All members that sale chickens for profit (ha) please answer me this..

[jeanniejayne]

Coming from someone new to chickens, but going to start with only a few and had some time to research (something I love) I spent MONTHS looking this winter, and had settled on Black Orps or Autralorps, BPR, and Buff Orps, when I ran across Wellsummers and fell in love.

I think they are a real up-and-coming breed because:

1) they are very freindly toward humans
2) they are beautiful (partridge) -both hens and roos
3) they are good layers of lovely dark bown speckled eggs that are unique.

I don't mean to brag, but I seem to have a knack for what is going to be the next popular thing, and I have a feeling this breed is on the rise. Not a lot of breeders have them, so you will not have a ton of competition.
Just my $0.02!

Now, I am only getting 4 chicks, soI am sure not the profile of a big customer, but I bet there are a lot of us out there.

Good luck! and please let us know how you are doing. This is a fascinating subject. I think you were brave and forthright to have asked.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
That's why I'm switching to quail, much cheaper!

 

[MandyH]

We have been in the chicken business for 7 years!!! The cost to start up is HORRENDOUS to say the least, and we have seen the rise and fall of many breeds around here. Now that the economy is the way it is people aren't wanting cute little chickens anymore, they want birds that can pull their own weight. The RIR's and black austrolorps didn't go over too well the past couple of years around here, so I am thinking of going to the old timey birds your grandmother had running around in her yard: barred rocks, dominiques and such. I have REALLY had a lot of people become interested in my blue slate turkeys the past few years and have committed more space to them rather than chickens so I am trying to really narrow down my chicken choices due to coop space.

 

[The Chickinn]

You might think about raising a group of White Leghorns, because everyone wants a chicken that will pay for itself. THey have a great feedto egg ratio, and produce large eggs, on a consistent basis.

 

[the1much]

ive been in chicken selling for a year,, was the easiest thing i have ever done lol,, start up wasnt much, less then $200.00
then as biz grew, so didnt my flock,, now i sell chicks for $3 a piece, and sell anywhere from 300 to 1000 a month. my birds paid for my birds lol,, as i would sell, each time i bought more and some would go to "my flock" and some to sell. started off buying from a lady for 1.50 each,, then she stopped hatching, so i bought from hatchery,, and i hatch my own,, so ive ALWAYS made money from the birds,, and alot of it ( compared to just 100 chicks a month)..

 

[MandyH]

Jim, the only time I can sell that many chicks is this time of the year. 99.9% of my customers want started pulllets, and by the time you got them laying you have a LOT of money in them not to mention the time and the space they take up. The coops are what require so much money, if I could sell as many chicks as you do, I WOULD be making the money.

 

[chickn]

we have been selling for about 5 yrs i think, anyway, basically they pay for themselves.

what i have found is that the winds have changed from cute bantams like mille fluer duccles and such to layers what i try to keep around are buff orps, nh reds, barred rocks . this yr i am ordering pullets in speckled sussex, partridge rocks for a new look, along with the usuals. and continue to hatch the std cochins, polish, silkies and dipping into frizzled this and that. for fun
silkies, you can never have enough of. people still cannot resist. cute cute.

 

[the1much]

Quote:
ya it is way different when you have to "hold" them for 6 months... i just sold all of my hens 50 or so,, in 2 days

,, but im also the only person for many many miles with birds for sale,, even chicks.

 

[sara]

I spend way to much on my birds, and don't sell much so making money on them is a foreign concept to me. lol

 

[the1much]

i was happy at first to make them pay for themselves,, i would buy 50, sell all but 10,, them 40 i sold paid for feed for them all including, paying me back for the original $ to "buy" my 10, and to feed them for another month,,,, and so on.