Becoming a wholesale qustions?

[mamato3]

Please move if this is in the wrong spot.
So after talking to a hatchery about buying and reselling chicks. Im wanting to look into doing it. But since i don't have a store i need to have a license and have to buy 1000 chicks a yr. A little scary dont know if i could sell that many. Was hope i could sell them as started but they said i have to sell them as baby's. Anyway has anyone done this?? Do you have any pros or cons? I don't expect this to be a money maker but at least to brake even would be good.

 

[Kevin565]

I personally believe this could go very well or very wrong. I don't believe I could pull this off but if you really want to do this then go for it. I do have a few questions though.


What breeds are you going to buy? Meat breeds, Egg layers, Exotic?

Are you going to ship?

Where are you going to house all these chicks?

What months will you be operating? A lot of people prefer buying in spring but there is a lot of competition.

Where will you be buying your birds from?

What will be your prices? Prices are very competitive. If there's a place who sells them cheaper then people will buy there. This can lead you left with many chicks.

Can you afford to feed them if they don't sell? This will be alot of babies to care for. If not properly planned ahead you could end up in a financial problem.

What are you going to do with the ones that just wont sell?

Are you able to sex birds? Buying sex birds can be very expensive so buying straight run then sexing them yourself may be more cost effective

How much are the permits?

Are you NPIP?

I am not asking these questions to be a downer. This business is a big responsibility. There are alot of aspects to consider before taking this on. However, if you chose to do I wish you the best of luck. If your passionate about this and have answers for these questions then I say go for it

 

[hemet dennis]

well 20 years ago i used to buy chicks from a hatchery that was about a mile from me for $.58 each for pullets i started with 100 at a time and sell them for $1.25 each for up to a week old then older ones for more if they started laying it was $12.00 after some time i was up to 200 a week i always made money but when i started my other business i got away from it and now the hatchery has moved if i can find it I will start doing it again but i wont get them shipped only if i can pick up will I do it

good luck
Dennis

 

[Oregon Blues]

What possible reason could you have to deal with 1000 chicks a year and only hope to break even? Don't do it unless you can make some money to pay you for your time and equipment investment costs.

It sounds like you are planning on taking possession of the chicks? The hatcheries won't drop ship for you? Drop shipping would be the way to go if you can set it up. Then all you need is a good web site and a record keeping system.

Chicks ship as day olds. Once they are shipped to you, you won't be able to ship them out again because they must have food and water. So make sure you have a solid market for 1,000 chicks local to you.

I suspect that someone local to me is doing what you are thinking about. I've seen them at poultry swaps with lots of different breeds that came from one of the hatcheries. I have no idea whether or not they have been able to sell enough chicks or if they make any money.

I wonder if you might be better off to purchase a smaller number of good laying breeds and raise them to point of lay, timed to have them ready early in the spring. You'd have to find out what people local to you will pay for point of lay hens.

On the baby chicks, people who only want 2-3 chicks will buy from you instead of the hatchery, but 1000 chicks are a lot to sell 2-3 at a time. I don't think the local feed stores get any more than 100 chicks at a time. Maybe only 50 at a time, and I suspect they make their money by selling all the feeders and feed instead of with the chicks.

I hope you can make this work for you.

 

[SowdersHomestead]

I've thought about this myself. But I can't get the numbers to match up.

I did come up with a couple possibilities though.

1) Buy DP rooster chicks only. You can get them for about a quarter a piece and raise them as meat birds. You could triple maybe even quadruple your total investment. With feed and all you'd be in under $5.00 a bird.

2) As mentioned above, raise till POL. To double your investment you'd have to have a good laying breed. Plus if the sales go slow you can collect the eggs and sell them.

I have 3 boys and was thinking of doing this as a project for them.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[mamato3]

After thinking about it. I would be worried i am getting in over my head. I did find a hatchery that will sell chicks wholesale and i don't need license or have a number a yr i have to buy. And once i buy them they dont care how long i keep them. As i was wanting to sell some as POL pullets. I know i can keep the feed prices down. The only time feed will be expensive will be the first 6 weeks as they will be caged and will have feed in front of them always. I would prefer to buy pullets but dont mind to by strait run sex linked breeds and sell the males cheep as soon as i get them.

 

[cmfarm]

Maybe you chould start with 50 and see how things go. I'm not sure how things are in your area, but lately here no one wants st. run chicks, they only want pullets. You may want to consider what people in your area are interested in before you buy.

 

[IdealisticRoo]

My own experience follows, I cannot offer advice for your area.

I ordered chicks several times a month for the last year. Usually 25 assorted pullets at a time, sometimes S/R and 1 time bantams. I sold them for $3/each at a week, $5/ea @ 2-3 wks, and $10-15 when they were a few months old. After paying for the feed, bedding and the chicks, I have NOT made any money. And I don't have to pay the water or electricity around here.

I have only bought chicks when they were on MAX sale, like pullets for $1.45 or bantams for 99 cents.

I second the opinion of buying 50, when the hatcheries have a sale on assorted pullets and see how they re-sell before committing to 1000!

Of course, 1000 chicks would probably be fun to watch, but it also might burn you out, especially when they start pooing!

Last year at this time, I was selling Started Pullets (2-3 week old assorted LF pullets) for $5 each and I even sold some add on bantams with them, also for $5 each.

This year, I cannot move RIR started pullets for even $3 each! If I end up with 19 RIR hens, I will hopefully sell them at Point of lay in the spring for $15 each, but where am I going to keep them until then?

 

[OSUman]

Its not that hard to do it, especially if you are just drop shipping. Here are some examples of places that drop ship..
http://www.dblrsupply.com/
http://www.purelypoultry.com/
http://www.welphatchery.com/ (Except the Cornish X Broilers)

 

[SowdersHomestead]

OSUman,

Go Bucks, Beat Meeshigan!!!!!