Well we did it! We successfully got 27 (out of 30) meat chickens to butcher day. Over the last few years I have been wanting to raise our own chickens. We have such great resources for our red meat (moose) and fish (salmon, halibut, rockfish, shrimp) that I wanted to be able to start raising our own poultry so we had access to higher quality meat. Sure, we can buy organic chicken at Costco for a reasonable price. However after learning about how chickens are raised commercially, I no longer wanted to spend my dollars supporting inhumanely raised meat. 

As with many things, I learn best by diving in, which is exactly what I did. I did a bit of research, but mostly I just learned as I went!

I decided to go with the most common meat chicken breed – Cornish Cross. They were born on May 25 and flown to Alaska within 24 hours. So when I got them, they hadn’t had any food or water. Knowing how fragile chicks are and how big of a journey they had, I raced to get them home. 

Welcome home, chicks!

From my research, I learned that if you just dunk a handful of the chick’s beaks in water, the rest will learn. Well, when I went to the brooder the next morning, 2 chicks hadn’t made it. Obviously, I don’t know exactly why they passed away, but my guess is that they got warm under the light before they got food/water in their system. Chicks are fragile and this is very common. But in the future, I will just take the time to dunk each chick’s beak in the water so I know for sure they had an opportunity to drink. 

We had one additional chick pass away after a week or two. It was always on its own, not with the crowd, it wasn’t interested in eating much, etc. It just seemed kind of ‘slow’. One morning after the chicks were moved outside, we found it dead all by itself away from the heat lamp and the crowd. I’m guessing it had some sort of genetic defect. 

After reading up on Cornish Cross, I was actually impressed with the fact that we only lost 3 chicks. I have heard or read horror stories of people losing over half of what they raised and blaming it on the poor genetics of the breed. Going into this, I was aware of that and strove to make sure I lost as few as possible. 

Chick tractor improvisation

Our intention was to build a large tractor for them to be moved around the yard, but with how short spring is in Alaska and being committed to other projects, we didn’t have time. We purchased this little tractor on Facebook Marketplace. It worked for a while, but it became a tight fit for 27 chickens, so I added this little dog pen attachment and threw a piece of metal on top to help with aerial predators. Next year, we’ll make something bigger and better!

Butchering Day

For our first year raising chickens but I wasn’t quite ready for the butchering process. Once again, with Alaska’s short summer season and commitments we had to projects, visitors, and adventures, we didn’t prioritize butchering ourselves. We used a local company that charged $5 for each whole bird, or $7 for each bird that was broken down to individual cuts/pieces. 

Although my experience with this was not a great one, I’m not going to put that company on blast, I believe they were just having a bad day. Once the meat was off the bone, I let it sit for 12-15 hours before I packaged it and threw it in the freezer. 

I weighed all the birds and they mostly came out between 4-5lbs (I had 2 over 5lbs and 2 under 4lbs). I think the 4-5lb range is comparable to a grocery store broiler, so I was pleased with that. The birds were 8 weeks and 1 day old. 

Overall Thoughts on Raising Meat Chickens

Did I like raising my own chickens? Would I do it again? How did the meat taste?

Yes! I really enjoyed having to get outside in the morning to feed the birds. I didn’t mind having to move their tractor (daily, for the last few weeks). And overall, it felt really good to provide a good life for the birds. 

The meat tasted good. I will say, after doing more research, I wish I would have allowed the meat to rest longer after butchering. My only complaint about the meat was that it didn’t fall off the bone in the same way that store bought chicken did. But I believe that it was due to the short resting time before the meat was frozen. I will allow the meat to rest for a minimum of 24 hours next year. 

How can you kill something you raised? I think chickens are easier than a larger animal (like a beef cow), just because there are more of them and you can’t really tell them apart. But, I cried when they went to butcher! I think people have a misconception of people who raise their own meat, that they must be wired differently, that its easy for them, etc. And I think what I realized is that it’s actually really hard to take ownership for what you consume and to be responsible for the life of an animal, even if its purpose is for food.

Cost breakdown – Is raising meat chickens worth it?

Probably the most common question I get is “do you save money raising your own chickens”? The answer likely is no. This of course changes depending on your location and what quality of feed you choose. However, raising meat birds is usually about wanting a higher quality product. I fed these birds a no corn, no soy diet. Organic feed is way too expensive in Alaska, but I didn’t want them raised on GMO corn or soy either. So this is a middle ground. 

Additionally, if you value other parts of the bird, you gain some value by raising chickens. We utilized the feet, gizzards, heart, liver, and necks, most of which you don’t get by purchasing a bird at the store. 

If you are interested in our continued meat chicken journey, check out this post about our 2023 experience, which includes my updated opinions and methods.