Free range chickens

[Blackice]

A few years ago a friend convinced me into raising chickens. He has done it for years and thought it would be something I would enjoy. I was a little hesitant but after a couple shop beers one night and a chicken coop blueprint drawing on a paper towel I figured I would give it a shot. Year one I raised 15 chickens and had no clue what the hell I was doing. I'm on year 4 and have added onto the chicken coop and raised 60 chickens last year for my family and a few friends. This has turned into something I truly enjoy. My son also loves to come out and help dad feed the chickens and chase them around the yard!! I started to think why not raise some extra chickens, sell them and put the extra money in a college fund for him. Here is my question!! What is a fair price per pound for a whole free range chicken froze in a sealed bag?

[1lessdog]

The money is in the eggs, I raise them for many yrs. And sold the eggs ( Brown, Blue and Green ) to Swanson health food in Fargo. We would get between 4.00 and 5.00 per dz. Most weeks would take in 15 to 20 dz. It would pay for the feed.

[bucksnbears]

The money is in the eggs, I raise them for many yrs. And sold the eggs ( Brown, Blue and Green ) to Swanson health food in Fargo. We would get between 4.00 and 5.00 per dz. Most weeks would take in 15 to 20 dz. It would pay for the feed.

No owls/hawks were harmed in the quoted post

[riverview]

Used to raise 50 roasters every year, had to be carful they didn't get too big in 3 months.

[espringers]

We raise chickens and a few ducks. Feed comes cheap from the local elevator. They don't really need it it the summer though as they scavenge. Still no way it pencils out $ wise considering our time and effort. But, the ducks taste like heaven and the eggs have actual color and taste. So, besides the enjoyment of raising those dumb fucks, we keep doing it. Long story short... its not a $ maker. But, us and many friends enjoy the fruits of our poorly spent labor.

[Fritz the Cat]

Have about 30 layer hens inside an insulated coup. Small door they can go out anytime they want. I don't close it at night. Have 4 African geese that keep predators away.

The Hutteritte colony by Elgin sells fryers for $7 bucks. They are good sized.

[Rowdie]

No owls/hawks were harmed in the quoted post

Holy schnikies $80 a week for chicken feed! What about the old cliche it's just chicken feed?

[espringers]

We have an enclosed pen with a door from the insulated coop that opens automatically when the sun comes up and closes when it goes down if the temp is above 20 degrees. We open the gate to the pen every morning and close it every night. It doesn't take long for them to figure shit out. No need to herd them in or out. McMurray hatchery is where we got the door controls

[Mr. Stevenson]

We raise chickens and a few ducks. Feed comes cheap from the local elevator. They don't really need it it the summer though as the scavenge. Still no way it pencils out $ wise considering our time and effort. But, the ducks taste like heaven and the eggs have actual color and taste. So, besides the enjoyment of raising those dumb fucks, we keep doing it. Long story short... its not a $ maker. But, us and many friends enjoy the fruits of our poorly spent labor.

Although I'm the biggest fan of "A Christmas Story"; I've never eaten tame duck. Can you describe the flavor?

[SDMF]

Here is my question!! What is a fair price per pound for a whole free range chicken froze in a sealed bag?

Frozen whole with the feathers on and guts intact or dressed, plucked, and singed clean then frozen and vac'd? In short, define "Whole".

At present, a whole chicken carcass vac sealed and frozen say 4-6# is worth about 25 .22LR shells or 10 loaded 223's.

[Allen]

Although I'm the biggest fan of "A Christmas Story"; I've never eaten tame duck. Can you describe the flavor?

Subtract the wild and you have dark, flavorful chicken.

Tame ducks are great, wild...not so much.

- - - Updated - - -

Holy schnikies $80 a week for chicken feed! What about the old cliche it's just chicken feed?

I think he's being facetious. I have a few birds and it costs me well under a dollar for a dozen eggs during the summer. In the winter you have to add light/heat to get eggs. I have not done the math on winter eggs.

[snow]

Although I'm the biggest fan of "A Christmas Story"; I've never eaten tame duck. Can you describe the flavor?

all I can say about the flavor is"nummy" ,couple times a year I stop at a little asian market/deli in little saigon in st paul minnesota,they roast "long island" ducks old school (one would swear he was in a da Nang village) hanging with a marinade bag sewed in the body caviety,tripe included you get the head and all for sucking the brains and eye balls out, I use they're dry rub on my duck/geese for bbq or oven cooking,peking rub is the best,but these farm raised ducks have great flavor,slight foul taste otherwise they would taste like chicken.

[bigv]

We have chickens. Really enjoy their eggs. So much more flavor than the local grocer. We have raised a few for butcher too. Don't let them get too big. But I think we charged $8 a bird. Butchered and packaged.

[espringers]

Wild duck is pretty good. Tame is great. This is wild...

[BrokenBackJack]

If you are going to eat them, do not feed them barley as it makes the meat rubbery.
Was told this when i was just a youngster by several old timers.

Nothing more relaxing than listening to the chickens when they are just mulling around. If you think i am full of it, try it once as they have a calming effect and you don't need "alprazalam" to relax! They have just a soft garble to them.
Man i miss the ranch! We raised a lot of different critters.

[shorthairman]

We have chickens for egg producing, and I we probably break about even on feed by selling the eggs. Once you have farm fresh eggs, you will never like store bought eggs...
A couple years ago we raised some broilers and butchered at 8 weeks...should have butchered at 6 as I thought they were awfully big at 8 weeks once we started processing. Depending on how big you get them I think $10/bird would be reasonable.

[Davey Crockett]

Has anyone raised and butchered Turkeys ? We raised almost all our food growing up on the farm but never a turkey.

[Blackice]

Birds are cornish cross and typically weigh between 5 and 7 lbs after dressed, plucked and froze in vac sealed bag. It's amazing how much better home grown chickens taste over the store bought chickens. Reading online people charge anywhere from $2/lb up to $5/lb. $5/lb seems pretty steep for chicken. Was just wondering what people at a more local level would be willing to pay. Is $3/lb reasonable?

[7mmMag]

Have about 30 layer hens inside an insulated coup. Small door they can go out anytime they want. I don't close it at night. Have 4 African geese that keep predators away.

The Hutteritte colony by Elgin sells fryers for $7 bucks. They are good sized.

We buy whole chickens from the Hutterite colony by LaMoure for $7 too. They are big birds as well.

[BrokenBackJack]

Has anyone raised and butchered Turkeys ? We raised almost all our food growing up on the farm but never a turkey.

We raised wild Turkeys but i wouldn't let anyone kill one to butcher. Everything was my pet that i raised. We raised geese, pheasants, chickens, wild turkeys, cattle, horses, pigs, dogs and cats.
Had a few deer too that got really tame and every summer i raised a raccoon too. Those little coons would roll over on their backs and drink milk out of a baby bottle when i came out with it. Looked just like a little baby. Funny thing about it, every year i named that coon Little Johnny!
Needless to say my Dad wasn't impressed with my pet coon's. They would scare the crap out of him when they would jump down from above and land on his shoulders. I would get chewed out when that happened and told that was the last one i was to raise.
Needless to say the next year i would have another one. Every one of them would ride on the back of one of our German Shepards. That was funny to see and that one dog didn't mind it at all.