"feed store chick" assumptions

I got all my beginning flock at the feed store. 5 buff orps, 4 RiR, 4 black australorps. All females.

 

my local store orders all pullets for common egg layers..the rest are mixed

 

If a retailer requests straight run, the hatchery will stack the assortment in favor of the roos. The retailer then sells them at $1.00 a piece. The unaware buyer then ends up with 25 chicks for $ 25.00 and about 6-7 pullets. Everybody still makes money because most hatcheries have to cull all the leftover roos that nobody really wants anyway. I personally like getting "packing peanuts" when I order from a hatchery. I just raise them and dress them out for the table. If you want pullets, order sexed birds or make sure you get them out of a sexed bin at the farm store. Straight run aren't really 50/50 when they are coming from a hatchery to a retailer.

 

Depends on the feed store. I find Tractor Supply tends to get A LOT of straight runs in whatever is cheapest that year from McMurray whereas the smaller feed store in town buys primarily pullets in whatever breed the owner is into at that time. It's been interesting. One year she got loads of BO's, the next Americana's, the next white silkies and so on. I stay away from TS because the two stores in our area seem to have the sickest chicks. They just don't take care of them.

 

why do people buy chicks from a feed store when they could order direct from the hatchery and order what they want?? don't you pay more for each chick at the feed store?? we do not have any place around here that sells chicks, so I do not know.. the only advantage that I can see is minimum order..?

 

Quote:Well I paid 1.85 for my day olds at the feed store. Not sure but I think that's pretty comparable to the hatchery and I got them that day where hatchery birds would have to be mailed and then I have the possibility of receiving dead chicks and that would be horrible.

I still had a min. order. Our county regulations state that birds have to be sold in bundles of 12.

 

My feedstore orders from McMurray but they must get some kind of discount for mass quantities because they sell them for just about what I can buy them for from the hatchery. People like to get them from the feedstore because they can get just three or four instead of having to order 25 at a time. With so many people living in towns that allow small backyard flocks of no more than ten birds that's a big plus.

 

My feed store does straight run only.