How to know your hatch will sell?

[Compton Farm]

So I have plenty of fertile eggs. I want to incubate more than the 12 I have hatching Feb 8th, but I am very worried that I will be stuck with all the babies. Is there a way to take pre-orders for chicks?

 

[aart]

Sure you could do that.
Might depend on where you live, what the market is like for chickens in your area, and how good of a marketer/seller you are.

I'd get the money up front tho, before you set the eggs.
....and/or still have plenty of space ready to grow out all the chicks, a plan for all the males that nobody will want if you can't sell straight run chicks, might take all summer to sell the remaining females.

Oh, and, Welcome to BYC!

 

[Compton Farm]

Well they are pure ameracana eggs. So around here, they are pretty rare. So I would think they would have a pretty high demand for them.

 

[aart]

Yes, pure Ameraucana are pretty rare.
Do you own the parents and can you post pics of them??

 

[Compton Farm]

Yes I have the daddy and all the mommas! Lol

 

[Compton Farm]

 

[Compton Farm]

 

[keesmom]

Sorry to say those are Easter Eggers and not true Ameraucana. It is likely the pullets will lay colored eggs though.

 

[Compton Farm]

What makes you say that they are not ameracanas?

 

[Wyandottes7]

If you don't have space for extra chicks that may take a while to get sold, I would definitely recommend taking pre-orders. It is helpful to get names of potential buyers and contact information for them at least, before making the decision to hatch. You can create a "waiting list" of interested people. That's what I do when I hatch eggs.

I think you won't have much difficulty selling chicks in most areas of the country at this point, since late winter/spring is a common time to get chicks. However, your birds are not purebred Ameraucanas, but instead are the more common Easter Egger. Their chicks may not be quite as valuable but should still make great colorful egg layers for the typical new backyard flock owner.