Chickens for meat

[Beefsmith]

What’s the score with this job then? Wondering about diversifying into it. We haven’t had any info yet so thought I’d ask on here before making any calls.

 

[TripleSix]

How many birds?

@chickens and wheat

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

Difficult to get figures for large scale indoor broilers, as its all sewn up on contracts.

People are always eating more chicken though

https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/housing/starting-broiler-farming-shed-construction-marketing

 

[john1968]

don't know where you are in the country or bird numbers but a contract with some of the free range guys like Harry Erwin might work for you

 

[Beefsmith]

How many birds?

@chickens and wheat

No idea as of yet. We’ve got a 4ha field that’s well hidden surrounded by trees with excellent access from the drive,which would lend itself to a project like this so that would ultimately dictate the size of the project. Probably based around 2 persons labour wise running a weekend on and off system. Existing staff would assist with cleaning the sheds out and loading and unloading the birds.

There doesn’t seem to be much info online about it really and we’d rather have a basic understanding before approaching companies with regards to contracts.

 

[warksfarmer]

What’s the score with this job then? Wondering about diversifying into it. We haven’t had any info yet so thought I’d ask on here before making any calls.

Poultry units going up left right and centre. Add in brexit. Add in vegan movement. Add in oversupply and it’s risky, very risky. Looked into it 18 months ago, both egg and meat and decided it was not worth it as your literally making very little per bird/egg. Having been in poultry many years ago all the contract figures you see massively underestimate cleaning costs, labour costs and the volatility of feed costs.
Also the shed dimensions don’t lend themselves to alternative uses should the poultry job fail as they are to low for industrial use in the main.

 

[som farmer]

having seen a few fattening units, you haven't got to be squeamish, killing them at 5 or 6 weeks old, and its a big time numbers game, otherwise it's not profitable. not for me, and i'm not anti meat, in fact i'm a serious carnivore!!!

 

[john1968]

what part of the country are you in. you would be better of with a contract with someone and get chicks and feed supplied cost taken out of end check there is money to be earned but its all about bird numbers and getting the best out of the birds

 

[Nearly]

fence the field well and take the money on the gate from dog walkers. ££££

 

[chickens and wheat]

broiler incomes arnt great, the icing on the cake is the renewable energy opportunities, giving more efficient production and tariff income, the renewables can cost nearly as much as the shed however.

Im adding a large heat pump system to my shed and then some solar panels to offset the expected sizable rise in electricity usage

 

[john1968]

with the rising price of timber and the lowering of the HI payments biomas is hardly worth the effort litter burning boilers might be the way but feedback we have had is that the boilers are troublesome. we looked at heat source pumps and solar panels but the cost against payback they weren't worth it we are considering going back to natural gas in a few years time. the broiler margin might not be massif but if you can get your sheds to preform there is a profit to be had

 

[warksfarmer]

broiler incomes arnt great, the icing on the cake is the renewable energy opportunities, giving more efficient production and tariff income, the renewables can cost nearly as much as the shed however.

Im adding a large heat pump system to my shed and then some solar panels to offset the expected sizable rise in electricity usage

Renewable heat and chickens is hassle unless you go for woodchip but that’s to expensive per tonne now to buy in. Ok if you’ve got your own supply. Straw systems take a lot of managing as the equipment feeding the boiler isn’t up to the task really when going full bore. The rhi payment is now low as well.

If you can get 9.6p from ground source then that could well be viable but chicken shed temps must be consistent so you’ll need gas back up which I think you’ll find is used more than you think.

 

[Exfarmer]

Sadly one of the best heating systems for the sheds is heat exchange units, but they dont attract RHI!

 

[Home Farm]

Do you have to heat chicken sheds for broilers?

 

[Chickcatcher]

@Home Farm
No Need to heat sheds Last Thursday!
As good as you can get you need to manage there Climatic conditions, "Heat" most of my life has been cheaper than feed (ie feed providing energy to keep the chick warm) we start @32degC and gradually reduce as the birds grow. In time gone by chicks didnt need any more warmth than the mother hen provided. Now best performance is acheived by comfort management.

 

[john1968]

we start at 33.5 degrees and come down .5 degrees per day the important think is getting the fabric and the concrete floor of the shed warmed up before you place the chicks

 

[Home Farm]

we start at 33.5 degrees and come down .5 degrees per day the important think is getting the fabric and the concrete floor of the shed warmed up before you place the chicks

How do you heat the sheds, and are the running costs high over winter?

 

[john1968]

we use bio mass with oil previa back up. a lot of variables when it comes to running cost, weather, age of birds, condition of sheds. if you want a better chat PM me

 

[Dry Rot]

There is a niche market for speciality meat birds. Not all chicken tastes the same which is why I kept a meat breed on free range for home consumption for years. I know a few do it commercially and charge appropriately, but I am too far from the likely markets. Supermarket chicken tastes like soggy cotton wool. Those who know the difference will pay.

 

[Gadget]

There is a niche market for speciality meat birds. Not all chicken tastes the same which is why I kept a meat breed on free range for home consumption for years. I know a few do it commercially and charge appropriately, but I am too far from the likely markets. Supermarket chicken tastes like soggy cotton wool. Those who know the difference will pay.

What would your preferred meat breed or cross be?