How many chicks can you really sell?

[Amandahein]

I know there are a lot of variables to this but...how many chicks can you really expect to sell in any given year? I live in Minnesota so most people are only buying chicks march-august give or take. I'm trying to put together a rough draft business plan and not sure what a realistic amount of chicks I could plan to sell and hatch. Planning to advertise on craigslist Facebook and signs at the end of my driveway (well traveled road) I have silkies and french black copper marams Hopefully I posted in the right place!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think it depends on how you sell and how you promote your breeds. What breeds?
If you just sell on craigslist, you may be able to sell a few hundred.
If you have a website that can be found easily on Google, sell on EBay, on BYC and other places, it could be more.

 

[Percheron chick]

If you have nice birds and are NPIP, you can sell hatching eggs out of state as well

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you have nice birds and are NPIP, you can sell hatching eggs out of state as well

and chicks, started birds and adults.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you could join the Flock! Let me know if you need anything!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

What quaity are your silkies? That is such a cute chick in your photo!

 

[Amandahein]

What quaity are your silkies? That is such a cute chick in your photo!

I'm really new to silkies so I'm no expert but the person I bought them from has brought them to shows and done well so I'm hoping these guys will turn out nice!

 

[Fishkeeper]

If you want to breed show-quality birds, you're going to have to do a lot of culling. That could mean selling birds as pet quality, keeping them away from your main breeding stock, or just straight-up killing them. A lot of them won't have the right genes for what you want.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you want to breed show-quality birds, you're going to have to do a lot of culling. That could mean selling birds as pet quality, keeping them away from your main breeding stock, or just straight-up killing them. A lot of them won't have the right genes for what you want.

Truer words were never spoken.
Starting with show quality birds (if you are so inclined to show) is a good place to start. But it is still a starting point. To have show winning birds requires hatching hundreds and culling most.
Ask anyone successful at big shows.
You can't start with a pair or trio and automatically have lots of high quality birds.
Just like every human child isn't destined to be a supermodel, not every hatchling is going to be a blue ribbon winner.
While I'm on my soapbox and I'm not talking about the OP here but. I think it is wrong for people to buy high quality chicks and show them passing them off as their own. They didn't do anything to create that quality other than feed and water.

 

[Ra_]

I think it is wrong for people to buy high quality chicks and show them passing them off as their own. They didn't do anything to create that quality other than feed and water.

They worked and contributed their dollars to possess that creature.
If a man buys a Van Gogh, is he not entitled to display it because he did not paint it himself?