Cornish Cross Meat Chickens at 6 Weeks

Are you getting tired of seeing our meat birds yet? I am. Soon I will no longer have to look at them as they are destined for our freezer.
Here is a bird at 6 weeks. Each bird is a good two handfuls now.

It is hard to believe that 6 weeks ago they were adorable little puff balls.
Then at 2 weeks:


Then awkward adolescents at 4:



By the 8 week mark most of them should be harvested. My plan is to do some each week starting tomorrow.

This last 2 weeks they ate 160 pounds of food. That puts the total for 29 birds at 285 pounds. Each bag of organic food costs 24.15 for 40 pounds. So, each bird has ingested (so far) a little under 10 pounds of food. Including the shipping, each bird was 2 bucks. To my calculations that puts us 8 dollars in for each bird, not counting the energy costs to keep their heat lamp on for the first 4 weeks. It seemed like pretty pricey chicken until we traded some beef for an organic chicken at the farmers market. It was priced at $26.00. Now, our birds seem thrifty. The main reason we raise our own though is that we feel better knowing where are meat comes from and how it has been fed and handled.

By the way, some of these meat birds have gotten bold and taken to going outside each day to take in the sun's rays and peck at the bugs. Of course, many of them just sit in the opening lazing around.


To see a previous year's old fashioned harvest click on this oldie. I have to tell you though.... It is not for the faint of heart.