Breeders/Sellers, Why Are You Stopping?

[PepsNick]

Steven, your assumption was because you said that breeders are only in it for the money. Ya know, I think that sometimes a chick is worth the $100.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

As for the money aspect--I'm not in this to make money....a lot of people assume that I am raking it in, hand over fist. It's not true. Although I have come across a few "breeders" that do--but to get there, they invested THOUSANDS of dollars in their breeding stock.

In the very short amount of time I have here for the breeding season (about five months) I am lucky to clear enough money to take the flock through the upcoming winter until the next breeding season. I only sell hatching eggs--and on rare occasion, started birds that don't make the grade for my breeding flock--but only locally and only to backyard chicken owners who want eggs, or something "pretty" and they don't give a rip that said bird has a comb sprig or a white feather here or there. I am losing money on any started bird I sell. Let's say the eggs I bought cost me $7.00 each which includes what I paid for shipping, divided by 12 (for the dozen eggs). Out of those 12 eggs, I get 6 to hatch. Now those chicks are $14 a piece (as far as I it took me to get them to that point). Mind you, that does not factor in incubator costs (electricity) or my time of candling 3x, adding water & hovering around to make sure the temps are good. Now those chicks move out to the brooder--where I run heat lamps, buy chick starter, vaccinate them all and raise them for 4 months. Oh and there's my time again...time I spent caring for all of them. Now I have probably $25 into each bird. They are sexed, graded and the culls sold. What do I get for a cull cockerel around here? Maybe $5-$10. I am lucky to get $10 around here for a laying hen.

Am I am making money? No. I am losing it.

That said, the rest of my hatching egg ''income'' goes towards coop maintenance (and building more coops), buying more birds (or eggs), wormers, shipping tape, printer ink cartridges, labels, packing materials, incubators, heat lamps, vaccines, shavings, sand for the runs, electricity, etc.

Good birds cost money. It's true that the initial investment is higher for nicer quality but you get what you pay for. I could find $1.00/dozen eggs here locally to hatch or $10/dozen online. But after that--it costs just as much to hatch them out, feed/water/maintain a poor-quality bird as it does a quality bird.

There are too many poor quality birds out there--and I like nice things...and I work hard for my nice things. I also like the idea of helping a breed that needs it. Even if it's one egg at time.

If my birds did not pay for their own upkeep, I could not afford to have them. Plain & simple. Yes, I have "real" job that pays the bills and yes this is a hobby--but even so they have to be making money at least to the point that I can break even.

 

[cashdl]

A chicken is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it and that goes for anything else for sale. If someone wants to charge alot of money for a chicken or hatching eggs and someone is willing to pay it, whats wrong with it. Just because you assume that a breeder is only in it for the money does not mean you are correct. If I was looking to make a quick buck, it sure wouldn't be with chickens. If I could charge a fortune for my birds and get people to pay for it, I absolutely would do so. I would love to be in it for the money. Since I can't, I will be in it for the love of my choosen breed.

When I had english mastiffs, I had a waiting list of people wanting my puppies and I sold them for $2000.00 a piece. I had a male and two females. Now I have a waiting list for people looking to buy chicks and I sell them for $35.00 to $ 65.00 ea. I have 6 roosters and 20 hens. I hatch 5 to 6 chicks every two weeks, I hang on to them till they are feathered out and do my first evaluation at about 2 months. The ones that don't pass muster go into the not gonna keep for breeding pen. If they don't sell, the roos become future food for my family, and the hens go to the egg laying pen. At 5 months they get a second evaluation, and so it goes untill I know what I am keeping for future breeding and what I am not. Thats alot of feed and bedding to go through. I sell hatching eggs for $42.00 dozen and spend between $17.00 and $20.00 on packaging and shipping. My table egg pen gives me eggs that I sell for $5.00 dozen. I don't buy the standard layer feed so my feed costs are fairly high. So far I havn't made any money, but most times I cover feed and a little extra which is going towards a fancy incubator. I should probably go back to the mastiffs, they cost me a whole lot less overall.

If you don't like the price people are asking, or their motives, walk away, but don't piss and moan about it. There are much worse things going on it the world than someone trying to make a living off chickens. If they can make it work, good on them.

Lanae

 

[Backyard Farm]

Just my two cents..

I was fortunate to receive some eggs from Joy last year. BEAUTIFUL BIRDS! WONDERFUL LADY! I feel bad that she has had any bad experiences with people.

Thanks again, Joy, for my beautiful Winston babies.

mary

 

[Oregon Blues]

[[[......I should probably go back to the mastiffs, they cost me a whole lot less overall.....]]]]

Yeah. As I was cleaning the stinky wet duckling brooder and planning to head to the feed store for yet another bag of feed (I just bought 2 bags a couple of days ago!) it occurred to me I could have a horse instead and it would be easier to keep clean and cost less to feed.

 

[FarmrGirl]

Quote:
TurtleFeathers, $2 is nearly free anyway, but folks really want you to just gift them chickens??? How in the world does someone look you in the eye and ask for that? Wow.

I totally agree with you that people have no idea the blood, sweat, tears (and cash) that goes into our flocks. I'm certainly in no danger of actually making money from my little hobby farm but, like you, I'd sure like to cover some of my costs!

Honestly, if anyone who wants to buy chicks takes a look at hatchery prices, then factors in the minimum order (which is oftem 25) then it makes my prices look pretty darn good when you can walk away with 3 extremely healthy, fat little chicks or ducklings. My just hatched ducklings were nearly twice the size of 2-day old ducklings I got in a hatchery order this week... that's got to say something about the care and feeding that goes into that egg waaaaaaay before it ever pops out of the shell (a month of careful tending later by the way!).

 

[FarmrGirl]

oops..

 

[TK Poultry]

I don't make any money at all! The only time I was making money is when I had a group of BQ Swedish ducks. I about about $45 a week selling eggs and chicks and that was enough to cover cost. Now I make 0! My hens aren't laying because the average here is about 99* with the heat index. I've gotten 2 eggs. Both from my BBS pen. The Lavenders and Brown Reds are molting for some reason. I'm pretty sure the lavenders are because they are still on Michigan time and God knows whats up with the Brown Reds. My mallards are in eclipse plumage so I'm only assuming that means they aren't going to be laying anytime soon. AND my call ducks have laid FOUR eggs total since March! I'm not making any money PLUS I have a broken incubator which I can't afford to get another because I'm not getting in any money! PLUS the people around here really have no clue the differences in breeds! If its not a "Dominiker" or "Rhode Island Red" that they have no clue so trying to sell Bantam Ameraucanas or Call ducks or even a Silkie is hard. I've told this story before but I was selling my Silkies and a lady calls saying her son needs some birds for 4H. I said ok I have some nice BQ birds here that would make good 4H birds. She ask me how much I want for them and I wanted only $30 for a trio and I was giving a cockerel away for FREE! I paid $100 for a set but only made about $60 from 10 birds! but anyway this lady said that $30 was too much and someone had offered her SHOW QUALITY birds for $1/bird!!! This makes me so mad PLUS she wanted me to drive halfway to her house so that she could keep costs down!! and she wanted me to sell her my silkies for $1/piece! gosh people

 

[chicketychickchick]

I too get it that you want to pay for grain, bedding, etc. But, as for your time & experience, I just assumed breeders had a wicked passion for what they do, and are NOT in it for a profit. I personally do not have any zoological specimens, and I'm pretty sure medicine man doesn't either LOL, else they WOULD actually be in a zoo. I certainly don't have filthy farm birds either. Any time you are selling goods & or services, not just poultry, you will have good & bad customers, and good & bad experiences, and cashdl said "A chicken or anything else is only worth what someone is willing to pay." Thats life.

Quote:
Great post!

What would happen if breeders doubled their prices? I know that may be a simplistic question. But I would personally spend more money for hatching eggs or chicks if I really wanted them. Writing an ad, marking and collecting eggs and storing in proper temp and humidity, breeding the birds each year, making selections, cleaning pens and nesting boxes, just daily care of extra birds for breeding, packing up the eggs, getting the correct address on the box, taking them to the post office, standing in line (usually), buying tape and packing materials, etc. Frankly, how long does that take per box sent? Why shouldn't breeders get $30+ an hour for that specialized work? (I think $50, but I think a lot of people might call me crazy for that.) Again, maybe that's a simplistic question. But I can't see selling hatching eggs unless it's on some level rewarding monetarily. Most breeders' time and expertise is worth more than what little they get for a batch of eggs they ship.

Maybe a breeders' code is that you give away two dozen a year to people who are interested in the breed (as a way to support the breed, depending on breed) and then the rest, you sell for a price where you are paid for your expertise and effort. Too many breeders are getting taken advantage of.

Hint to egg sellers: If you've already warned buyers of dangers of shipping eggs and that they really need to just consider the money lost when they send it to you, then don't just fall all over yourself to send replacement eggs. I'm just saying this all friendly like, not criticizing, because I am on your side. Story: In the two cases where I had super bad results (bad results at candling and really bad cracking in an egg shipment and no eggs even did anything at candling), when I merely informed the seller of results without asking for replacements or money back, both of them offered to ship me replacements immediately. Okay, that's great. And I appreciate it. But I didn't ask for it because I understand the risks of shipping. I'm not sure who should bear the brunt of the loss, but I was shocked that they both offered to send me replacements without me even asking. I figured the comments about the eggs are out of the seller's control when they are left in the postman's hands as being set in stone. Just a thought. (In one case I declined and paid for another box of eggs, and the other case, I took them up on the offer.)

Because I thought breeders have birds for a hobby and not to make money off of? It does make sense to wanna make some money to recoupe for feed, bedding, and etc.
But if breeders only want to get money out of it then I think I'm done buying from breeders then

 

[PepsNick]

And most places that you get ANYTHING from just want your money- However, that doesn't mean that you should stop buying from there, does it? Think about it. Most breeders don't just want the money. But, if they do, but still do a good job breeding, than what's the big deal? It's just how buying/selling works.