dilemma on selling laying hens

[ltlchicken]

i have this guy who buys chickens from me. and every 3-6 months he'll contact me wanting to buy another hen because one of the hens i sold him died. once it was at the hands of a neighbor dog, but he's not sure. a couple of times it was his own dog (lab) that killed his chickens when his kids accidentally let the dog out into the yard where the chickens were. another time he came home and one of his hens was gone. i think it's been about 5 times of different things that's happened to where they're killed by something or the other.

personally, i don't want to sell to him anymore. i had a trio of silkies listed and he called wanting to get them. they were $60 for the trio and the trio was about 6 months old. i did not want to sell to him cuz i knew they would eventually get killed.

don't get me wrong, birds die at my house too, but i also have birds that have been around for a long time. my LGD protects my flock. i go out every night making sure they are locked up so predators can't get to them also.

but $60 is alot of money so i thought maybe he would be more protecive of them since they cost so much. then he asked if i could keep them for a couple of weeks because he's going on vacation and will pick them up when he gets back. that really rubbed me wrong and so i told him i don't hold birds. i ended up selling them to another couple.

well, now i have some laying hens up for sale again and just got and email that he would like to purchase some. i feel bad that i'm putting them into harm....which is silly since i sell my hens at the local trade days and who knows what happens to them from those sales. but for some reason, i just feel sad about selling them to this guy.

 

[The Poultry Peanut]

IMO you have the right to NOT sell your birds if you don't think there going to a good home. He obviously can't take care of them. Hope that helps

 

[JennsPeeps]

I wouldn't sell hens to him. It's a death sentence for the birds since he refuses to take care of them properly. Tell him that due to the constant turn-over for the hens (i.e. deaths due to dogs) you won't sell him any more birds. Period & no apologies.

 

[Katy]

I wouldn't sell him any more birds either. I'd be honest and tell him until he can change how he raises them to keep them safer and not have to be replacing them every few months you won't sell him any more.

 

[ltlchicken]

well, i just hate confrontation and so i lied to him and told him the hens were spent hens (even though the ad clearly states they are aren't) and the younger ones are probably sold.

and that i'd get back to him when i had younger birds. i offered him babies (to maybe help him understand how hard it is to get them to the point of laying) but he said his housekeeper wouldn't be able to take care of the babies. it's easier to ask them to water and feed the older birds than to take care of babies.

see, he's not even going to be taking care of them. a housekeeper isn't going to be careful if they are properly protected or not. it's not their birds! grrrrrrr.

i'll probably have to eventually tell him i'm not interested in selling him birds.

come to think of it, i've even given him my friends phone number who also sells laying hens and he hasn't bought from him. ugh.

 

[speckledhen]

I'd have no trouble telling someone that I refused to sell them anymore birds if they continually met a bad end at his place. You are under no obligation to sell to a particular person for whatever reason you choose. I hate confrontation, too, but I love my birds more than I hate arguments.

 

[lilchick]

I will not sell to someone who clearly does not take care of them..
I did not spend all the time and energy getting them to full grown not to mention caring about them just to let them be killed.
I do not need the money that badly and hope I never do!

 

[Boyd]

**Sorry, My Opinion only** Please don't flame me for this but............

I feel 2 ways about this subject......... Meaties ...... Big fat and dumb..... Ok, let the dog use them as a chewtoy.... I'd never get attached to them anyways.

Chickens I am growing out to sell as starts, hrm.... Probably not attached to as much....... Would spend some time socializing them... Would feel mildly uncomfortable selling..........

Chicks I hatch out, hand feed to keep as my own..... name them, love them, care for them more than my furry friends at times....... I wouldn't sell these guys for sure.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
Im not gonna flame you at all. However my pair of meaties I kept for breeders (future) are very tame and goofy. So much so the hen has a name. I haven't named the roo yet though. Just thought i'd add in there that not everyones meaties are dumb and unattachable.

 

[Boyd]

oh I know they are goofy, but meaties are food for me and the fam, we never plan on keeping any beyond 2 1/2 months

They are just so darn tasty!