Hutterite Birds

[barbless]

Ok, been quite awhile since I have bought one. They are big, big chickens. Some have been real juicy, and some not so. Just wondering if they are inspected before sale? What are your thoughts on this? Do you buy from the Colony's?
With the AVIAN (bird flu), so they say on the rise, do they somehow protect their harem of birds?
Just wait and see!! The price of your little chicken bird is gonna go up too, double the price.
Blame it on speculation.

[nimrod]

our local colony is advertising chickens for pick up on April 5 or 6 here in the Camrose area

[Savage Bacon]

Their chickens are inspected and legal for sale. They are good but they're expensive. I have a sleeve of 5 coming on Thursday.

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[barbless]

Originally Posted by nimrod

our local colony is advertising chickens for pick up on April 5 or 6 here in the Camrose area

Damn it. I'm in Calgary. My lady will be in Wetaskiwin on the 11th. She said she could swing by and visit her son in Stettler. Wrong dates. I would tell her to grab at least 3. Rotisserie, spatch cock and one for camping on the wood fire.

[barbless]

Being in Calgary, which Colony would be recommended. I will drive to the right one. Some say expensive. Just look at the price in the stores for a fist sized bird. Guess it comes down to what they are fed and how old....

[Sledhead71]

I purchase mine through the Jenner Colony, inspected, weighed and sold per pound. I can't remember how long it has been since I purchased a store bird.

I like the fact that I can't eat a whole one myself....

[Savage Bacon]

Their chickens are roughly 6 lbs each. At $3.25 a lbs

I guess grocery stores are getting expensive too.

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[barbless]

That 6lb bird probably gonna cost ya about 40$ at least at the grocery store.

[waldedw]

We just bought 4 more fort pit colony, they run just around the 6 lb mark and they were $52 for the 4 of them.

[IL Bar]

Originally Posted by barbless

Damn it. I'm in Calgary. My lady will be in Wetaskiwin on the 11th. She said she could swing by and visit her son in Stettler. Wrong dates. I would tell her to grab at least 3. Rotisserie, spatch cock and one for camping on the wood fire.

If she’s going to Wetaskiwin she could go to the Pine Haven colony meat shop and get some there. They are just south east of town. They have a web site.

[omega50]

Go Classic and get them cut the way the Hutterites eat them

[The Cook]

Originally Posted by barbless

Being in Calgary, which Colony would be recommended. I will drive to the right one. Some say expensive. Just look at the price in the stores for a fist sized bird. Guess it comes down to what they are fed and how old....

Schetter Colony has a stall at Calgary farmers market. I believe $3.50/lb, Pretty sure they are out of Innisfail.

[KGB]

I have been buying chickens and turkeys from Hoots in the past 6-7 years and will not eat anything else! Way better taste than the store bought ones! When you are making a soup- it actually smells like a chicken soup! I carve turkeys too, breast meat for schnitzels, wings and legs for soup and the rest goes into the meat grinder for ground turkey for hamburgers…Delicious!
All birds are processed at the federally approved inspection facility. All legal to sell. I also buy gizzards from them. And saskatoons pies. And goose.

[One'n'Done]

Originally Posted by omega50

Go Classic and get them cut the way the Hutterites eat them

Breaded chicken steaks Mmmmm

[mahuna]

You all realize that the majority of birds in the stores come from colonies right. For sure its cheaper to go to the source but they aren't getting raised any different than what's in the store.

[Savage Bacon]

Originally Posted by waldedw

We just bought 4 more fort pit colony, they run just around the 6 lb mark and they were $52 for the 4 of them.

That's just over $2 a lb. I haven't seen them that cheap for a while. Good deal! For us it's almost $100 for 5 chickens

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[FCLightning]

Originally Posted by mahuna

You all realize that the majority of birds in the stores come from colonies right. For sure its cheaper to go to the source but they aren't getting raised any different than what's in the store.

Yup - the colony here has a contract with Safeway.


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[Alexey]

Originally Posted by barbless

Being in Calgary, which Colony would be recommended. I will drive to the right one. Some say expensive. Just look at the price in the stores for a fist sized bird. Guess it comes down to what they are fed and how old....

Neudorff. PM for details if interested.

[SageValleyOutdoors]

Mountain view meats in SE Calgary.
They source from the colonies.
Website still says $3/lb but I’m pretty sure it’s $3.25 or $3.50 now.

https://mvmeats.ca/products/chicken/whole-chicken

[trapperdodge]

No magic to a hutterite chicken. They are raised in a commercial chicken barn and fed commercial chicken feed along with antibiotics in the water just like all other chicken. You'll pay the same price at Sobeys as you will at the colony.

[jafo]

Donalda Colony last week $2.50/lb, 6-7.5lbs. Delicious

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by trapperdodge

No magic to a hutterite chicken. They are raised in a commercial chicken barn and fed commercial chicken feed along with antibiotics in the water just like all other chicken. You'll pay the same price at Sobeys as you will at the colony.

Correct.
Same as any other chicken barn
Sounds farm fresh though....

[FCLightning]

Originally Posted by trapperdodge

No magic to a hutterite chicken. They are raised in a commercial chicken barn and fed commercial chicken feed along with antibiotics in the water just like all other chicken. You'll pay the same price at Sobeys as you will at the colony.

The difference being they don't send 6+ lb chickens to the commercial contracts - those are butchered much earlier.

[sewerrat]

Originally Posted by The Cook

Schetter Colony has a stall at Calgary farmers market. I believe $3.50/lb, Pretty sure they are out of Innisfail.

Schetter is east of Acme.

Rainbow Colony is east of Innisfail and Pine hill is North west ( east of Penhold)

[eagleflyfisher]

Originally Posted by barbless

Being in Calgary, which Colony would be recommended. I will drive to the right one. Some say expensive. Just look at the price in the stores for a fist sized bird. Guess it comes down to what they are fed and how old....

High River colony, I grab 40 or so for neighbours and us. In that 5-6lb a bird.
Good birds.

[ChrisGrohms]

The taste difference in a 3lb store bought bird vs a 6lb+ bird from the hoots is the extra week or 2 to get the bird to that weight. Chickens butchered at 37 days having a live target weight of 5.25-5.5 lbs haven’t had time for the bones to harden. According to my feed rep, the extra 2 weeks allows the bones to harden and that’s where you get the flavour from. Especially when you are making soup or stock out of it.
I would put money of it that the hoots raise their birds the same as any commercial broiler operation does and that their smaller chickens taste the same as store bought.
Last year I pulled 100 birds out the day before they were shipped and finished them on a different ration with keratin added so the fat was more yellowish. Our test market was Asian at the time and I also gave a few to some friends and had very positive feedback.

$3.25 /lb seems like a pretty good deal. If I had freezer space I’d be loading up for sure.

[El Carnicero]

Originally Posted by The Cook

Schetter Colony has a stall at Calgary farmers market. I believe $3.50/lb, Pretty sure they are out of Innisfail.

I think you mean Tschetter colony.

They are located just East of Irricanna. Google map Craigdhu Ab. and that will put you right into the center of their colony.

My work takes me to multiple colonies weekly. The Hutterite birds are impressive in size and quality. Nothing beats a chicken raised to 63 days then slaughtered. The size of them can feed a small family for days. But you'll probably be buying a bigger roasting pan if you're buying then that big.

[The Cook]

Originally Posted by El Carnicero

I think you mean Tschetter colony.

They are located just East of Irricanna. Google map Craigdhu Ab. and that will put you right into the center of their colony.

My work takes me to multiple colonies weekly. The Hutterite birds are impressive in size and quality. Nothing beats a chicken raised to 63 days then slaughtered. The size of them can feed a small family for days. But you'll probably be buying a bigger roasting pan if you're buying then that big.

Thank you, I stand corrected.

[barbless]

Some great advice and starting points. Thank you all for the direction. I have a good vacuum sealer and room in my freezer.

[hayseed]

Really good birds outa the Warburg Colony, I know it’s a lot north but where we go to purchase ours, jus thought I’d add that for fellers up north.