i am thinking about getting 75 meat birds and raising them on corn and a chicken tractor after 5 weeks, being raised organically, how much could i charge per pound? are meat birds profitable, or does mcmurray make it look a lot easier than it is?
meat birds/profit
I can't answer this technically, but I did have a friend who was doing it (may still be doing it but lost touch due to move). During the 2 years that I worked with him, he grew by leaps and bounds - never even had to advertise. Once the asian population found out that he was doing it, he couldn't keep up with demand (they kept requesting he do some ducks too). I don't remember prices/profit amounts - only that it was good money as long as friends/family were able to help with the slaughtering/dressing out.
Now that is the biggest problem - the slaughtering/dressing out is a huge undertaking, and that IS what made his business so succesful. You MUST be certified by the health department and the USDA. YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO GET CAUGHT WITHOUT PERMITS!!! He said that is was quite a hassle at first, but he actually learned a lot going through the permit process, and it actually brought him more business. Another friend that we carpooled with's husband raised certified organic herbs and produce, and they both agreed that they wouldn't do it anyother way.
As with any idea to make money, it always pays to research well, and start small (and that comes with 13 years of self-employment - some successful, some not).
Good Luck!
You can not grow healthy chickens just feeding them corn. You will need to buy grower ration which contains all the nutrients a bird nneds to be healthy. I suggest you do a google search on growing poultry. There are some wonderful books available on the subject. Google" Joel Salatin" to start with. You might want to go to the poultry section of www.homesteadingtoday.com a great resource.
Linda
Salatin's site is "www.polyfacefarms.com," but more can be found in his book "Pastured Poultry Profits." Birds that have true free range to plenty of greens, bugs and grains don't need much supplemental food. We use the same feed Polyface does, but when the birds are ranging, they eat a lot less of it.
You need to be certified by USDA to sell chicken meat?! i had no clue, i thought if you butchered less than 2,000 a year, the laws really did not apply to you, well, thats what i took from mt reading on regulations by the state of michigan. how do you get certified?
ill tell you one thing get a chicken picker to check around i had one in the early 70s i use to do about 100 chickens a year just for family and freinds i got a old one from a farmer bought new rubber nipples for it worked great. Paul i raised white leg horns and butchred when there was 12 weeks old