Easter!! what a wonderful time.....if you sell chicks

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
Cara I think you will find many hatcheries won't ship chicks the week before
easter.

We first tried to get chicks last year around Easter. It had nothing to do with Easter
but we soon found how hard it was to get chicks around then. We didn't have a clue
about the Dyed chick thing. A member here responded and explained it to us. She
said she would sell us some chicks but only after Easter week.

 

[hinkjc]

I will add to this conversation and hope we can discuss this so people can consider both sides to choosing to sell or not sell chicks.

I sell Easter chicks every year. I don't dye them and I have a 4 chick minimum, unless there is someone who bought some elsewhere and lost one and is looking to replace so the leftover chick has a friend. I make some exceptions, but it depends on the situation and the person I am speaking with. I can guarantee that no one can just come in and pick some chicks and get out with them without a thorough discussion on chicken rearing, including chick requirements, grown chicken requirements, housing, feed, predators, etc and how long they live.

I think educating folks is more important than saying they just can't have them because it's Easter. There are lots of new people getting into chickens that have never considered it before and have a true interest in doing it right. I make sure they are prepared for the responsibility (or at least I try to). I have already told people to go home and think it over and come back when they are ready. I've offered to hold chicks so they can go get the supplies they need and set up a brooder. Many don't come back or come back and tell me..you were right, we're not ready for chickens. I don't mind losing a sale and I would prefer it that way if it's in the best interest of my chicks.

I offer them locally because most people don't want 25 chicks from a hatchery shipment. They also like to know where they came from and the personal relationship amongst neighbors and local farmers. Many people, including myself started out with chickens many years ago unprepared. I'd like to think I am helping people to understand chickening better before they go all in versus buying them from a disconnected source that offers little guidance.

I'm going to offer one last story...I sold 50 chicks to a lady who wanted to raise multi purpose birds for the sake of meat and eggs. The woman ended up divorced and having to move from her farm and had a ton of chickens with no idea what to do. She called me asking for help. I took them all back and rehomed them for her. Now she didn't have the full 50 anymore, but there were a lot of birds and I made the room for quarantine so I could help her in a difficult situation. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again for someone and always tell them so. I never want to imagine them getting into the wrong hands and you can't always know how a situation will end up, but by putting yourself out there for people can help the process. It allows good people to get into the hobby that we all enjoy and I am hoping it steers people away that are not quite ready..all of this can be done through proper education.

Good luck to all of you in whatever you decide to do.

Jody

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

Quote:
Are you sure you really think anyone who wants chicks should have them...ANYONE?
What about animal abusers? Or people who could care less that bc they aren't feeding their kids chick it is going to die.
I don't think people like that should own them.

What I think and what the constitution and bill of rights protects are two different things.
When you allow laws to be passed to restrict the few that abuse them you also restrict those who properly care for them.
I happen to believe that most people who have chickens are doing it right and care deeply about their animals.
I'm not willing to allow the few that do it wrong to take away the rights of the majority I feel are doing it right.

 

[Churkenduse]

Hooligan here is the quote thaqt you were looking for if I may.

Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven

I hope our fine moderater will forgive me this one.

robobob says

Laws like the one Chickenduce refered to are why I get worked up on this. I don't want to see animals hurt. Actually, I care more about animals than I do people. Animals give back exactly what you give them, give kindness and get kindness, give meanness and get bite...

Maybe you should be out in your coop because, frankly you are being rude. I had a wonderful dog that I love more than anything I treated it with love and kindness and you know what? it attacked me and almost ripped my thumb off and that was while I was holding her on my lap. Do you know why she did that, because the people that breed her didn't care about anything but the money like these people selling chicks to people that don't care either.
Feb 14, will be the anniversary of her death, I had to put her down. If laws would have prevented them from over breeding or had some control I would still have a normal thumb and a beautiful little dog.

I hate laws but there are times when we need them or we will all be killing each other.

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven

This is probably the most taken out of context scripture in the bible.
Read the passages leading up to and beyond this one and it will be pretty clear that we ARE to judge, but judge righteously.
Don't point out a speck in your brothers eye when you have a beam in your own.​

 

[BantyChickMom]

Just wanted to say this,

Last Easter when I had this crazy whim to get my 3 kids a chick each, I was a total idiot about chickens....I knew absolutely nothing.
The person we got our first 5 from sold at a local feed store every so often, and my DH picked the chicks up there. I don't think he ever said what we needed to do to care for these 1 or 2 week old chicks, but I was sincere about getting some chicks that I did online searches and found what I needed to do. Now I have 60, 18 more being shipped on the 27th, and 2 doz in the incubator due on the 26th.
Most people looking to buy chicks WILL ask questions or find a way to educate themselves if knowledge is not offered.
I mentioned to my DH about hatching and selling some in the spring and his exact words were:
" you won't ever sell a chicken because you have to many do's and don'ts for people to follow". This may or may not be true depending on how you look at it. Anyone that I may ever sell or give a chicken too will be well informed on the care of it.
Unfortunately, there are those few people out there that will abuse and neglect any and all animals.....BUT I would hate to think that I never could have got into the chicken madness just because I had never owned chickens, didn't know a thing about what kind of care to give them, and the seller didn't take the time to tell me a few very important details.

When I bought my first 2 silkies they were 1 month old, the lady said to me, " you are gonna put a light on them right?"
I told her yes, and actually they would be inside my house for a while. She seemed amazed that I was going to keep them in the house, but I also saw the relief on her face the moment I said that.

I think anyone should at least have the chance at raising chickens if they have the interest.
AND, anyone selling chickens should take the responsibility of passing along a list of do's and don'ts to every person they sell a chick to.

While the world is filled with idiots, I think everyone here at BYC will educate any potential chicken buyers they happen to encounter.

 

[hooligan]

Churkenduce, this quote is from Robo, not from me...I was quoting him to ask what that statement mean in context to what he was saying and why he brought my signature quote into it...

I believe God said "Judge not lest Ye be judged. Who am I to judge what that kid might or might not do. Also, if I have it right, I think what God says trumps what St Francis of Assi says.​

 

[Settin'_Pretty]

Amen Bantychicmom.
I couldn't have ever said it better.
The first step at becoming a good caretaker of chickens is to get the chicken.
Some who fail will quit, others who fail will come back more determined to do it right the second time.

 

[RepoBob]

Holligan, That was my humble attempt at humor, to kinda lighten things. You are infact judging. You are saying who can have chicks, buy a judgement you made gathered from all the facts and beliefs that you center your life on. In your sig you quote a man named St. Francis of Assisi. I guess I was makeing light of the fact that on one hand you say what a man says, but do something God says not to do. Struck me a little funny that's all. Please do not draw me into a religious discussion here, we can do that somewhere else if you'd like but I'd rather not. So if you don't see my point, then lets leave it as a joke. We do agree on one thing St. Francis of Assisi was a pretty good dude. He led an exemplory life (I read a book about him).
"Are you sure you really think anyone who wants chicks should have them...ANYONE?"
Are you sure you really think anyone who wants children should have them...ANYONE? Who gets to decide, people that feel they have some supernatural right to judge. Shall we take kids away from poor parents who can't give them all the nutrician they need for optimal life because they can't find a decent paying job, maybe if a parent dosen't spend the amount of quality time with a child because she's a single Mom working two jobs. Yea, sounds like the kind of society I want to live in. But hey someone, I'm sure, is better a judging than me. A belief or idea becomes a fact when it is true in all cases.

HobbyChickener, what a good idea. That probably does way more to help this problem than all the laws passed. Plus, as a reward, you get free stuff. A win/win,

. I'm gonna do that too.

Nichole77, I do not like the idea of dying a chick, just dosen't seem right. There is a guy, an I use that term loosly who has chickens. He gives them absolutly no more than the bare minimum. If one of his chickens get sick, gone. I hate to drive past his place and have to see it. Sounds like you have happy chickens.

Settin'_Pretty, "personal responsibility, and holding people accountable for their actions" What a concept. Think I remember my Dad telling me something like that when he was teaching me to be a man. Never once do I remember him telling me that if I seen something I didn't like go support some politician to get a law passed and limit everyone's freedom.
"You can't idiotproof the world" How true.

Cara, They are his chickens and in a free country he would be able to do as he pleases. I totally agree with you. It appears though that we must seek approval from those who are blessed with the knowledge and let them pass rules. After all they are "special" people.

Purple Chicken, Never knew that. To me it seems ridiculous, not to sell chicks for a period before a certain Sunday, then Poof on Monday its OK. What a country. I see no sense at all in this dying thing.

hinkjc, Well put.


I feel I need to say this again, I would do anything possible not to see harm come to any defenseless creature. I get aggitated though when people say things like "aren't we doing" whatever, and feel they can force people into doing whatever their way. I believe bunchachickens is a good person, I have no reason to think differently, and I hope he does what his heart tells him to. I'm confident that he will sell chickens in a proper manor, afterall he has had all of our influence by reading this board.

Bob

 

[lacyloo]

Quote:
yea what she said these are animals not gifts