Meet the Inflation Chicken

[DozenChipper]

We are raising our first round of chicks - just picked them up yesterday. We realize our timing groups us with the supposed desperate inflation newbies but we've been wanting this since well before the pandemic. Long story short we were finally able to buy a house where chickens (and gardens!) were allowed - and it even came with a coop! We have some teens (plus younger ones too) who will get to enjoy the experience before leaving the house. Just curious-- I was wondering how prices have changed for chicks, feed, and so forth compared to pre pandemic with all the demand this year?

 

[netmar]

We are raising our first round of chicks - just picked them up yesterday. We realize our timing groups us with the supposed desperate inflation newbies but we've been wanting this since well before the pandemic.

Same situation here. We have gardened for years but a few years ago decided we were going to homestead for general food security & quality so we planted a mini orchard last spring consisting of 2 apple, 1 peach, 1 nectarine, 2 plum & an almond tree along with a few hazelnut blueberry bushes and we also have mature raspberry & blackberry patches. Our chicks arrived this morning and seem to be doing well we ordered them through purelypoultry.com in late January and must have been just in time to get them early because they now have a 12 week wait. They were in their quick chicks tab at the time. We got 6 buff orpington & 6 new hampshire hens for $6 each, $72 total including shipping. They called the week before to inform us that they would be shipping on or around the 1st and to expect a call from our local post office & they called me today to make sure they were picked up & doing well. We are pleased with their service & have no complaints.

 

[igorsMistress]

We are raising our first round of chicks - just picked them up yesterday. We realize our timing groups us with the supposed desperate inflation newbies but we've been wanting this since well before the pandemic. Long story short we were finally able to buy a house where chickens (and gardens!) were allowed - and it even came with a coop! We have some teens (plus younger ones too) who will get to enjoy the experience before leaving the house. Just curious-- I was wondering how prices have changed for chicks, feed, and so forth compared to pre pandemic with all the demand this year?

Feed costs are up, I’m paying about 1/3 more per bag of feed that I was pre pandemic. I was looking at Craigslist and prices for chicks cover a wide range, but hatchery chick prices are definitely higher. I would say at least 50% in many cases.

 

[DozenChipper]

Same situation here. We have gardened for years but a few years ago decided we were going to homestead for general food security & quality so we planted a mini orchard last spring consisting of 2 apple, 1 peach, 1 nectarine, 2 plum & an almond tree along with a few hazelnut blueberry bushes and we also have mature raspberry & blackberry patches. Our chicks arrived this morning and seem to be doing well we ordered them through purelypoultry.com in late January and must have been just in time to get them early because they now have a 12 week wait. They were in their quick chicks tab at the time. We got 6 buff orpington & 6 new hampshire hens for $6 each, $72 total including shipping. They called the week before to inform us that they would be shipping on or around the 1st and to expect a call from our local post office & they called me today to make sure they were picked up & doing well. We are pleased with their service & have no complaints.

We got ours at TSC locally. They were better priced online compared to others- we are budget conscious. But we also liked the idea of going in, mixing and matching, picking out specific ones (esp the children). In the end we paid $4.50 per pullet chick and we had 4 kinds to pick from. They're all supposed to be good layers, which is a big draw. We consume a lot of eggs (I buy about 10 dozen a week) but look at this as an experience with benefits as in the end buying eggs at the store would probably be cheaper... unless prices spike again (or worse!)like they just did this past winter. We are 'late to the game' but at least we have the opportunity to play, so to speak. Our place has an established pear tree and blueberry bushes. Now for the garden....

 

[Shotgun Lizzie]

I got into chickens for the pleasure of raising and caring for them. I've been wanting them for a long time. Buying eggs certainly would be less expensive than what I've spent getting set up but eggs were scarce here for a while. I also wanted a sustainable source of protein because of the situation the world is currently in. It makes me feel a little more secure having them.

 

[Arasmpc]

Did you find chicks from somewhere else? I have 2 orders at different hatcheries just in case something goes wrong….at least we will get some chicks…

Also, I put a CL ad up for BYM/EE chicks I am hatching next month. Within 24 hours I had 3 responses, one who drove over & put a deposit to hold for all of them, and another request after who I decided to set eggs for before next month’s hatch. So I’ll be doing 3 back-to-back hatches because of the amount of offers I got for my chicks. Absolutely insane.

Sorry for the long delay. I ended up going to TSC and just took what I could get this year. They're still cute and they'll help keep my two lonely girls warm next winter.

 

[Iluveggers]

Sorry for the long delay. I ended up going to TSC and just took what I could get this year. They're still cute and they'll help keep my two lonely girls warm next winter.

Fun! What breeds did you end up with?

 

[Arasmpc]

Fun! What breeds did you end up with?

I'm really not sure what they are yet. All they had was a mixed pullet bin left when I got there.

 

[NNYchick]

Did you find chicks from somewhere else? I have 2 orders at different hatcheries just in case something goes wrong….at least we will get some chicks…

Also, I put a CL ad up for BYM/EE chicks I am hatching next month. Within 24 hours I had 3 responses, one who drove over & put a deposit to hold for all of them, and another request after who I decided to set eggs for before next month’s hatch. So I’ll be doing 3 back-to-back hatches because of the amount of offers I got for my chicks. Absolutely insane.

@llveggers where are you in NY? What is the going rate for chicks? I have EE bantams and I have had a couple of tire kickers but no one really interested. The only response I got from CL was the let me send you a code scam. I am wondering what I am doing wrong.

 

[Iluveggers]

@llveggers where are you in NY? What is the going rate for chicks? I have EE bantams and I have had a couple of tire kickers but no one really interested. The only response I got from CL was the let me send you a code scam. I am wondering what I am doing wrong.

Maybe it’s because they are bantams? I’m smack dab in the middle of the state. Ad said they are standard breed, large fowl hens mixed with large fowl color egg roos. Most of the people told me they weren’t worried about roosters because they would just harvest them when they got big enough. That’s the only thing I can think of. Bantams lay smaller eggs and you get less meat, maybe?