California - Northern

[Kaylish]

@SpringPeeper and
@tommysgirl Someone on NorCal Rare Breed Poultry Buy/Sell/Swap page just posted black Australorps for sale in Palermo (just south of Oroville), just FYI

 

[Kaylish]

Alright everyone - I need some brutally honest info: for those of you that sell eggs and chicks - how large of an operation do you need to actually make money, not just cover feed, etc but actually cash in hand? Is it possible to do without shipping? What kind of equipment do you run (i.e. do you need a large cabinet incubator, or multiple small ones, etc) What do you do with the chicks that don't sell as day-old straight runs? How young can you take them to an auction (provided I can find one close)?

I ask because the company my husband has been with for the last 17 years was bought out and is being shut down next month. So, I need to make some fast hard decisions on what direction my "hobby" is going. We have 1/2 acre and a 3 year old so I think raising to POL for pullets and butchering size for roos to sell is out, at least for a while.

On the same note; anyone interested in some 8 week old BBS Marans pairs or trios?

 

[ronott1]

Alright everyone - I need some brutally honest info: for those of you that sell eggs and chicks - how large of an operation do you need to actually make money, not just cover feed, etc but actually cash in hand? Is it possible to do without shipping? What kind of equipment do you run (i.e. do you need a large cabinet incubator, or multiple small ones, etc) What do you do with the chicks that don't sell as day-old straight runs? How young can you take them to an auction (provided I can find one close)?

I ask because the company my husband has been with for the last 17 years was bought out and is being shut down next month. So, I need to make some fast hard decisions on what direction my "hobby" is going. We have 1/2 acre and a 3 year old so I think raising to POL for pullets and butchering size for roos to sell is out, at least for a while.

On the same note; anyone interested in some 8 week old BBS Marans pairs or trios?

I am so sorry to hear this!

Is there a transfer option?

It is hard to make money off of selling eating eggs unless you are selling to a market that will pay premium dollars for them. The egg farmer in Winters has 400 or so chickens and does well selling the eggs in the Bay Area. He has to deliver the eggs there though.

Hatching eggs and chicks is seasonal so budgeting would be needed.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Oh @Happy Chooks drat!!! Well

here are more pics of Reese hope these are more helpful.











It looks like Reese has something in his/her beak but it is Petunia in the background with Jamie lee Curtis

Very tough one. Body, legs and tail look like a pullet. Comb/wattles are awfully red though. This bird is 13 weeks? I'm leaning towards pullet on this one.

Quote: I'm sorry.

Alright everyone - I need some brutally honest info: for those of you that sell eggs and chicks - how large of an operation do you need to actually make money, not just cover feed, etc but actually cash in hand? Is it possible to do without shipping? What kind of equipment do you run (i.e. do you need a large cabinet incubator, or multiple small ones, etc) What do you do with the chicks that don't sell as day-old straight runs? How young can you take them to an auction (provided I can find one close)?

I ask because the company my husband has been with for the last 17 years was bought out and is being shut down next month. So, I need to make some fast hard decisions on what direction my "hobby" is going. We have 1/2 acre and a 3 year old so I think raising to POL for pullets and butchering size for roos to sell is out, at least for a while.

On the same note; anyone interested in some 8 week old BBS Marans pairs or trios?

So sorry to hear of your husbands job.

My personal thoughts, it's really difficult to make money in poultry. Selling eating eggs and birds here and there doesn't even cover the feed.

 

[tommysgirl]

@SpringPeeper and
@tommysgirl Someone on NorCal Rare Breed Poultry Buy/Sell/Swap page just posted black Australorps for sale in Palermo (just south of Oroville), just FYI

Thank you! I'll make contact and see what I can learn for all of us.

Alright everyone - I need some brutally honest info: for those of you that sell eggs and chicks - how large of an operation do you need to actually make money, not just cover feed, etc but actually cash in hand? Is it possible to do without shipping? What kind of equipment do you run (i.e. do you need a large cabinet incubator, or multiple small ones, etc) What do you do with the chicks that don't sell as day-old straight runs? How young can you take them to an auction (provided I can find one close)?

I ask because the company my husband has been with for the last 17 years was bought out and is being shut down next month. So, I need to make some fast hard decisions on what direction my "hobby" is going. We have 1/2 acre and a 3 year old so I think raising to POL for pullets and butchering size for roos to sell is out, at least for a while.

On the same note; anyone interested in some 8 week old BBS Marans pairs or trios?

I am sorry about all of this. What a scary thing. I have no advice about making money with birds but will keep positive thaoughts and prayers headed your direction.

Very tough one. Body, legs and tail look like a pullet. Comb/wattles are awfully red though. This bird is 13 weeks? I'm leaning towards pullet on this one.

Oh Happy Day!!! Thank you Kelly!!!

I was vain and I used the "enhance" feature on iphoto so you all could see how pretty Reese's feathering is. In reality the comb and wattles are far less red shame on me. I was only thinking of development not of coloring.

 

[chiqita]

Alright everyone - I need some brutally honest info: for those of you that sell eggs and chicks - how large of an operation do you need to actually make money, not just cover feed, etc but actually cash in hand? Is it possible to do without shipping? What kind of equipment do you run (i.e. do you need a large cabinet incubator, or multiple small ones, etc) What do you do with the chicks that don't sell as day-old straight runs? How young can you take them to an auction (provided I can find one close)?

I ask because the company my husband has been with for the last 17 years was bought out and is being shut down next month. So, I need to make some fast hard decisions on what direction my "hobby" is going.  We have 1/2 acre and a 3 year old so I think raising to POL for pullets and butchering size for roos to sell is out, at least for a while.

On the same note; anyone interested in some 8 week old BBS Marans pairs or trios?

When I was keeping track 2 years ago I was breaking even. But food was cheaper then.

It has gone down again but they are eating more. I made money on eggs this year but unless I brutally downsize over winter ill be loosing money again. Im not up to brutally downsizing.

I personally make money on egg sales and under 2 week old chicks. And quail. Everything else is at a loss unless you count eating roosters at the cost of free range meat.

If you are going to seriously hatch I really think you need a cabinet. You need to have some consistant hatch rates before you take orders for shipped chicks so you can fill orders.

And you should be ready to sell chicks by mmid january. 2/3 of your cash comes from eggs and chicks mid jan to may.

 

[tommysgirl]

I personally make money on egg sales and under 2 week old chicks. And quail. Everything else is at a loss unless you count eating roosters at the cost of free range meat.

hatching eggs right?

 

[chiqita]

 hatching eggs  right?

Yes. Breese were kind to me this year. Clovis is a man of mighty sperm. I would have made money if I could have gotten my white showgirls and sizzles seperated in time .

 

[Kaylish]

I am so sorry to hear this!

Is there a transfer option?

It is hard to make money off of selling eating eggs unless you are selling to a market that will pay premium dollars for them. The egg farmer in Winters has 400 or so chickens and does well selling the eggs in the Bay Area. He has to deliver the eggs there though.

Hatching eggs and chicks is seasonal so budgeting would be needed.

There is an option to apply for another job within the company but the cities avaliable are not exactly places we would want to raise our daughter. Not to mention he wouldn't have the senority and my job market there is non existent...so we made the decision to stick it out where we have a support group and I have a good job. Now we just have to figure out how.

So sorry to hear of your husbands job.

My personal thoughts, it's really difficult to make money in poultry. Selling eating eggs and birds here and there doesn't even cover the feed.

Thank you!

I am sorry about all of this. What a scary thing. I have no advice about making money with birds but will keep positive thaoughts and prayers headed your direction.

Thank you! Scary is a good way to describe it but it's Life!

When I was keeping track 2 years ago I was breaking even. But food was cheaper then.

It has gone down again but they are eating more. I made money on eggs this year but unless I brutally downsize over winter ill be loosing money again. Im not up to brutally downsizing.

I personally make money on egg sales and under 2 week old chicks. And quail. Everything else is at a loss unless you count eating roosters at the cost of free range meat.

If you are going to seriously hatch I really think you need a cabinet. You need to have some consistant hatch rates before you take orders for shipped chicks so you can fill orders.

And you should be ready to sell chicks by mmid january. 2/3 of your cash comes from eggs and chicks mid jan to may.

Thank you very much! Good to know about the timing.

 

[chrissyr]

We were rather unimpressed with the amount of work processing requires.  We did 30 our first day.  Not the greatest day.  Bleck.  A few months later we are loving this chicken!  The kids are so proud of their efforts too.  It feels really good to sit down and eat our own birds.  Just recently learned there is a place within 30 minutes of me that will process chickens for $3 a bird.  They only do this a couple days a year.  I'm really hoping to take advantage of that service!  I'd much prefer getting my birds in a bag 

See above comments Don't know where you are located but the place is called "The Rabbit Barn."  I havn't checked into it myself so it's totally on hearsay. 

There is also a place in manteca (by Stockton border) . They're a little more than the rabbit barn @ $5/chicken. No minimum required. They do ducks too.
The rabbit barn is $4-4.50 depending on packaging. They also do quail for $0.80 each. I don't think there's a minimum ,but you have to make an appt.
I'm happy with how this batch turned out. I gave cereal grains in milk, and there's more flesh this go around.

Nice. Most of the places I know have minimums that mean you need to have at least 20 birds to take in, and I never will with my tiny, urban plot. But I do have multiple friends who are willing to do it for me (BFF is already rubbing her hands together about it and planningCoq au Vin, and my friends who live off-grid up by Nevada City raise and process ALL their own meat, so I can always take a trip up there with any birds that need to be processed).

chiqita found a place in Oakland . I don't think there's a minimum there