Buying from breeders at poultry shows ? for the breeders

[ben is a terror]

our show i coming up soon. we can order chicks from the breeders of champion birds to get in the spring.Will they sex them or is it a game of chance. I Can't have roos. I don't mind paying the price of the quality birds but I don't want to pay for chicks I have to find homes for.
Thanks

 

[RhodeRunner]

It is very rare for a breeder to sex chicks. Most don't know how, and many wouldn't sex them even if they did. You can ask, but chances are they are straight run. You may have better luck if you pick a breed with barring, or another Sex-Linkable gene. (Where males and females can be determined at a day of age by their coloration.)

 

[cashdl]

I don't sell sexed birds untill they are 3 months old. It is easy to be wrong before then. Straight run I usually sell for $ 10.00 to $ 15.00 each. Pullets start at $30.00 ea and can go to $ 65.00 each depending on quality. I.E. rumpless, tufted, correct color and build and so on. Usually people don't mind taking a chance on straight run cause they get a deal.


Lanae

 

[Oregon Blues]

If you absolutely can not have a rooster, I suggest that you buy started pullets. That way you can be sure.

I don't think they are more expensive when you add up the cost of raising the chicks and losing half the chicks because they turn out to be male.

Also, if you are not going to show yourself, breeders sometimes have birds that they raised for themselves and then decided aren't the ones with the best chance of winning. The differences can be very small and not noticeable to you. So you might ask about those birds and get one slightly cheaper than a super exhibition potential bird.