Raise and butcher meat chickens on a budget: 2024

Raising your own meat chickens doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. The brooder set up, feeders, and waterers can be the same as for laying hens. The main difference will be: outdoor housing, amount of feed required, and butchering equipment or out-sourcing. A simple DIY operation, raising and butchering 50 broiler birds, can cost around $1,600. The average cost for a larger more complex system for 100 birds is $5,500.

Most of us will land somewhere in the middle. Let’s determine where we can cut costs and where convenience reigns.

Infographic detailing how much meat chickens cost to raise and butcher

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Raising your own chicken for meat production can open immense possibilities. Broilers don’t require a lot of space, grow quickly, and will not be housed over the winter. You can fill your freezer with high quality meat for your own consumption, and in most places, you can easily sell the finished product for profit. I can raise 999 birds per year without a licence in Saskatchewan, Canada¹.

As with raising your own laying hens, the initial cost can vary greatly. Here is a break down of the complete cost of raising Freedom Rangers and Cornish Cross meat chickens.

A group of young Cornish cross pullets sitting on the grass.

One-time cost: The Brooder

As with many other aspects of raising chickens, the set up can cost mere cents or it can cost hundreds of dollars. A brooder can be a simple cardboard box with a heat lamp housing 20 meat birds, or a large stock tank holding over 100 baby chicks, maybe even a stall in a barn.

When you bring your day-old chicks home, or transfer them out of an incubator, they will need to be kept at 32-35 degrees celsius or 90-95 F.

Cue: The Brooder Box

This small home will protect your chicks for approximately 6 weeks, depending on your climate. We raise our Cornish Cross chickens during the spring/summer and are able to put them outside around 4 weeks. The catch is that the temperature cannot dip below 10 degrees celsius (50 F). We keep a heat lamp in our outdoor set up for two weeks for a smooth transition.

Your brooder set up will require heat lamps, waterers and feeders, pine shavings for bedding, and starter feed. We recommend pine shavings to start off with because it’s easier on the little chick’s legs. You can upgrade to straw when they are 3-4 weeks of age. Your local feed store will supply everything you will need.

Brooder costs and ideas

189 L Rubbermaid Tote- $38.68 (Walmart), $34.99 (Canadian Tire)
Feed trough/ Stock tank- Galvanized steel- 2′ high by 6′ wide- $550, 2′ high by 8′ wide- $800
40 Gallon oval polyurethane stock tank- $49.99 (Wilco Farm Store), $87.99 (Princess Auto)
Summer wading pool- $16.88 (Walmart), $21.99 (Canadian Tire)
Large metal wire dog crate- $69.99
Scrap lumber wooden box- free
Cardboard appliance box- free

Brooder supplies

pine shaving- 78 L bale- $7.99
small straw bales- $6 each
heat lamp holder- $9.00 (Tractor Supply) $34.99 (Peavey Mart)
heat lamp bulb- $9.99 (Tractor Supply) $13.99 (Peavey Mart)
chick waterer- small enough that the chicks can reach, but large enough to meet the high demands of meat birds. Start with a 1 gallon jug ($10) and base ($10) and upgrade as they grow.
chick trough feeder– this is my favourite because it is open at the top (some feeders have individual holes for the chicks to put their heads in, but the fast growing meat birds get too big, too quickly and can’t reach in!), it also has a swivel handle to prevent chicks from perching on top and pooping in the feed.

Helpful Hint: You can raise your Cornish Cross birds in a chicken coop from chick to harvest (still incorporate a brooder box for the first 3-6 weeks). Take into consideration their total growth over the 9 weeks, as well as the amount of bedding that will need to be added (or if you will be cleaning it out every week). Each chicken needs 2 square feet of space².

Proper ventilation in your coop or stall is a must; Cornish Cross stink!

Pasture-raised chicken

On our small farm, we don’t truly free-range our meat birds. They are not wandering the yard foraging, rather they are protected in mobile chicken coops called chicken tractors.

One-time cost: The Chicken Tractor

There are many variations of chicken tractors; from an A-frame with metal poles and chair link fence, to a simple wooden rectangle with a tarp.

As a beginner, you may need only one chicken tractor. You will want to add multiple mobile shelters as you begin farming on a larger scale, because each chicken needs 1.5 square feet of space³.

White Cornish cross meat chickens in a mobile chicken tractor

The Salatin Chicken Tractor

10′ x 12′ rectangular ‘box’ that slides on skids *dolly required to move
houses 75 broiler chickens
simple design, easy and inexpensive to construct with scrap material
can be heavy- possible to move with one person, but two people are ideal
no additional costs (other than feeder and waterer)
offers full perimeter and areal protection
Total cost to build: $480 (8-2x4x12, 8-2x4x10, corrugated plastic roof, hinges, wire- 54 feet needed, staples)

Justin Rhode’s Meat Shaw

8′ x 8′ sun and rain shelter, about 2 feet high
houses 100 broiler chickens
easy to move wheels and handle bar; one person operation
must provide electric netting for perimeter protection
much more pasture is available to the chickens
does not offer areal protection
Total cost to build: $265 (8-2x4x6, corrugated plastic roof, utility cart wheel 20inch x2”)
Build + Electric fencing: $265 + $500= $765

Electric Netting

Premiere 1 Brand
Shock-or-not- 100 feet with posts (good for chicks and adult birds)- $300
Solar Energizer- $300
Plug-in Energizer- $200
164 feet poultry netting- $155

Gallagher Brand
48″ x 82″ poultry netting– $250
40 acre Solar energizer- $400
20 acre plug-in energizer- $100
Grounding rod- $20

How much do chicken waterers cost?

Meat birds drink a lot! The rule of thumb is: chickens drink twice as much as they eat. A full grown broiler will eat 2 cups of food a day, so that equates to 4 cups of water per day per bird. In the hot summer, they can require significantly more water; up to 6 cups a day.

If you have more than 50 birds, you will appreciate an easy water system. We have used a few systems over the years. They all have their pros and cons.

An automatic fountain attached to the garden hose worked well when we went away for a few days, but you obviously need to be close to a spigot. We have used 3 gallon fountain drinkers and hung them from the roof of the chicken tractor. This kept the water much cleaner, but the chickens would spill a lot of water as they crowded and pushed closer. This year we will use poultry nipples to keep the water clean, and hopefully not experience as much waste (waste= more chores for me!)

Chicken drinker ideas and prices

5 gallon pail with poultry nipples (amazon)
3 Gallon rubber feed pan- $12.99 (Tractor Supply), $18.99 (Princess Auto)
3 gallon jug and base waterer- $25 (Tractor Supply), $60 (Peavey Mart)
automatic fountain attaches to a garden hose- $65 (Amazon)

How much do chicken feeders cost?

No feeder necessary! Pour the feed on the ground everyday. The chickens will scratch and clean it up off the ground. This is an especially helpful technique when you are using your chickens to till the soil or prepare a garden bed.

A large trough feeder is my preferred method as it allows a lot of birds access to the feed at once and prevents waste. A 5 gallon pail with feeding ports is an economic choice that prevents waste. A plastic tower feeder with grill is a popular choice.

Chicken Feeder ideas and prices

large trough feeder
5 gal pail with feeder ports (Amazon)
plastic tower feeder with grill (Amazon)
homemade PVC pipe feeder- cut 4″ diameter PVC pipe in half lengthways, block the ends if desired, hang from the top of the chicken tractor- $9/foot (Home Depot)

How much do meat chickens cost?

A start up batch of 50 unsexed Cornish Cross chicks will cost $165. Most often, homesteaders will buy a new batch of meat birds from a hatchery every year.

The common Cornish Cross is a combination of a Cornish hen and White Rock rooster⁴. I haven’t heard of many people having success hatching Cornish cross chicks from a Cornish cross hen because it is a hybrid chicken. The characteristics will not transfer well to the new chicks.

Freedom Rangers (AKA Grazers, Western Rustic) might allow you more success at collecting and hatching their eggs, unfortunately the hens are not prolific layers.

If you are interested in becoming more self-sufficient and hatching your own meat birds, you might consider using dual purpose chickens like the Barred Rock, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, or Australorp. These birds are more likely to go broody and successfully hatch a clutch, and consistently lay eggs which you could collect and hatch in an incubator like ours.

Little boy kissing the head of a fluffy yellow Cornish cross chick

On-going costs: Broiler Chicks

Helpful Hint: Prices decrease with greater quantities. We choose unsexed, it’s the most economical.

Breed	Pullet	Cockerel	Unsexed
Cornish Cross	$4.00	$4.45	$4.25
Freedom Rangers/ Western Rustic			$6.25
Dual Purpose- Barred Rock	$7.18	$4.27	$5.67
Dual Purpose- Rhode Island Red	$5.71	$3.78	$4.54

McMurray Hatchery and Anstey Hatchery 2024

How much does it cost to feed meat chickens?

It costs $12.06⁵ in feed to raise one broiler bird from chick unto harvest at 9 weeks- that is using commercial starter feed and grower. These feed amounts will produce a dressed whole bird with an average weight of 6 lbs. Live butcher weight at 9 weeks will be around 10 lbs.

Helpful Hint: The suggested feed amounts are the same for Freedom Rangers and Grazers. These breeds are slower growing and are harvested around 13 weeks. Freedom Rangers are known to be better foragers than Cornish Cross, and are less prone to obesity and the issues that directly arise. They produce great quality, tender meat.

To determine exactly how much feed your chickens need everyday, enter the number and age of birds in this feed calculator.

Save money by measuring and rationing feed.

It’s a good idea to ration your meat bird’s feed as they have been know to gorge themselves, even unto death. It is not uncommon for Cornish Cross to have leg problems or die of a heart attack. To mitigate this, some farmers offer free choice feed for 12 hours and remove feed for the remaining 12 hours; repeat. By 8 weeks, the chickens will need 2 cups of feed per bird, per day. See the total feed amounts for every week here.

We feed our broilers commercial feed because we do not have a grain roller. Cornish cross do not do well eating whole grains. Their feed should be crushed or soaked.

We tried feeding them a mix of commercial grower and whole wheat, but they refused to eat the grain. People that have fed them entirely on whole grain have noticed significant decrease in size. If you have a way to chop or roll your grain, homemade feed can meet all of the nutritional requirements and significantly reduce costs. Read more here.

There are mixed reviews as to whether or not free ranging will reduce your feed costs. One study showed that Cornish cross meat birds actually required more feed when they were on pasture because they burned too many calories walking around foraging.

Conversely, homesteaders have reported positive outcomes by moving their meat birds daily onto fresh grass in chicken tractors. Perhaps the secret is in containing them in a smaller space and moving them more often.

If you’re goal is to raise organic chicken you will need to source organic whole grains or non-gmo feed. Check out this list of organic feed retailers all over the United States and Canada.

On-going cost: The Feed

Chick starter feed 20 kg (44 lbs) $22.99
Grower feed 20 kg (44 lbs) $20.99

Helpful Hint: Meat birds do not need added calcium as they will not be laying eggs!

How much does it cost to butcher meat birds?

It is not necessary to spend a lot of money to develop a successful home butchering system. It can be as simple as a sharp knife and a large pot (total- $40), or as elaborate as specific poultry knives, an automatic scald tank, and 3 chicken plucker (total- $1,500). The volume of chickens you plan to butcher will dictate your desired system.

Helpful Hint: Not interested in mastering this new skill? You can hire out this part! Check local facebook groups and online forums for a mobile butcher. Most charge $5.50 per chicken.

For the first few years we were able to borrow a plucker from a neighbour. The rest of the set up was thrown together; a piece of metal siding shaped into a killing cone, a mineral tub used for a rinse tank, large freezer bags with a knot tied at the top. It wasn’t fancy, but it served us well.

If you are homesteading on a budget, like we are, home butchering will save you money as long as you keep it simple. Don’t buy convenience equipment right away! Slowly grow your production.

Helpful Hint: It’s not as hard as it looks! Find someone who can show you or watch a few youtube videos then, JUST TRY!

Woman cleaning out a freshly plucked and eviscerated chicken

Simple Home Butchery Supplies and Prices

Sharp Knives. We’ve used a new utility knife ($15) for the killing.
Twine- to hang the chicken for the killing and plucking by hand, or try cutting a 5 gallon pail and twisting into a cone; friends have had great success with this
Scalder- an old steel barrel cut in half, any large pot (try a water bath canner), or a turkey fryer $80 (Tractor Supply) $170 (Canadian Tire)
Plucker- Rental price for a large drum plucker- $60 a day(Craig’s List/Kijiji)
Drill Attachment Plucker (amazon)- Better than plucking by hand, a good stepping stone as you acquire more supplies, but you will exhale a sigh of relief when you upgrade.
Rinse tubs- Rubbermaid totes, or rinse by hand with a hose
Twist tie large freezer bags- $30 for 100 (local Wholesale store)

Elaborate Home Butchery Supplies and Prices

Knives (amazon)- We use the Victorinox 4″ boning knife and 6″ curved poultry knife
Killing cones- $80 (Tractor Supply), $50 (Peavey Mart)
Scalder- $370 (Roots and Harvest-US) $600(Berry Hill-Can.)
Plucker- $580 (Tractor Supply), $900 (Berry Hill-Can.)
Rinse tubs- Mineral tub $100
Shrink wrap freezer bags (amazon)- I love the tight, pro-look that shrink wrap bags give your finished product

How much can I sell my broilers for in 2024?

Prices fluctuate, but for the last few years, homegrown poultry has been selling for about $5/lb in our area.

Helpful Hint: In Canada, there are a number of Hutterite colonies that process a vast amount of meat birds and sell their product for $3.75/lb. These chickens are not raised in an outdoor free-range environment.

Over roasted whole chicken in a black roaster

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4 inch Victorinox boning knife

6 inch curved poultry knife

13 x 20 heat shrink poultry bags

Plucker drill attachment