Do you make meat bird customers pay in advance, or just order.

[DanIndiana]

We put the sign in the yard for out first batch to sell, and the orders are starting to come in. I figured I would just have them order and get their name and number. One guy wanted to pay in advance, so of course I took it. Does anyone have all customers pay in advance?

 

[myhubbycallsmechickeemama]

The ONLY reason I wouldn't is for fear of something going horribly wrong!!

 

[Peruvian]

Think of it as a CSA. Paying in advance helps fund your efforts and the customers get a known amount of meat. I think I'd feel better getting 1/2 up front and then 1/2 upon delivery if I was raising for market. That hedges against chickeemama's concern.

 

[stone_family3]

My dad paid me in advance, I originally proposed 1/2 up front 1/2 on delivery. He paid $50 for 5 birds and we only had one loss which I took out of my own personal stock.

 

[Buster52]

No.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I would like a deposit, but not the whole thing. What if all the chickens don't make it to butcher time?

On the other hand, if people have paid a deposit, they are more likely to still be there when the birds are ready. The world is full of people who promise to buy, but disappear when it comes time to pay.

 

[jaj121159]

I sell to friends, strangers and at three markets. I try to get at least $5 a bird deposit from strangers. I purposely under sell, so I have some left over at the end of the batch. Those I can use for myself and/or sell at a market. I just finished a batch of 150. I had 120 sold and then took 30 to the market to sell on consignment.

If you are selling under the USDA exemption, as I do, then you must charge per pound. You can't guarantee size,, but a deposit holds a chicken or chickens. I explain to people that birds can die, so if I don't have enough to fill orders, then first orders get filled first and the deposit money would be returned. I've never encountered that, and hope by under selling, I won't in the future.

 

[fair weather chicken]

We sell as a CSA and in three years we have not had a problem. We get the full amount up front and this pays for the birds and feed. But we also have extra that does insure we cover our CSA members. We sell singles but they are higher priced, pay up front and you get a discount. Also as with a produce CSA mother nature can throw us a curve, this year weather slowed growth and weights were less than our normal. Point being our members accept the risk with us.

 

[naillikwj82]

?? CSA ??

 

[PotterWatch]

We only take deposits for very large orders or if people have flaked on picking up their chicken a previous time, we require a deposit before we will hold chicken for them again. Otherwise, it is too difficult to take pre-payments because we charge by the pound so we don't know exactly how much they owe until they come pick up.