Meat Chickens 2020

Well, it is an odd year, but what isn't odd is that we need some meat in our freezer.  Our meat chickens from the fall are just about gone and there are meat disruptions in the world, so we decided to do a spring batch and a fall batch this year.

The spring batch breaks down as follows:

30 birds ordered, 31 delivered, 29 made it to butcher day.  The other two died at about 3 weeks when there was a cold snap and they were smothered.

We started just before 7 and were done by 9.  I got it all fussed over, cleaned up and done-done well before noon.  It was so smooth and FAST this year.  Levi, Garrett and Evan did the hatcheting, Dad did the plucking, Marcee, me, Anna, and Kelby did the eviscerating.  Augie Walsh came and learned and did a little gutting too.

Roasting birds: 161 pounds
Offal: 3 lbs, 4 oz gizzards, 3 lbs, 9 oz livers, 1 lb, 4 oz hearts
Total weight: 169 pounds

Breakdown:  $1.45/pound (meat only), $1.38/pound (includes offal)

Next up:  50 birds coming at the end of July!

Second Batch:    This was one really odd group.  We ordered 50, counted multiple times, but only had 45 in the box.  Then FIVE DIED...3 in one day!   And somehow we ended up with 45 birds at the end.  Obviously, we miscounted, but after counting like 5 times I don't see how that is possible.  This batch also had a runt that stayed tiny FOREVER.  It did finally grow, but it was so weird.  Costs break down as follows:

Butchered 20 birds at 8 weeks exactly.  They gave us a total of 114 pounds  on the carcass, 2 lb, 6 oz of liver, 1 lb hearts, 1 lb, 13 oz gizzards.

Butchered 25 birds at 10 weeks.  They gave us a total of 168 lbs with 2 lb, 12 oz of liver, 1 lb hearts, and 3 lb gizzards.  

Total 45 birds with 282 lbs, 5 lb, 2 oz liver, 2 lb hearts, and almost 5 lb gizzards.

Expenses totaled $470 for all of them.  I fed these just regular food from Farm & Fleet and with the costs involved, it turns out that soaking organic food isn't any more expensive.   It was amazing how fast they ate through their food and it didn't increase their size.  We ended up with the largest right over 8 pounds, the smallest was less than 5 lbs in the 8 week bunch.

I also got 2 birds from Wundrows, through someone they knew in Chicago.  Those two just lived with the others and then hung out in the tractor growing until it was getting too cold.  I have no idea how old they were, but they were huge.  Both were over 8 lbs and that was with skinning them, cutting off wings and tails.  Basically, they were the size of turkeys!