Auction help

[NorthTexasWink]

So Brett, how'd you do at the auction?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Not too bad prices are really low at the moment though. I bought four buff orphs for 5 bucks a piece who just reached laying age just as reference. I'm going again tonight.

Yep, now is the time to buy---sell for a profit later. Waiting/staying to the last one is sold gives you some good deals some times. BUT, BUT you really need a place far away from your flock to quarantine the new ones. Hate to bring "something" home to yours!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Glad you did ok. Thinking of buying some layer chicks from Ideal, raising them till feathered out, then selling. Thought it might offset the costs of getting my own small flock. But selling them for $5 each wouldn't work. >deep sigh< Wonder what the market will look like in 2-3 months.

The best market is early spring here----Point Of Lay pullets bring $15 to $20+ a lot of times.

 

[brettshomestead]

That's the way I would go unless you just have to sell I'd wait. I just bought 7 Dutch rabbits for 2 dollars a peice. In a couple months I'll sell them for 25 with just a couple dollars worth of feed invested.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Good job Brett!

So I bit the bullet and ordered 25 mixed layer chicks today. Ameraucanas, black australorps, delawares, gold sex links, cuckoo Marans, and a leghorn x barred rock hybrid. I'll aim for keeping about 8 for my personal layer flock and selling the rest in about three to five months. Less than $100 including shipping. And all vaccinated. Not really any more trouble raising 25 than 10. I know a lot of folks don't like fooling with chicks. I'm glad to do it for them and thus get my own birds essentially for free.

 

[brettshomestead]

Good job Brett!

So I bit the bullet and ordered 25 mixed layer chicks today. Ameraucanas, black australorps, delawares, gold sex links, cuckoo Marans, and a leghorn x barred rock hybrid. I'll aim for keeping about 8 for my personal layer flock and selling the rest in about three to five months. Less than $100 including shipping. And all vaccinated. Not really any more trouble raising 25 than 10. I know a lot of folks don't like fooling with chicks. I'm glad to do it for them and thus get my own birds essentially for free.

I do essentially the same, I just bought a farm innovations 4200 at auction for 20.00 to grow my hatching operation, I love raising them from eggs to sell.

 

[brettshomestead]

Hi Brett! Sounds both enjoyable and profitable. No roosters allowed here. I'm in an old neighborhood with very large lots, but still within city limits. No grandfather laws to cover me either. Dang it.

Pretty sure I've never ordered from Ideal before, but most reviews I could find looked good. And they are almost close enough to drive to. Almost, but at 5-6 hours round trip without traffic, not quite. HE said he wasn't up for that, and he wasn't letting me go alone. He's kind of careful of me. He probably realizes he too ornery to expect anyone else to take care of him in his old age, so he better keep me around!

How far are you from DFW? What breeds do you work with? Got anything you think I need to give a try down here?

About three hours north of there lol. I love my lavender orphingtons, and blue/black ameraucanas. They're decent layers, friendly, hardy, lay colorful eggs, and they aren't silkie lol. The wife would tell you to buy silkies ave frizzles lol.

 

[brettshomestead]

I am NOT a pet chicken person. I had a Chinese Crested dog until February of this year. Think of a showgirl chicken with no feathers on the body, just topknot, tail, and feet feathers, then turn that into a small dog. Or google "Dancing Nathan". My dog looked like Nathan. Loved that strange nekkid old dog. RIP Sarge. Love my dogs, cats, horses. Once loved a milk cow. Loved a few goats. Never loved a bird. I like birds, pretty much any animal, just fine. Respect most. Tolerate even the ones I don't like and wouldn't ever mistreat one. But a pet chicken just isn't my kind of thing.

That being said, I like pretty. I am female. Looking at a variety of pretty chickens is nice. I like colored eggs too, because they sell really well around here and are pretty. I won't know what my hens look like for a while yet. I'm hopeful I've got a few pretty pretty ones.

Purple is my favorite color. Lavendar anything gets my attention.

I bet youd love the lavender orphingtons then, they're great bird, I'm sure if you were so inclined they'd be decent eating too. Overall they're hardy, and good utility with them. Not to mention they usually sell really well. They have ameraucanas that are sort of a lavender color as well. I already told the wife if she got show girls they're feeding the dogs lol, I can stand turkens but show girls are too much. I have a total of one "pet" chicken, but that's more because she was the first I raised from a day old successfully.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Got the chicks in yesterday morning after their overnight trip to me. All 25 exactly as ordered and very clean and lively. No losses so far, no pasty butts, everyone looks real good.

And we're off!

 

[brettshomestead]

Got the chicks in yesterday morning after their overnight trip to me. All 25 exactly as ordered and very clean and lively. No losses so far, no pasty butts, everyone looks real good.

And we're off!

Eggcellent! Good luck with them!