How to Charge for whole smoked turkey?

[frank c]

We are starting a smoked meat business.  

Getting orders for turkeys for Thanksgiving.  Our butcher gets organic free-range birds from a local farm at 2.99 per pound, fresh, never frozen.  If I smoke a 10lb bird, I am thinking $60. to cover cost and time.  

This is our first time for the Turkeys.  Please let me know how you normally calculate for this item and do you think $60 is fair?

Thank you

 

[gregor]

Depends on where you live, I guess. How much labor time are you figuring? Can you buy direct from the farm, otherwise you are paying retail for the birds...

 

[mfreel]

What are your competitors charging?  I've seen mail order birds from $60 to $80 for a 10-12 lb bird.  If you're just local, the bird is going to be $30 to $40.  It also depends on how many you are doing and how they're packaged.  Shipping is still more.

I do it a couple of different ways.  I buy retail so I tell people it's $15 plus the price of the bird. It's still $15 if they bring me the bird. I usually use a maple sugar cure for a couple days.  I just do it for locals and I don't ship.  I just wrap them in plastic wrap and some foil.