NWchickenchick
Hatching
- Feb 21, 2018
- 9
- 1
- 9
I decided to grow out some chicks and sell them as pullets: here is some of my data from this experience.
Back ground: I ordered 25 chicks from a hatchery after having only 5 pullets hatch from a local breeder when I had asked for 25 (it was off laying season and the hatch rate was something like 15-18% females- the odds were against us).
Animal health:
I lost one(hatchery chick) of 31 chicks, one additional chick had pasty but that needed treatment a handful of times. other wise all healthy. (this
Feed:
*Week 1-3 for 30 chicks ate 1 50lb bag: rate of 0.083lbs of feed per chick- there is a lot of feed loss because they are messy little monsters.
*Week 4-6 for 30 chicks ate 1 50lb bag: rate of 0.083lbs of feed per chick- I switched to a PVC feeder which helped cut down on feed waist and they also got some spent brewers grain.
>Week 6-6.5: I sold 7 chicks
>Week 7: I Sold 15 chicks(pullets) It was a buy 13 get 2 suspected roos for free deal
*Week 7.5: (10 days) 8-30 chicks ate 1 50lb bag: rate of ~0.17-2lbs of feed per chick- a bit of a hard calculation as the number of birds fluctuatedand they also got some spent brewers grain.
*Week 12: (39 days) 3-8 chicks ate less than 1 50lb bag: rate of less than 0.16lbs of feed per chick- a bit of a hard calculation as the number of birds fluctuated and they also got some spent brewers grain.
After all is said and done I made a profit of $242 (not including the electricity used for the brooder and my labor- all be it out of love.)
Purchased:
*200lbs of feed,
*water nipples,
*2 bags of shavings,
*brooder box supplies (lamps, bulbs),
*created a PVC pipe feeder for $25 and
*a bag of meal worms.
I already had the coop, feeders waterers, spend grain when ever we brewed, and some of the brooder box materials.
I sold each pullet off CL for $15-25 each depending on age and breed and gave away 2 suspected roosters.
It was a fun experiment to see if it could be profitable at all to raise pullets, and in a city where people will pay $15-25 a pullet, it is but I am sure I put in ~$250 or electricity and labor so its not a get rich quick idea by any means but given you have the space it would be a great venture for a responsible child/teenager to undertake.
I purposely choose to get chicks in early January as come spring people want eggs or at least to know they will get eggs this year. I chose Easter Eggers and crested legbars due to their egg colors and looks (I know the demand around me is for pretty birds, but I expect every place is different.)
I hope this information helps some one somehow.
Back ground: I ordered 25 chicks from a hatchery after having only 5 pullets hatch from a local breeder when I had asked for 25 (it was off laying season and the hatch rate was something like 15-18% females- the odds were against us).
Animal health:
I lost one(hatchery chick) of 31 chicks, one additional chick had pasty but that needed treatment a handful of times. other wise all healthy. (this
Feed:
*Week 1-3 for 30 chicks ate 1 50lb bag: rate of 0.083lbs of feed per chick- there is a lot of feed loss because they are messy little monsters.
*Week 4-6 for 30 chicks ate 1 50lb bag: rate of 0.083lbs of feed per chick- I switched to a PVC feeder which helped cut down on feed waist and they also got some spent brewers grain.
>Week 6-6.5: I sold 7 chicks
>Week 7: I Sold 15 chicks(pullets) It was a buy 13 get 2 suspected roos for free deal
*Week 7.5: (10 days) 8-30 chicks ate 1 50lb bag: rate of ~0.17-2lbs of feed per chick- a bit of a hard calculation as the number of birds fluctuatedand they also got some spent brewers grain.
*Week 12: (39 days) 3-8 chicks ate less than 1 50lb bag: rate of less than 0.16lbs of feed per chick- a bit of a hard calculation as the number of birds fluctuated and they also got some spent brewers grain.
After all is said and done I made a profit of $242 (not including the electricity used for the brooder and my labor- all be it out of love.)
Purchased:
*200lbs of feed,
*water nipples,
*2 bags of shavings,
*brooder box supplies (lamps, bulbs),
*created a PVC pipe feeder for $25 and
*a bag of meal worms.
I already had the coop, feeders waterers, spend grain when ever we brewed, and some of the brooder box materials.
I sold each pullet off CL for $15-25 each depending on age and breed and gave away 2 suspected roosters.
It was a fun experiment to see if it could be profitable at all to raise pullets, and in a city where people will pay $15-25 a pullet, it is but I am sure I put in ~$250 or electricity and labor so its not a get rich quick idea by any means but given you have the space it would be a great venture for a responsible child/teenager to undertake.
I purposely choose to get chicks in early January as come spring people want eggs or at least to know they will get eggs this year. I chose Easter Eggers and crested legbars due to their egg colors and looks (I know the demand around me is for pretty birds, but I expect every place is different.)
I hope this information helps some one somehow.
