For those who Hatch LOTS of chicks, What then???

[bheila]

We sell the chicks. Sell the fertile eggs. Build up our flock. Sell the older hens. Eat the extra roos. Someone has to pay for the chicken food, it might as well be the chickens. Too bad I can't find a way for my dogs to earn their keep.

 

[shelleyd2008]

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I also sell the eggs, for food or hatching, for the same reason as bheila. We do not eat too many eggs from dad's standard hens, so the extras buy a bag of feed or more a week.

 

[sandspoultry]

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It depends on the breed as to the price. We start with $2 each for "straight run" (un sexed). If we sex them the price goes up for the females (that's what everybody wants) The rarer breeds, (marans etc) go for more. The price depends on your area, how many other people are selling in your area. You can't really sell for to much more than the hatcheries do as they will just go there. You need to promote that your birds AREN'T hatchery birds, they local, people can view the parent stock etc.

We mark our eggs with pencil as to the breed. To keep them seperate we hatch in hatcher boxes (wire cages in the hatcher). Then we mark them with plastic colored zip ties. Tractor supply and walmart has then. They come in red, blue, green etc. The only thing with the zip ties is you have to watch them as the bird grows, the leg can grow into the band. We never never never sell birds with bands on.

We don't ship birds, only local sales. We sell at local feed stores, tractor supply and thru craigs list, and a local sale paper. The feed stores are happy to have us there, they will advertise and we just pick a saturday morning and show up and sell in the parking lot. Last spring we have a "route" set up each saturday.

Steve in NC

 

[mcg30_40]

I keep a batch if I need to replace any of my flock. Otherwise I sell all I can hatch. I hope to get to hatch lots more next year, my supplier this year lost all of her hens half way throught the summer. My flock didn't have a roo till this year.

 

[MagsC]

Well, sigh, I havent hatched LOTS yet, but my extras would go out to family and friends farms. Thats where they would be butchered if that was necessary as well. Sigh. I keep mine for pets and eggs as I am a softie and get too attached.

 

[vfem]

I'm planning on breeding in the spring.... but no bator yet. If the sales are good from the chickens and fertile eggs I may get a bator. I want to try to breed some really nice birds for me to keep... but I know for a fact I won't be keeping but 3 more then I have now as personal flock. I really would like to go for some 'nicer' then I have silkies eventually. I have 2 I will NEVER part with, they'll always have a home here.

I just have no idea how some people house 50 chickens from a hatch?

 

[pax12]

i give mine to friends for free

 

[sandspoultry]

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See what sells good in your area, here in the east Buff Orps, RIR's, Barred Rocks are king of the local sales. Cochins do ok. People don't know what Marans are and don't want to pay a higher price. Turkeys and Gunieas do well.

Steve in NC

 

[walkswithdog]

When I had a batch of all roos partridge rocks I didn't like they all were sold.

This batch is better. I'll keep the best pullets, one of the best Roos, raise and butcher the other roos, sell the other pullets. Over and over... since I'm improving a group of production PRs, I get to add cochin and barred rocks and sort. And breed to those progeny, and sort. Add dark cornish... and sort.

If I keep the pullets I don't want to point of lay, no one around here minds "mixed" birds if all they want is eggs. Eventually I'll have a nice group of heritage partridge rocks.

I want a small flock of turkeys to do the same with over time.

So that I can get one of those nice bators and the chickens earn their keep.

 

[horsejody]

Last spring I only hatched purebreds. Before the incubator was ever even turned on I contacted the local 4H extension office to find if any kids were interested in taking my extras for pets and/or projects. I specified that the kids needed to be in a poultry club and have permission from their parents. I ended up with more kids that wanted birds than I had birds to rehome. I was able to pick what I wanted and had an outlet for the rest.