What will you pay for chicks?

[fuzzi]

I bought ten straight run day old chicks from a local breeder for $10 each. I wound up with seven cockerels, so I ordered five sexed chicks from Cackle. The price with shipping was about $10 each. I received six, one added for free, but two were cockerels. I got my sexing refund and sold the extra boys at a poultry auction. I would order sexed chicks again, it worked out well for me, and $10 each was reasonable.

 

[Mrs. K]

Find someone to order with you and split the chicks will help. I have ordered a couple of times from Sandhills preservation a potluck order. 25 or 50 chicks, I think 8 different breeds minimum. It is a fun way to try something different and the cheapest chicks I have found.

After years of rebuilding, I finally have a stable flock, and hope to hatch out chicks under Gramma Feathers this spring, (if she makes it that long, she is going on 5, but has brooded well for me).

Mrs K

 

[Mrs. K]

I basically want enough egg production to sell some and make the girls pay for their food.
LOL.

Repeat to yourself, "this is a HOBBY, which takes money, not makes money" LOL.

 

[MrSquirrel]

Find someone to order with you and split the chicks will help. I have ordered a couple of times from Sandhills preservation a potluck order. 25 or 50 chicks, I think 8 different breeds minimum. It is a fun way to try something different and the cheapest chicks I have found.

After years of rebuilding, I finally have a stable flock, and hope to hatch out chicks under Gramma Feathers this spring, (if she makes it that long, she is going on 5, but has brooded well for me).

Mrs K

I know I want about a dozen blue layers (cream legbar?) and a dozen fluffy bantams. I also might get a hatchery surprise box, where alot of the money is I know, but I think I can sell most of those and even out the cost.

 

[LuciferRoo]

Repeat to yourself, "this is a HOBBY, which takes money, not makes money" LOL.

I am not trying to make money.
I keep losing the hen lottery and keep getting roosters no matter what. That includes buying a dozen sexed chicks and receiving 6 female and 7 male. Then to spite me, the chicken gods sent in a pack of dogs who killed 5 of those girls just as they reached laying age. Only 1 of those roosters did not survive the attack.

Right now because I did not "harvest" any of the boys, I have over 25 roosters/cockerels and 8 hens/pullets. If I am lucky 1 of the two month olds is a pullet not a cockerel and I have 9 girls total, but I'm 90% sure it's a boy.

My next purchase is going to be pullets who are old enough for me to definitely identify as female.

 

[Sally PB]

My next purchase is going to be pullets who are old enough for me to definitely identify as female.

Or, get an autosexing breed. The male and female chicks look different at hatch.

 

[Mrs. K]

Oh I know, I know. I am always amazed at the wrecks I have had, and having to start over. Currently I have 11 hens and LongJohns my rooster. It has taken me two years to get over my last wreck with coons, and coyotes.

This is a fun hobby, and yet frustrating. Seems like things are going well, and you get hit by a predator or some other freak accident.

Right now, I am getting 2 eggs a day, one out of a BA that molted hard, and then started laying in mid December. We have had a winter for bright sunny days. And a production red, who should be giving me brown eggs, and instead gives me a pretty green egg. Two out of 11. 4 are point of lay pullets that should start soonish?

Mrs K

 

[LuciferRoo]

Or, get an autosexing breed. The male and female chicks look different at hatch.

Good suggestion, but I want a certain breed, so I will have to go with pullets old enough to be sure.
Chicken math indicates that it's better to pay up for a pullet than pay for 2 months or more to feed cockerels.

* edit to correct from pulled to pullet.

 

[Sally PB]

Good suggestion, but I want a certain breed, so I will have to go with pullets old enough to be sure.
Chicken math indicates that it's better to pay up for a pulled than pay for 2 months or more to feed cockerels.

Yes, it does! What breed are you looking for?

 

[LuciferRoo]

Oh I know, I know. I am always amazed at the wrecks I have had, and having to start over. Currently I have 11 hens and LongJohns my rooster. It has taken me two years to get over my last wreck with coons, and coyotes.

This is a fun hobby, and yet frustrating. Seems like things are going well, and you get hit by a predator or some other freak accident.

Right now, I am getting 2 eggs a day, one out of a BA that molted hard, and then started laying in mid December. We have had a winter for bright sunny days. And a production red, who should be giving me brown eggs, and instead gives me a pretty green egg. Two out of 11. 4 are point of lay pullets that should start soonish?

Mrs K

I would be happy to start getting green eggs.
Ironically that is how I starred with the chickens. I was having a conversation with a lady and told her I want to have chickens that lay colored eggs. Blue or green.
She told me she has chickens and would ask her chicken helper to put eggs in an incubator (she was working away from her house so someone was taking care of her chickens while she was away). She delivered 19 chicks and 14 turned out to be male. None of the females lay colored eggs. That was spring of last year and how my chicken journey began.
My next chickens will be Ameraucana. I want my colored eggs