Growing out chicks to sell

[Chikyboy]

Babies I have sold for $6, older chicks $10. Just laying- or just about to lay $15. Fancy breeds like LO, $20.

Sorry, remind me what LO is again?

 

[nuthatched]

I'd say 15-25, unless eggs go up again.
Maybe lavender orp for LO?
I think orpingtons are overrated, imho.

 

[cubalaya]

Fully feathered-$10
Point of lay-$15-20

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If you're doing this to make money, right now I would say don't. Back when my flock could be sold, I would sell off pullets I didn't end up wanting, and I was lucky if I got enough to cover their purchase price and the feed I put into them

 

[MysteryChicken]

I've sold 3, 3 month old Jersey Giant cross pullets for $5 each successfully last year.

 

[cubalaya]

If you're doing this to make money, right now I would say don't. Back when my flock could be sold, I would sell off pullets I didn't end up wanting, and I was lucky if I got enough to cover their purchase price and the feed I put into them

If you buy 25 chicks for $125 from the hatchery and you raise them for 6 weeks you can sell 13 for $10 each and get $130. This pays for your chick order. Let the other 12 grow out to point of lay, free range as much as possible, and sell 6 for $20 and get $120. This pays for your feed and labor and you end up with the 6 best hens to keep you in eggs for the next 2-3 years

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If you buy 25 chicks for $125 from the hatchery and you raise them for 6 weeks you can sell 13 for $10 each and get $130. This pays for your chick order. Let the other 12 grow out to point of lay, free range as much as possible, and sell 6 for $20 and get $120. This pays for your feed and labor and you end up with the 6 best hens to keep you in eggs for the next 2-3 years

Where I am, free range doesn't provide close to enough nutrition, nor are people paying 20 dollars a hen unless you happen to have a specific breed they're looking for. Also have to factor in gas money to bring the birds into town for sale, something we just always knew we were going to take for a loss. Most of my pullets wound up going for less than 15 dollars on good weeks

 

[TexasBlues]

I was thinking of doing something similar and let my kids help raise and sell the birds. I can get 30 white leghorn eggs for $38. We would keep the favorites and sell the rest. The difference between ordering chicks and hatching eggs would be the males.

 

[cubalaya]

Where I am, free range doesn't provide close to enough nutrition, nor are people paying 20 dollars a hen unless you happen to have a specific breed they're looking for. Also have to factor in gas money to bring the birds into town for sale, something we just always knew we were going to take for a loss. Most of my pullets wound up going for less than 15 dollars on good weeks

My luck everyone was looking for brown egg layers last year. I kept one of each:
Rhode island red
Barred rock
Dominique
Black australorp
Silver laced wyandotte
Buff orpington
Will keep these another winter and do it all over again next spring 2025