1000 Chicken Operation: Difference between revisions
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'''Basic economics: $12 per chicken cost and $24/chicken gain. | '''Basic economics: $12 per chicken cost and $24/chicken gain. | ||
For a 4.5 lb chicken. | |||
=Bottom Line= | |||
= Pasture (Salatin-grade) vs Industrial Broiler Cost (Summary) = | |||
== Assumption == | |||
* Pasture-raised (Polyface/Salatin-grade) production cost (all-in, farm-level): '''$15 per bird''' (your planning assumption). | |||
* Industrial broiler: use a widely-cited industry benchmark for '''total wholesale cost per pound'''. | |||
== Industrial Cost Benchmark (Wholesale-Level) == | |||
* Aviagen "Broiler Economics" (Dec 2025) reports: | |||
** '''Total wholesale cost per pound: $0.99/lb''' | |||
** '''Revenue per pound (spot): $0.95/lb''' | |||
<ref>Source: Aviagen, ''Broiler Economics December 2025'', lines showing "Total Wholesale Cost per pound $0.99" and "Revenue per pound $0.95".</ref> | |||
== Per-Bird Equivalent (Example) == | |||
If you assume a typical whole-bird equivalent carcass weight of ~4.5 lb: | |||
* Industrial cost per bird ≈ 4.5 lb × $0.99/lb = '''$4.46 per bird''' (wholesale-level) | |||
== Comparison Table == | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
! System !! Cost basis !! Cost metric !! Notes | |||
|- | |||
| Pasture-raised (Salatin-grade) || Farm-level production cost || '''$15 / bird''' || Includes pasture system labor + infrastructure + processing + feed (grain-supplemented) | |||
|- | |||
| Industrial broiler || Wholesale-level benchmark || '''$0.99 / lb''' || Industry composite "total wholesale cost per pound" (not retail) | |||
|- | |||
| Industrial broiler (per-bird example) || Wholesale-level benchmark × assumed carcass wt || '''~$4.46 / bird''' || Example only; depends on carcass weight assumption | |||
|} | |||
== Takeaway == | |||
* Using these benchmarks, pasture-raised at $15/bird is roughly '''~3×''' the industrial wholesale-equivalent cost per bird (e.g., $15 vs ~$4.5). | |||
* This is why pasture-raised competes as a '''premium category''' rather than as a commodity substitute. | |||
Latest revision as of 20:00, 23 January 2026
https://chatgpt.com/share/6973cfc3-c534-8010-9447-a4f246576d1f
10 lb for $15 at Walmart - [1]
$40 is small scale ineffiiciency.
Joel Salatin
Joel Salatin cost is - not released, only projected - [Joel Salatin has never publicly released a full, audited per-bird production cost breakdown. What exists are partial disclosures, interviews, talks, prices, and extension budgets explicitly modeled on his system. From those, we can reconstruct a tight, defensible cost envelope, but not a ledger-accurate number.] [2]
Real labor cost (normalized)
About 3–5 minutes per bird total across lifecycle
At $15–$20/hr equivalent:
➡ $1.00 – $2.50 per bird
Basic economics: $12 per chicken cost and $24/chicken gain.
For a 4.5 lb chicken.
Bottom Line
Pasture (Salatin-grade) vs Industrial Broiler Cost (Summary)
Assumption
- Pasture-raised (Polyface/Salatin-grade) production cost (all-in, farm-level): $15 per bird (your planning assumption).
- Industrial broiler: use a widely-cited industry benchmark for total wholesale cost per pound.
Industrial Cost Benchmark (Wholesale-Level)
- Aviagen "Broiler Economics" (Dec 2025) reports:
- Total wholesale cost per pound: $0.99/lb
- Revenue per pound (spot): $0.95/lb
Per-Bird Equivalent (Example)
If you assume a typical whole-bird equivalent carcass weight of ~4.5 lb:
- Industrial cost per bird ≈ 4.5 lb × $0.99/lb = $4.46 per bird (wholesale-level)
Comparison Table
| System | Cost basis | Cost metric | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasture-raised (Salatin-grade) | Farm-level production cost | $15 / bird | Includes pasture system labor + infrastructure + processing + feed (grain-supplemented) |
| Industrial broiler | Wholesale-level benchmark | $0.99 / lb | Industry composite "total wholesale cost per pound" (not retail) |
| Industrial broiler (per-bird example) | Wholesale-level benchmark × assumed carcass wt | ~$4.46 / bird | Example only; depends on carcass weight assumption |
Takeaway
- Using these benchmarks, pasture-raised at $15/bird is roughly ~3× the industrial wholesale-equivalent cost per bird (e.g., $15 vs ~$4.5).
- This is why pasture-raised competes as a premium category rather than as a commodity substitute.
- ↑ Source: Aviagen, Broiler Economics December 2025, lines showing "Total Wholesale Cost per pound $0.99" and "Revenue per pound $0.95".