Fun with Incubating... what do you do with chicks??

[Joyfillednomads]

I got a little incubator for Christmas and it has been off only a few days since. I love hatching out chicks. Even staying up all night to watch over them and root them on. But 5 batches in... I couldn't bring myself to "harvest" these birds and gave all but a few funky colored ones away.
Think I might hatch eggs for people. Not sure what else to do. I just love it, even tho it's not the best prettiest addition to my kitchen.
Can't bring myself to put it back in the box and shove it in the closet.

 

[Kellyjenny]

I would make sure that you know the people that need chicks and local farmers around your area.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Only hatch if you have placed for males to go, which sooner or later will mean processing them

 

[MadamContrary]

I love to incubate as well! Infact I just bought another incubator today, I might have a problem... I however have overcome the biggest hurdle, processing for meat. It took me a long time to get there. It's inevitable that you'll have unwanted males, run out of room to keep them, have aggressive birds, disabled birds, stuff happens. So having a plan for all these situations is important before you're faced with it. That said, I also make a fair amount of money from hatching breeds that others do not have in my area. I have been able to sell most of my cockerels for $15 each at first crow, they are more difficult to find homes for as they get older. Pullets are usually easy to sell and you can often sell trios as a way to move cockerels and increase the price point. I've only had to give away two cockerels, and that was because I adored them both and hung on to them for too long, I couldn't eat them and wanted to be sure they had good homes, drove 5 hours round trip to deliver my favorite boy!

 

[Joyfillednomads]

Only hatch if you have placed for males to go, which sooner or later will mean processing them

I don't mind the processing part. I just don't need that many chickens, and right around 3-4 weeks they start really going thru feed. So it really was a cost thing. We had no use for them. Giving them away seemed like the best way. We made some new friends and met some of their animals.