Have you thought about raising your own meat chicken? But are unsure about care, feed, processing, and so much more. Well, I can wait to share a few tips we use here at Red Ridge Farm Homestead. Let's get growing!
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“And whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not, be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land." ~ Numbers 13:20
Hello Fellow Growers,
Today you and I are going to talk about a topic that I have gotten lots of questions about so I thought why not answer your questions but also go a few steps further.
If you have ever thought about raising meat chickens on your homestead but wonder if you could handle all the steps from chicks to processing to beyond?
You are in the right place!
I know I have shared about raising layer chickens on the podcast and even the differences between meat and layer chickens but today I want to focus on meat chickens.
While also taking you my fellow grower through the complete journey, by starting with where you find chicks, to raising your chicks, through different milestones all the way to how you can prepare your harvest for your family.
So grab a piece of paper and let’s dive in!
Purchasing Your Chicks
This step can seem straight forward, you just need to find a hatchery and order the chicks. Here is your first tip, when picking a hatchery you need to pick one that is not only reputable but also close to you. The amount of time your chicks spend traveling to you will gauge how stressed your chicks will arrive to you.
I found out by talking to my mail lady that packages and letters travel times can vary but a good rule of thumb is that a package will take about 1 day of travel per state. Chicks are usually rush ordered but this is still a good guideline to use.
Your goal is to receive your chicks in 2-3 days, 4 days is pushing it. Chicks naturally don’t need feed and water for the first 3 days, which good hatcheries will provide them with food in the box. But the longer they are without water and stuck in that little box traveling to you the higher the stress level will be. This can cause death or weak chicks.
To avoid this for your chicks find a hatchery that is within 2 states and be sure to pick them up as soon as the post office calls so you can get them home and safe right away.
The next thing you need to consider when purchasing your chicks is breeds. When you type in meat chicken breeds you are going to find several different options.
In the list you will find meat breeds as well as dual-purpose breeds. Now to dive into the different breeds of chickens I do recommend you to this podcast episode. But to move this discussion forward, I will give a quick definition of each category when looking at chicken breeds.
Layer Breeds main goal and purpose is laying eggs so their bodies are small, made for that purpose.
Meat Breeds main goal and purpose is that of body composition, which results in large bodies that give more meat. They also consume grain more efficiently, and turn it to muscle more readily. They do lay eggs but only in small amounts.
Dual- Purpose Breeds can meet the purpose of both of the categories above but not as efficiently. They lay more eggs than meat breeds but less than layer breeds. They grow bigger than layer chickens but are smaller than meat breeds.
Dual-Purpose can be butcher for meat but this is done after their ability of laying eggs reduces at the age of 3. When butchered at this time the meat is a little tough and results in them being called stew chickens. You can consume the roosters of these breeds earlier but because they don’t convert grain into muscle as efficiently, they will cost the grower more time and money to bring them to harvest ready.
This is why the best two breeds that I would recommend, and the ones I use at Red Ridge Farm, are the Cornish Cross and the Red Ranger. Both will produce a harvest ready bird more quickly then a dual-purpose bird but they each have advantages and disadvantages too.
The Cornish Cross, called that because it is a cross between a Plymouth Rock and a Cornish, are the preferred breed here at Red Ridge Farm. The ability to turn grain into muscle is remarkable. They are bred to be a meat birds. These birds grow very quickly, are easy to pluck, and are calm so raising for meat is ideal.
Between the two birds I have mentioned we prefer the Cornish Cross just because they are more cost effective. This means that the money spent on feed and bird as well as time produces a cheaper bird. The Cornish Cross is ready to butcher at 8 to 12 weeks and the Red Ranger at 12 to 18 weeks. Those added weeks of feed and time bring more cost to the end product that you will put on your table. You will need to decide this for yourself and weigh more than just the difference of where you live, how many you will raise, your length of growing season, and the area you have to move your chickens around your homestead.
The Cornish Cross also gives you bigger breast and size proportions we need to feed 3 growing men. The Red Rangers are great don’t get me wrong. They are a great heritage breed, they are more active so if you are looking for a bird that can move longer distances to search for bugs then they are ideal. Another great reason to get the Red Rangers would be that you could keep and raise them yourselves. They could easily be raised as an egg layer, with less than layer chickens, but you could then hatch your own meat chickens every year.
Feeding Your Meat Chickens
As chicks you are going to want to start simple, with unmedicated chick crumble. This feed may have soy and other unwanted ingredients but it will give you chicks the best start. Plus it will be easy for them to eat with their very tiny beaks. I personally only buy one 50# bag of this feed because one, I am not a huge fan of processed feeds and two, they will not need this fine crumble for very long. This is the same for layer chicks.
After this bag is done this is where things change. You will want to move them onto a Meat Bird Grower. There are processed feeds that can accommodate your needs but if you want to mix your own or purchase a whole grain feed for your birds you will just need to remember to keep the protein above 20-22%. This added protein is what creates larger muscles on your birds.
Side note, when you do the switch between feeds be sure to do a mix of both feeds for about a week. This allows the birds to accustom to the new feed without them going hungry. Also the key reason you want unmedicated is that you are going to be consuming these animals and what they eat is what you eat.
Care Day 1 to 4 Weeks Old
The first Day is the most important for you baby chicks, these chicks have just flown across the country for you to care for them.
That is why you need to be ready before they even arrive. I like to set up my brooder, this a warm area with a light for warmth, feed, water, and bedding that in a way is like a mother hen, a few days ahead of time. When a chick is first hatched, they spend loads of time under mom trying to stay warm. You have to create a place in your home, chicken house, or homestead that will be that perfect place. They need to be protected from predators, like mice, cats, and bigger wild animals. But most importantly they have to be kept warm so watch out for drafts and cold windows too.
I suggest that you heat up your brooder area a few times so that you can be sure that the temperature under the light is at 90 degrees. To adjust the temp on a heat lamp is by lowering or higher its height above the bedding. There is no thermostat on the simple design. Also you do not want to place the food or water under the heat lamp. One the water will get too hot to drink and grow bacteria that is harmful. Second, a chick under his mother would leave her warmth to eat and drink. This builds strong and well acclimated chicks too. So be sure you have enough space for them to roam away from the heat but not too far they do have little legs after all.
Next you want to feed them free choice, which means to always have food available for them. So that they can stay full and begin to regulate their food consumption their selves. This will create a balance in their diet at this crucial time in their lives.
Another amazing boost is to have their water boosted with electrolytes. You can buy those little packets but what is even easier is Apple Cider Vinegar. This gives them electrolytes with the added boost of germ killing qualities in the water so you can avoid Coccidiosis. This is caused by an intestinal parasite and does not like vinegar. Also put in a smashed glove of garlic per gallon to prevent other sickness. And a tablespoon of honey per gallon to give the chicks an extra energy boost and other vitamins. I love this most because all of these ingredients are in your kitchen cabinet and easily accessible.
These chicks will stay in the brooder until at least 3-4 weeks or when they can handle the temps outside. They need to have their feathers before they can take temps below 45 degrees.
Moving these Chicks Out on Grass
Cornish Cross are hardier than layer chicks and can be put out on grass in an adequate shelter at 3 to 4 weeks. Why do I not give an exact date, well, that is going to depend on the weather and their feather growth. Before putting them out they will need their adult feathers and good weather to get a good start in. You don’t want to be putting them out just before or just after a storm. You want a warm cloudy day so that they adjust to the new environment without huge swings in temperature that would happen on a clear day and night. And when considering temperature they avoid extreme cold below 45 degrees or above 100 degrees in the day right out of the gate. This will cause added stress on their weak bodies.
So be sure to check the weather and schedule their adventure out into the great outdoors accordingly.
Side Note: These temperature needs will also reflect when you get your chick to begin with. Like here at Red Ridge Farm, we wait until mid April so that we would be putting the young birds out on grass after our last frost day of May 20th. But that still is not a hard date for us because if a storm arrives during this time, we will hold back on putting our birds out until the environment is just right.
Chicken Tractor for your Birds
These can vary in shape and size. Ours has definitely changed over the years. I tell you all about our new chicken tractor here in the blog post and why we changed it up. I also include instructions on building our design there as well. But there are many ways to build a simple structure to move your birds around in. There are several style that you can find to build besides ours, such as the Joel Saltine Chicken Tractor and the John Suscovich. Each has their own pros and cons but as Joel says himself, “ Use what you have, nothing needs to be fancy, just functional.”
So let just go through what your shelter needs so you can decide for yourself which you will build or if your own design will work.
Size- this needs to fit the amount of birds you intend to grow. The Joel Salatin Chicken tractor that is 2 ft by 12 ft by 10ft will house 75 birds from start to finish and the Suscovich will house 30 birds per tractor. The same with our design as well.
Human Access- do you want a tractor that you can walk into like the Suscovich design or one that you only have limited access to.
Water- Are you going to hang your water because you have uneven ground like us. Or will an on the ground water work, you will have to lift it out everytime you move your tractor, just a heads up.
Feed- will make a hanging feeder like Suscovich’s design or will you just buy a simple feeder from your feed store that sits on the ground, that again will need to be lifted out every day.
Weather Protection- You will need a windbreak on the north and west of your tractors if that is where you strong winds come from in your area like ours. You birds will need to have a place to get out of the wind as well as the rain. So you will need a waterproof roof for ultimate protection. Bad weather can be negated by a good shelter.
Predator Protection- Your bird can be an amazing snack for raccoons, cats, dogs, and foxes. This list is long, be sure to get to know the main predators in your area. This means you are going to need to use wire that is not chicken wire. That wire is cute but a skunk can rip right through it and a raccoon can reach through and kill your birds without even entering the shelter. So I suggest that all wire be hardware cloth, it is durable and strong, and has kept most of our predators at bay. The best defense we have found is multilayer, with an electric fence placed just 6 inches above the ground around all of our chicken tractors to stop the predators before they have a chance to reach the shelters. Because we are all human and forget things, that is why that second layer of strong wire is important too.
Movability- The lighter the better. You will have to be moving this shelter daily. It is easy to add loads of weight when you want to protect your birds from predators and weather. But a heavy tractor only makes the chore unbearable. It is nice to work as a family in everything you do but you do not want to have to depend on 4 plus people to move your tractor daily like we first did. That is another reason the electric wire is so helpful in the above tips, you can go a little lighter with that added protection.
One good option for electric fencing is the poultry fencing from Premier One. It is amazing and so easy to move. Plus the area can be made big enough with the added length that you can move your shelter several time inside the fence before the fence need to be move completely
Caring for your Birds 4 to 12 week
Now that you know what shelter they will need let's talk about feed and care specifics. Now these care is going to change from the industry standard of how Cornish Cross are fed in large productions to a homestead view of productions.
Cornish Cross are used in the industry because they grow fast, which also can also cause problems when it comes to wanting these chickens to be able to walk free and be a chick on grass. When an animal grows too quickly either by breeding or overfeed, leg problems can occur. Which can result in more stationary or sick birds. The Industry can handle the sad state of their birds but I and I am sure you too, can’t and won’t. You are growing birds on grass to give your birds their best life.
So this means when it comes to a breed that is made to grow fast you need to be a little more strategic with their feed program. The feed program that works best is that of rationing their feed. This means that you will only be giving them the amount of feed they need each day, and stop the Free Choice program. This will encourage your birds to eat all that is placed in front of them and forage like other chickens do. Cornish don’t have the natural instinct to forage, so you will have to encourage this by having periods of time when the only food available is the grass and insects around them.
They will quickly learn I promise they love to eat.
Also part of the Rationing Feed Program you will have to increase their food offered them as they grow. Now this is going to be hard for me to give you exact measurements but what we do is offer the amount of grain to them each morning that they can clean up in 4 hrs. So if I feed at 8 am I go out again at noon, check water and see how much food is left then if there is none and they are acting content then it was enough. If they are acting lazy, and food is still left then I feed too much. If they rush me and are hungry then I feed too little.
I also soak their grain. This is going to make their food more palatable and easy to digest. So to do this and measure the amount of grain, we use those 1 gallon feed buckets. I fill them half full with our grain mixture and add water until the water is two inches above the grain. I then let this bucket sit where other animals, even mice, can get into it for 12 hrs. This gives the grain plenty of time to soften. Also makes a good schedule because what you soak in the morning can be fed at the evening feeding and what you soak in the evening can be used for the morning feeding.
Speaking of, I like to feed them again in the evening when we move them because this gives them a reward and encourages them to move easily with the tractor. This is usually half the amount I fed them in the morning because I don’t want the feed to sit in their shelter overnight and attract predators.
Time of Harvest
How do you tell when you need to be harvesting your birds? Well this is all going to depend on two things, the weight of your birds and the size of your family.
When you look at chicken found in a grocery store you will see two types, the smaller cornish roasting bird and the larger broiler birds, the only difference between them is the size or weight they were allowed to grow to before they were slaughtered. This means that you will need to wait until the bird reaches the desired size for your family.
For example, I slaughter our birds when the hens are 8 lbs and the roosters 10 lbs because then I know the end result will be a 5 to 6 lb bird for my table. And that size feeds my size of family perfectly.
Another thing you need to be checking as well is breast development. You do this by grabbing a bird from behind and placing both front breasts in your hands. You want them to be full and fill your hands.
Now Roosters will always be bigger than roosters. So to allow your hens to grow better and get full they will need more time and feed.
So a third thing we like to measure is their sex and plan to slaughter our roosters 2 weeks before our hens. You can tell a rooster from a hen by the size of the comb on their head and the spur claws they have on their feet which are also larger. This allows the hens to have more room and feed until they are ready to slaughter.
But a hard deadline on any size bird, and you may have some that just don’t grow well, this is because of their breed, you want to slaughter all birds by the 12 week deadline. Beyond this time the meat and muscles will become firmer and less tender.
What Do You Need to Slaughter Your Birds
I can’t get into details of all the steps in a blog, but what I can do is give you a list of all the things you will need on hand to make the process the best for you and your birds.
Slaughter Cone- This is the most important, if you want ease at the end of life moment. A slaughter cone is going to place the bird upside down, which naturally puts them in a comatose state. This will make the moment of using the knife easier. Also the cone will hold on to the bird with gravity when it goes the natural jerks of death. This will save you from a horrible scene and protect the meat from becoming bruised.
Sharp Knives- This may seem redundant but this is very important in making the job enjoyable for all. A dull knife will only result in someone cutting themselves.
Scalder- This can be a fancy scalder that you can find online. Or it can just be a large pot of water heated on a propane stove or fire to 130 to 170 degrees. This will allow you to heat the carcass of the chicken so that the pulling of the feathers is possible.
Plucker- Hand plucking is possible for small batches. But a plucker machine will help loads if you are going to be doing a large batch, like 100 or more birds. This is an expensive tool so be sure to weigh the pros over the cons.
Table- This will give the person eviscerating the chickens, aka removing the guts, a stable place to the chickens when working on them.
Bucket- For all of the eviscerating material and other parts you want to throw in the compost pile or trash.
Water Source- to wash the chickens and clean your table
Rags and Towels- to dry hands if needed
Coolers or Large tubs- so that you can fill them with ice water to cool the chickens and keep out of the way will you work.
Shrink Bags- to wrap you finished whole chickens in once they have been cooled.
Freezer Ziplock Bags, Wrapping Paper, and Tape- if you are planning to piece your birds and wrap the breasts, thighs, legs, wings, back, and carcass separately.
Thinking About Beyond the Harvest
Do you know how to utilize a Whole Chicken in your kitchen?
I know I didn’t at first!
When me and my family started on our growing journey. We were new to everything just like you. Our goal was to begin to eat more healthy and whole foods. And there is nothing more whole than a whole chicken. It is easy to fall into the trap of just cooking chicken breasts in all your family meals because they are your favorite and why not the grocery store provide them cut up and prepared for you, right?
But here is the problem with this mentality, well several problems really. One, eating just chicken breasts in your meal limits you to only one part of the chicken. And when you
are looking to grow your own meat chickens one day, you are going to have to deal with the rest of the bird, legs, wings, back, and more. Second, the chicken breast is the most expensive part of the whole bird, because just like you everyone loves it. There are still only two breasts per chicken. So the industry has to make most of its profit on just the chicken breasts. Third, the chicken breast does not hold as much nutritional value as other parts of a chicken. Who knew, right?
Point two and three have their merits but let's talk about problem one a little more. When we made it our goal here on the farm to increase the production of protein we found that raising meat chickens was going to be the easiest and had the smallest learning curve. We have raised layer chickens for years and raising meat chicken would only need a few skills learned before we could jump on the wagon.
Learn to move birds around our property to give them the best food and sanitation possible
Learn more about higher protein feeds and what is best to feed them
Learn to utilize a whole chicken in my kitchen- yes, they are not made up of just chicken breasts
If we were going to be successful in this venture then we needed to give eating and cooking a whole chicken a try before we purchased our first chicks. Raising animals is different from raising vegetables. This is a breathing and moving beast that must give up their lives to give you your best life. And that gift can not be wasted and taken for granted. Sorry, I told you that I don’t sugar coat things to make them easier to bear. It is best to say what needs to be said and wasting protein is not good form. But sadly in the commercial industry it is, because the consumer gets fixated on the easy and does not take the whole life of their protein into account.
How they grow and spend their lives should be just as important as the price on the label. Okay, let's move on.
What this boils down to is that when you learn to utilize a whole chicken, you can save money, eat more nutritious meals, and make sure that the life of that chicken is given its due.
And if you want help, then you are in the right place.
In Planning Beyond the Harvest with Whole Chicken Guide I hope to share with you some ideas and recipes I used to help teach my family and myself to utilize a whole chicken. And it is okay if you don’t raise your own meat chickens. That is not the point. The point is for you to gain a skill that will help you grow in the kitchen and accomplish your goal of eating and enjoying whole foods for your family.
On to You
Raising your own meat chicken can be a rewarding experience, especially when it comes to raising nutrient dense protein for your family the way you want to raise it. There are small and easy tips that can make this process even more enjoyable for the whole family, I have shared them with you today.
You don’t need to wait to get started on this journey of raising your own meat chickens because you can learn to cook and enjoy the whole chicken anytime. And to help you with that process, I have developed the Planning Beyond the Harvest with Whole Chicken Guide that will take you through every step with ease. You can find your copy inside the Purposeful Growing Journey under the Kitchen Stage.
Keep moving forward and remember it starts with the first step.
1) Grab the Planning Beyond the Harvest with Whole Chicken Guide- to take the overwhelm out of learning to prepare, cook, and utilize a whole chicken before you even start raising your own chicken so when you do nothing will go to waste.
2) Listen to the Pray, Just Plant Podcast- come and listen as we dive into every stage of the growing journey and find the steps you need to take to build the best homestead for you and your family.
3) Join the Purposeful Growing Membership waiting list, where I hope to coach and encourage growers, homesteaders, and more on how to provide the best food for their families. To build a homestead, grow more abundantly, and create a lifestyle you will love.
Remember
Don’t let the World hold you back,
Pray, Just Plant!
Timestamp
Intro 00:36
Purchasing chicks 01:22
Feed choices 06:48
Caring for chicks to three weeks 08:30
Tips and Tricks- Pruning Tomatoes 10:33
Getting chicks moved out on grass 12:50
Different styles of chicken tractors 14:53
Care of chicks to 8 weeks 22:00
Growing With God- Numbers 13:20 - 24:40
Birds are ready for the freezer when 27:10
Tools for processing 38:36
Beyond the harvest 30:50
Recap 33:50
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