Fair Price?

[sepaditty1]

I was out with my chickies yesterday and a guy stopped to see if I had any hens for sale. I sold him 2. One started laying last week & the other hadn't started yet, but was hatched at the same time, so it should happen soon.

I was sort of caught off guard & I sold them for $10 each. Now I'm wondering if that's way too cheap or pretty fair or what.

Do you guys have any experience with buying or selling? Did I rip him off? Did I shoot myself in the foot? What do you think?

 

[dheltzel]

I think that was way too cheap, but look around for local ads on Craigslist to see what they are selling for in your area. I wouldn't sell a laying hen for less than $30, much more if it is a breed I want to hatch more from. My logic is that I have at least $20 in feed alone, more if I had to raise and dispose of (on average) 1 roos also. Then there is the time and space needed to raise the hen. We get $3 a dozen for eggs, so we'd make $30 from the hen in 6 - 9 months, and still have the hen. Finally, look up the "small batch" price for a pullet chick at a hatchery like mypetchicken, including shipping, to see what they would pay per pullet, and still have to feed it for 6 months before seeing any eggs.

We undervalue our birds so often, you put a lot of love and work into them, charge more next time.

 

[aart]

Maybe too cheap....but.....depends on why you raise chooks and what the market dictates around your location.
Wonders why you sold them at all and how someone would just stop out of the blue and ask to buy your hens?
As suggested above, do some research for the future......but you probably at least stocked some good karma.

 

[AmericanMom]

Depends on your market, where I live people post ads all the time for either free chickens or chickens for around $10. each....yes, there are some that list them for $20 and up but for my barnyard mix I find $15.00 for a 7 month old laying hen to be fair...If I have several to sell I will make a deal if they buy more than 5. I had tried to sell my 3 mo old pullets for $5. and got no takers but sold all I had available once they were laying for triple that...Go figure...
Now if I was doing pure breeds I would ask more.

 

[AmericanMom]

Also.... I have found being firm on my price to be a must...I have people calling wanting to make a deal on one or two all the time, I also sell my meat rabbits and for the last three months have had a guy calling me four hours away wanting me to sell him the 2 month olds in a bundle for $3. each and to ad insult to injury insist I meet him halfway (a 2 hour trip one way for me) The last time he called I was kind but firm and told him to not waste my time again, If he didn't want to travel here then it wasn't worth it for me to sell him even 20 bunnies at the price he wants. I have gotten wise... Meat Bunnies: Females I start selling at 3 months $15.00 each... if I keep a few of the best back until they are 5 mo I sell them for $25. and will have them mated before they leave for an extra $10.... Couldn't believe that they sold as soon as I listed them We eat the males because typically I have a harder time selling them.

I sell hatching eggs for $1.25 each and have orders a couple times a week , again, these are my barnyard mix and I beat others prices, same with eating eggs $2.50 a dozen and I have standing orders for 7 dozen a week... All this pays for feed, I rarely make much if any of a profit from them.

 

[sepaditty1]

This is very helpful. I do feel like I went too low, but I'll chalk it up to a learning experience.