoryridgehomestead9177]

When I changed my food my health drastically improved.

[@williamwalters581]

My health improved greatly when I stopped eating sugar grains and vegetable seed oils!

[@JoshuaMichail0]

Damn, that is a nice deal to find -- the $27 bags of feed with the price slashed to just $5 per bag. I would think the reason they did that is because with the crazy "organic" and "non-GMO" fad the store just couldn't shift them. People were probably comparing the prices and know that conventional, and even "GMO", crops are perfectly safe and fine. There's no rational justification for paying a premium just because the product has "non-GMO" or "organic" marketing gimmicks slapped on the label. I say, why squander money on a brand of product that conveys no actual benefits any better than the less expensive brands? Moreover, for anyone who is environmentally conscientious the "non-GMO" fad is actually worse than GE ("GMO") crops.

[@CrayZJo3Davola]

What's the cone for? I'm only 8 years old.