Beginner Breeder Pricing

[Rose the Legbar]

For all of your breeds I HIGHLY suggest getting good photos of parent stock. (Also make sure to watermark them so they don’t get stolen.) Many people (myself included) look at images of the parent stock before making a purchase.

 

[SSHilltopHens]

As a buyer and avid poultry enthusiast.. having that many varieties shows an absolute lack of commitment to quality and actually knowing the ins and outs of any specific breed. More along the lines of reproducer like any standard hatchery and less along the lines of breeder that cares about what they raise.. more interested in $$$.

Now I'm not saying those things are true, nor do I actually think that based on your proposed (reasonable) pricing.. but I'm telling you my knee jerk reaction.

I can definitely understand that initial reaction, and I appreciate the perspective! Just to be clear, I am a hobbyist, not a preservation breeder. I have dedicated a tremendous amount of time to researching the breeds we raise and learning from people who DO specialize in those specific breeds, but I don't claim to know all of the ins and outs of any of the breeds I have at this point in my journey. One day, I do aspire to be an expert on all of my favorite breeds, but right now I'm still learning.

Despite the impression you may get from the variety of birds we raise, I can say with absolute confidence that we are committed to quality, and I don't quite agree that breeders who offer many varieties of birds only care about making money. Here are some of the steps we've taken to ensure that we're not just reproducing hatchery-quality birds:

-We've gone out of our way to obtain high quality stock that we can be confident will give us a solid foundation for our breeding program so that we can produce birds that are as close to the SOP as possible. This means lots of time spent researching breeders, even more time spent traveling to get them, and paying a premium for good stock (I'm talking 6 hour road trips and $40 chicks )

-We do not try to make money off of our culls. Chicks that do not meet the standard are marketed as pet quality/unsuitable for breeding and either given away, added to our mixed flock, or humanely dispatched if the defect would affect their quality of life.

-All birds are given a morning mash in addition to their regular feed that is topped with poultry show and breeder supplement. This stuff is AMAZING as it helps with fertility, egg quality, hatchibility, and feather quality; however, it is EXPENSIVE and certainly not something that we would spend our money on if quality was not a factor.

-All chicks are handled daily from hatch and taught to eat from our hands at a few weeks old. Temperament is as important of a factor to us as appearance, especially since many of the breeds we raise tend to lean towards the flightier side, so I spend a LOT of quality time with our chicks (I work from home and have plenty of downtime during the day to devote solely to my chickens).

My partner has also been known to give hugs to our chickens when he goes to lock up the coop each night. How does this factor into the quality of the birds, exactly? It doesn't But the point is that we truly love and care about our chickens! I hope that we can help clear up the misconception that every breeder out there with a wide variety of breeds to offer is just in it for the money and doesn't care enough to educate themselves on the breeds that they're selling or breed to the SOP.

 

[SSHilltopHens]

I have one question... What is a zombie chicken?

They're a cross between a White Leghorn and an Ayam Cemani! Super cool looking birds

@SSHilltopHens are you npip or ship out of state?

We are NPIP certified but only offer local pick-up at this time.

 

[Mantisquailman]

Were are you located?

 

[Mantisquailman]

I want to get some birds

 

[wrathsfarm]

They're a cross between a White Leghorn and an Ayam Cemani! Super cool looking birds



We are NPIP certified but only offer local pick-up at this time.

Ok... Thank you for the reply.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Just to be clear, I am a hobbyist, not a preservation breeder.

Well then, we disagree about what "quality" means and that is okay.

I'm sorry you felt the need to defend yourself or if my post somehow came across as an attack.

As a hobby-er and enthusiast myself.. you don't have to convince me about what goes into it all. I've probably or possibly been there and done that maybe to the extreme. 6 hours and $40 chicks is common place.. I had folks drive 8 hours each way, stay in a motel, etc to buy chicks from me.. and have also done it.. expensive and fantastic hobby.

You just have to convince your customers and know YOUR target audience aka buyers.. which I realized just now is not and cannot be me.. since you don't ship and Tx is farther than chickens are rare or hard to get. But you already stated your intent was to fill a local niche market. So sorry for muddying the water with my "opinions".. (yet I see another coming in the following statements, please know it's NOT personal.)

Please note that socialization (in chicks) is not quite the same as temperament.. to ME (though it is helpful). And not everyone cares about lap birds..

I think we might also have different definitions about what a business is.

But I am fully excited that you and your partner are having an adventure and able to consider following your passion and fully expect success, whatever that looks like for YOU!

Sounds like fun!