Anyone sell chicks? Need advice on a breed to sell. How much?

[aqhaktberry3]

Hey guys!

So my family has chickens and a large coop/ run. We have an incubator and I have made several hatches so I know the drill. My parents pay for the feed for all the chickens and said that I can hatch the eggs and sell the chicks and I can keep the profit. My question is, how much do you typically make ( I certainly know I will not make a TON but I do not have any expenses because my parents will pay for them) My second question is what breed should I breed/ sell. I have mostly RIR hens, and White Leghorn but I could buy what ever chickens people mostly buy. Do people want barred rocks? RIRs? White leghorn? Eater Egger? Also would it be worth it to raise the chickens till they are laying and then sell them for more? If so how much does it cost to feed them for that 5 months and do you make more than that after selling them when they are laying.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My feed store likes to sell ameraucanas and barred rocks. Also buff orpingtons. (Except here on BYC you must call them EEs not ameraucanas.) They sold them like hotcakes.

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
Hi,
So what is your LFS selling chicks for and what types? it is not worth raising pullets to laying stage and can you guarantee your chicks will be daily layers of large eggs?

Joe

 

[treldib]

Quote:
I agree....EE's and Barred Rocks seem to go first...

 

[farmboydj]

for me the EEs, Barred rocks and leghorns sell the best for me. but i get people calling me all the time for buff orpingtons. i sell mine for $4.00 a chick and if you buy more than 10 $3.00 a chick and goes up as the age does.

 

[bigdawg]

i have no problem selling rir, barred rocks, buff orps,guineas, and turkeys. i just keep them for seven days, and sell only on the weekend. the must buy at least 5 on the chicks and guineas, and at least three on the turkey pults. chicks 1.50 guineas 3.00 to 4.00 depending on how many they want and pults 6.00 per bird. they usally go fast. kinda slow in winter time. only have 50 chicks pre sold for dec.

 

[Cowgirl71]

In my area, people like Rhode Island Reds, Cherry Eggers, Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Easter Eggers, and Australorps, in varying order. Stay away from white egg breeds, and white chicken breeds, as most people like dark colored birds and brown (or blue/green!) eggs.

For me it generally costs about $5/bird in feed to get them to laying age. By the time you factor in time and labor, you're way better off selling them as chicks.

I sell chicks to my local feed store for $1.85/each straight run. This price is competitive enough that they buy from me over the hatchery.

I'm really looking forward to this spring!!! I'll be hatching about 100 chicks for myself, plus a few hundred to sell!

 

[aqhaktberry3]

I would love to do Buff Orpingtons or Barred Rocks but I do not have any of those breeds. I have several RIR hens. If I decided to start off with them all I would need to get is a RIR rooster. Does anyone that sells RIRs, ever run into the problem of not being able to sell them? Do you guys think I might be able to find a free RIR rooster? I used to have one and didn't think I would ever want him so we gave him away. Thanks Everyone!

 

[bigdawg]

check you local craigslist the most you should have to pay would be around 5.00

 

[gingernutranger]

Just keep in mind your most likely going to have more males than females. From my experiences, there is no profit but it can pay for part of the cost. If you would like to sell chicks and focus on backyard growers try something easy and hardy but maybe go for a heritage breed like Buckeye, New Hampshire, Dominique, Plymouth Rocks, or maybe Orpingtons.