Big Business!!

[Lil Country]

This year I have been trying to start a new flock after not having chickens for 10 years.

I’ve gotten a high number of roosters unfortunately. It’s been a long and stressful process to get a dozen good hens.

I’ve re homed 4 already and I have 3-5 more to go. Spoke with the breeder I got the chicks from. They have a big farm and breed and sell chicks/chickens. Big business for chickens this year!! Bought 9 chicks, only 3 are pullets! I believe he knew he was giving me roosters. At 12 each, that’s not the out come I was hoping for at all and in the end has been very stressful for me. Bought 4 RIR from another breeder all of which were Roosters!

When someone sells straight run, or you buy straight run you have to understand that the percentage of roosters is going to be high. This year even higher percentage, even if you think you’re buying pullets at the farm store.

To those buying chicks, be careful!! It’s big business this year and there are those just selling straight run to make money, knowing they are giving you mostly roosters!

 

[nuthatched]

Don't buy from a "local breeder", especially if they can't get the right chicks to you.

 

[Lil Country]

Don't buy from a "local breeder", especially if they can't get the right chicks to you.

I agree with you ! After not being able to get my hands on chicks at all. I choose to buy local! My mistake! I will never buy straight run ever again!! I’m just concerned about all the new chicken owners and I’m seeing a high number of roosters for re homing in my area. I’m sure it’s everywhere. We see post after post on here about sexing and I believe they are buying straight run! It’s not a good out come!

 

[Noraaaaa]

Don't buy from a "local breeder", especially if they can't get the right chicks to you.

Personally, I think it's fine if you know it is not a scam. I get most of my birds from local breeders, then raise my own. Getting straight run means males and females. If you can't sex them at birth, then it's not your fault. You are taking a risk getting straight run, and you need to know that. It's not always going to be 50/50. And some breeds weirdly decide to have a ratio of 70/30 it seems (silkies are my example here, when I hatch them its always around that ratio). Its not just hatch ratio but its when you grab the chicks to sell, you arent going to always get 50/50 when you grab them, even if they hatch that way.

If you really want sexed females, you need to do a hatchery. The biggest problem with hatcheries is the lack of quality in the birds. They are cheap and sexed, but the birds have some problems. I once got 12 female chicks from a hatchery, and they grew to 3 months, then all but 2 randomly died. It's not just their health; it's how good they look and how they are treated as chicks.

So I honestly am a local breeder person. Better life for chicks, better health, better quality and you know the person (as in you know who the parents are).

 

[febane]

This year I have been trying to start a new flock after not having chickens for 10 years.

I’ve gotten a high number of roosters unfortunately. It’s been a long and stressful process to get a dozen good hens.

I’ve re homed 4 already and I have 3-5 more to go. Spoke with the breeder I got the chicks from. They have a big farm and breed and sell chicks/chickens. Big business for chickens this year!! Bought 9 chicks, only 3 are pullets! I believe he knew he was giving me roosters. At 12 each, that’s not the out come I was hoping for at all and in the end has been very stressful for me. Bought 4 RIR from another breeder all of which were Roosters!

When someone sells straight run, or you buy straight run you have to understand that the percentage of roosters is going to be high. This year even higher percentage, even if you think you’re buying pullets at the farm store. It’s similar to why do companies go into administration when risks aren’t fully managed or expectations aren’t clear.

To those buying chicks, be careful!! It’s big business this year and there are those just selling straight run to make money, knowing they are giving you mostly roosters!

Buying straight run chicks always carries the risk of getting more roosters than hens. This year seems especially tough with breeders prioritizing sales over accuracy. To avoid stress, try to buy sexed pullets from trusted breeders who guarantee the sex of the chicks.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Don't buy from a "local breeder", especially if they can't get the right chicks to you.

Farm stores are worse this year. More often then not buyers are getting straight run sold as pullets and no one seems to be getting the breeds they're told they're getting.

 

[nuthatched]

Farm stores are worse this year. More often then not buyers are getting straight run sold as pullets and no one seems to be getting the breeds they're told they're getting.

I'd rather risk a few cockerels and "unwanted" breeds than deal with sick birds.
There was only a run on chicks because people do not research before making decisions on getting live animals

 

[LaFleche]

Purchasing hatching eggs of the desired breeds and incubating them yourself can often turn out more beneficial to your wallet and the chicks as well as you are not mixing them from all kinds of backgrounds (biohazards).

 

[The Moonshiner]

I'd rather risk a few cockerels and "unwanted" breeds than deal with sick birds.
There was only a run on chicks because people do not research before making decisions on getting live animals

This year it seemed to be more like 1/2 or more instead of a few cockerels and in a lot of cases none of the breeds were right.
I do believe there is a real risk in getting unhealthy birds from breeders but there's still plenty selling healthy birds.
I totally think the ones that made the demand for chicks what it was was what got the ball rolling. When demand was what it was and people just looking to throw their money at someone there's always plenty to take it and take advantage.
The amount of people getting the wrong breeds was insane this year. I went to farm stores and nothing was labeled correct. The thing I didn't get was how hard is it to double check? These buyers could of easily did a Google search for whatever breed chick and pulled up enough examples to see they weren't correct.
People don't think anymore.

 

[nuthatched]

This year it seemed to be more like 1/2 or more instead of a few cockerels and in a lot of cases none of the breeds were right.
I do believe there is a real risk in getting unhealthy birds from breeders but there's still plenty selling healthy birds.
I totally think the ones that made the demand for chicks what it was was what got the ball rolling. When demand was what it was and people just looking to throw their money at someone there's always plenty to take it and take advantage.
The amount of people getting the wrong breeds was insane this year. I went to farm stores and nothing was labeled correct. The thing I didn't get was how hard is it to double check? These buyers could of easily did a Google search for whatever breed chick and pulled up enough examples to see they weren't correct.
People don't think anymore.

No, they don't.
It would be easy to make sure the birds they see are the right birds, atleast by appearance.
All we have is dirt bag, puppy mill chicken breeders here, unfortunately.
The head hancho 4H chicken lady is the biggest breeder her and she had no idea what she's doing and teaches the kids all she knows.
She actively "stud swaps" roosters with her friends and people she finds for fresh "blood" for her birds.
As I've said before, feed stores are legally required to use the labels that are sent by the hatchery with the chicks, even if they're obviously not the breed listed.
Most feed stores use Hoovers and Hoovers sucks at breeds and labels.