Cornish Cross Spring 2019

[baymule]

I forgot, I toss in the rooster testicles too. When I debone the breast, I cut away the cartilage for the dog pot too. Just turned off batch #2, waiting for it to cool. I have batch #3 ready to go in the pot. I got 4 more quarts and 2 quarts of broth to can, which will make a total of 18 quarts and 2 quarts of broth.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I toss the testicles into the chicken run when I'm processing my birds. Seems like a bit of justice to me. Those cockerels are downright nasty to the pullets and hens. so... let them gals turn those mountain oysters into eggs.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I just toss 'em to the dogs. They like butchering day lol

 

[baymule]

Carson and Trip will eat a few rounds of guts, Paris is politely disinterested. Parker was our gut eating champion. Just days before he died last summer, we butchered chickens and he ate beyond his fill. We were glad that he got that slaughter day meal to enjoy.

I am tired this morning! Just that drained, jello for muscles kind of feeling. Got to go to Tyler today, run errands, it will be a day of rest, LOL.

 

[baymule]

We took the 20 dressed chickens to our customer. $5 a pound came to $464. They were delighted and so were we. That paid all the expenses with $44 profit. I was looking at it like the 18 chickens we are keeping will be free, but saw sheep working equipment on Craigslist for $650. Brand new price is $955, so it was a good deal. BUT— my husband offered $500 and they took it. So basically the chickens paid for my sheep equipment and we’re back to paying for our chickens. LOL

Slaughtered 10 of “our” chickens today. Then had to run errands. I got 3 cut and packaged. Tired, had to sit down awhile. Going out to Feed, then do our supper and I’m done for today.

 

[baymule]

Today we set up the sheep working equipment we bought off Craigslist and got a FANTASTIC DEAL. That took from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. I rested 45 minutes then started on chicken at 2:45. Just got finished and cleaned up at 7:40 PM. I am freaking tired. My husband just took the ice cooler to fill it up at the neighbors ice machine so we can slaughter the remaining 7 CCX and 2 mean roosters in the morning. Rinse repeat.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Will these chickens ever end???? I know you'll be glad to get that last one finished!

Congrats on getting the sheep equipment and getting it set up. It's gonna make life a lot easier and who knows, when it's easier to deal with 'em maybe you'll need more!

 

[baymule]

We’ll I didn’t slaughter the two mean roosters, I didn’t put them up, away from Feed last night. We slaughtered 7, came in and took naps. LOL No more CCX!!! I’ll process tomorrow.

When I am all done, I’ll make my cost/profit/loss report.

While I prefer the taste of other breeds, the CCX is a good way to stock the freezer with a LOT of meat in a very short time.

 

[baymule]

Ok here it is......drumroll please!



Out of 50 chicks ordered, after the initial die-off, I had 23 left and 3 of those were grotesquely stunted. I put them down. Ordering chicks through TSC was a dismal experience, will never do that again. Since I didn't have enough chicks, a week later, I bought 20 more from my local TSC store and they were all healthy. That brought me to 40 chicks, 2 died along the way.
I got credit for the first 17 that died from the ordered chicks, 10 more chicks died that I did not get credit for.

Total feed cost...……………………..$293.88
Total chick cost...…………………….$99.28
Chick losses...…………………………..$27.64

Total expenses………………………..$420.80

Total sales.....………………………..$464.00

Profit...………..………………………..$43.20

Sold 20 chickens, cut in parts, vacuum sealed.
Total weight of dressed chickens 119 pounds, 3 ounces
Total weight of chicken parts 92 pounds, 13 ounces

We slaughtered 18 chickens for ourselves.
Total weight of dressed chickens 111 pounds, 14 ounces
Total weight of chicken parts 83 pounds 8 ounces

Total weight of whole dressed chickens 231 pounds, 1 ounce
Total weight of chicken parts 176 pounds, 5 ounces

We gave a whole chicken to a neighbor with an ice machine and we gave a cut up chicken to another neighbor in trade for cutting some trees. So we are left with 16 chickens and will give some of that to our DD and family.

This was stretched over 11 weeks. We could have finished up sooner, but life got in the way.

I canned 18 quarts of backs, necks and other parts mixed with rice for the dogs, plus 2 quarts of broth. I have 3 one gallon bags of parts to can for the dogs in the freezer and will probably get that done in the next day or two.

Last year, when the dust settled, the cost for the meat we kept was 50 cents a pound. This year, our meat cost nothing and even got a profit of $43.20, not bad. We're just glad that we are DONE.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Those are some pretty good numbers! Especially considering all the losses you had. I know you're glad it's over for now....but there's always next year!