profitable chicken breed

[chickensrme]

i am thinking of next spring when i start my new chickens. and woundering what would be a good breed to have that would be easy to sell. and that people are looking for. would it ba a bantam breed or an egg laying breed or a speacialty (SP) breed what breed iwould it be thanks BP

 

[BirdBrain]

Are you wanting to raise them for meat or as started pullets?

 

[silkiechicken]

I would have to say that it depends on the local demographs on what is wanted. Silkies are pretty popular but so are point of lay hens of leghorn, BR, RIR, orpington... or any other popular type. Personally, I've never found chickens to be a big profit maker but more of a self sustaining habit because of the cost of raising them daily and the initial cost of housing.

 

[chickensrme]

I would like to raise them as started pullets.

 

[chickensrme]

I was thinking that egg laying breeds would be the best. to sell as started. if i start know i would have some laying by winter is done I live in maine so i think layers would be the bast but not sure what type.

 

[howlingwoodsfarm]

Well Hello,
I don't see too many mainers on here. All I can do is give you my opinion of what I have found up north in maine(an hour above Bangor). You may live down south, I am not sure, but up north the chickens people want are standard (not bantam) heavy breed brown egg laying chickens. Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Buff orpingtons, cochins, wyandottes etc. I think this is due to the fact that it gets to -20 here more times then I like in the winter and they need something cold hardy, with no single comb(leghorns) as these can freeze in the winter. I personally have all the breeds I mentioned, and now want to get into something alittle specialized. something people can't order from the feed store. Down in southern maine that may be different and I suspect it is if you are located in an area where people have smaller yards and milder temps in winter. Then I would say go bantam. Hope this helps. maybe not maybe so

Heather

 

[BirdBrain]

Whatever you do, don't beak trim them...

 

[chickensrme]

I live right beside augusta. I would never cut the beaks i boght some with cut beak and the looked sickning. howling wind farm I go up to bangor every weekend to camp. i think someone I know bought some chickens from you she enjoys them very much.

 

[howlingwoodsfarm]

Probably "The Rockettes" ha I loved that when she bought the two barred rocks from me. She seemed happy with them. They were some of the first we sold. broke my heart having them go, went into coop and it looked so bare, even though was only down two chickens then. Now I have big plans of getting 25-40 chicks in spring and hatching my own and breeding BLRW's.. sooo more chickens have to find new homes.

Heather

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Here's my .02 cents..

I'd love to have someone breed something around here that wasn't RIR, NHR, Black Star, or Barred Rock. Those are the guys I bought from agway, and I love them, don't get me wrong. But geez, it would be nice to have some slightly more exotic varieties, kwim?

I live pretty close to you (near Gardiner), and I will tell you one of the things I paid close attention to when I bought my group was winter hardiness. Since it does get pretty cold around here, I really needed them to be able to endure.

I love bantams, but I really think you could go with Standards, also. Especially if you have something that Agway hasn't got

.

Just make sure you advertise. When I was looking for my d'Anvers, I had a heck of a time finding them.

Meghan