Connecticut!

[windyridgefarm]

If you want to see chickens and all other kinds of poultry go to the free poultry show at the big E next weekend. It is held on Sat and Sunday but I would go on Sat as sadly they close early on Sunday around noon. They have a sales area and raffle for various items including chicks and breeding stock.

 

[robjenn26]

  I am a small breeder and usually list my hatching eggs and chicks on craigslist. I will occasionally have older pullets as well but try not to as it is usually not worth it. For example the people I got my Marans stock from sell day old straight run chicks for $32 each whereas I sold laying age pullets for $25 and I am left with the extra roosters.
  I do not have a website or Facebook page. I will tell you that most breeders of quality stock will not offer to show you their flock and will politely decline if you ask. Some breeders will not even let you on the property, preferring to meet you offsite. People invest a lot of time and money into their flocks and do not want the risk of someone bringing something in from their own flock. Allowing other people with chickens to see your flock would undo the quarantine a breeder does whenever they add new stock.  

I completely understand having people on your property. I myself do not allow anyone on my property for that reason. I have invested way to much time and money into my animals to have their lives put at risk. Plus the poultry seem in CT is going down hill to untrustworthy people raising sick birds and selling or just flat out not being truthful about the birds.

I know many breeders willing to show pics of parents stock and if they weren't willing I simply wouldn't buy from them. I do my research when it comes to buying because 1 small mistake could wipe out my entire flock.

 

[windyridgefarm]

Chickens are a hobby for me and most small breeders. I dont have a website and do not want the work of having one. I prefer to sell my stock for less and build a relationship with people who will hopefully come back again and again. I understand people wanting to see the stock or pictures but it can be a lot of work taking pics of each pullet as people want to see the one they are getting but realize that the more work the breeder has to do the more they have to charge to make it worth their time and the less they get to enjoy the hobby. One of the many reasons I prefer to sell fertile eggs.

 

[windyridgefarm]

I enjoy meeting people from all different levels of experience but I I can tell you it is an adventure. I could tell stories all day long. There was the guy who went looking in the back yards of every house on my street looking to see who had chickens, He was in the area and saw an ad on CL that pointed to this street. He was a character who showed up several time unexpectedly. The woman who wanted to buy chicks and didnt understand why I wouldnt want to make the $40 sale for ten chicks by meeting her more than an hour away. Then there was the woman who wanted hatching eggs and was angry breeders charge more money for them than a grocery store would for eating eggs. She offered me $2 a dozen and demanded I sell her three dozen and deliver them. What an experience that was! People just dont realize how much cost and effort goes into producing quality eggs from quality stock. Then there are those that expect every egg will hatch and they will all be hens lol I cant tell you how many people only want 3 eggs because they only have room for three hens so you have to explain not all will hatch and half will be roosters. I also had a woman who purchased straight run day old chicks and kept bringing back the young roos to trade for hens. I did at first because I felt bad she seemed to get more roos than hens but then she kept coming back and seemed to feel she shouldnt have gotten any roos. By that point I was trading 15 week old pullets for roos I didnt need and had to keep quarantined. Fortunately I have just as many warm happy experiences of share that make it all worth it. Hope this doesnt sound like venting, Is really more like reminiscing. Spring will be here before we know it

 

[windyridgefarm]

Oh then there was the neighbor who sent her young daughter over to trade roosters for hens and later for free hatching eggs because they didnt have any roosters LOL Keeps me entertained

 

[gbartha]

I am a small breeder and usually list my hatching eggs and chicks on craigslist. I will occasionally have older pullets as well but try not to as it is usually not worth it. For example the people I got my Marans stock from sell day old straight run chicks for $32 each whereas I sold laying age pullets for $25 and I am left with the extra roosters.
I do not have a website or Facebook page. I will tell you that most breeders of quality stock will not offer to show you their flock and will politely decline if you ask. Some breeders will not even let you on the property, preferring to meet you offsite. People invest a lot of time and money into their flocks and do not want the risk of someone bringing something in from their own flock. Allowing other people with chickens to see your flock would undo the quarantine a breeder does whenever they add new stock.

Windy,

Sorry if you misunderstood me. I didn't mean for any offense. In the past I was mislead of what breed of chicks I was getting. I was told I was getting an araucana and infact it was an easter egger. I know that it is very close to impossible for you to tell me which hen laid which egg. Sometimes a single roo is in a breading pen with the hens. I was mainly curious of the shade of blue that my chicks may lay once mature, thats all. What do you charge for a dozen of fertile ameraucana eggs?

 

[windyridgefarm]

Windy,

Sorry if you misunderstood me. I didn't mean for any offense. In the past I was mislead of what breed of chicks I was getting. I was told I was getting an araucana and infact it was an easter egger. I know that it is very close to impossible for you to tell me which hen laid which egg. Sometimes a single roo is in a breading pen with the hens. I was mainly curious of the shade of blue that my chicks may lay once mature, thats all. What do you charge for a dozen of fertile ameraucana eggs?

No Problem, I didnt take any offense. I try to base the price on the genetics, fertility and what other local breeders are offering. As such I like to set up the pens and do a few test hatches before I set the price for the season but it is usually less than half the price I paid for the parental stock.
I am thinking $ 20 for the Blue, Black, Splash Ameraucanas, Olive Eggers and Easter Eggers . $25 for the Blue Wheaten, Wheaten Ameraucanas, Blue, Black, Splash Marans, Cream Legbars and White Sport Legbars. I can also do mixes and sex linked EE and OE crosses.

 

[Lamaremybabies]

Will anyone have silkies available this spring? I used to have a silkie hen and rooster but during the fall my hen passed away for unknown reasons and I really miss having a little silkie girl.

 

[gbartha]

No Problem, I didnt take any offense. I try to base the price on the genetics, fertility and what other local breeders are offering. As such I like to set up the pens and do a few test hatches before I set the price for the season but it is usually less than half the price I paid for the parental stock.
I am thinking $ 20 for the Blue, Black, Splash Ameraucanas, Olive Eggers and Easter Eggers . $25 for the Blue Wheaten, Wheaten Ameraucanas, Blue, Black, Splash Marans, Cream Legbars and White Sport Legbars. I can also do mixes and sex linked EE and OE crosses.

Thanks windy. Do you know the bloodline of your stock of the black ameracucanas? What about the Cream Legbars?

 

[Dooze]

Hi CT,

If I hatched chicks over the summer (maybe will take requests for breeds and such), would any of you be interested in taking some?
I've never hatched my own chicks before, and really want to give it a go, but I'm away at school during the winter so I wouldn't be able to keep them and integrate them with my current flock. I'm an animal science pre-vet major interesting in learning more about poultry and think this would be a great way to learn a few things Feel free to shoot me a message as well!