INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[EmSteele]

Sometimes, life happens and you stay away from ypur favorite chicken place for....geez....7 months.
Little life update.
I am a stay at home Mom who's baby just started Kindergarten

We've veen downsized to a flock of 6 for a few months so what better time to increase than when the SAHM is bored and sad! Haha!
Actually, a new Rural King just opened down here and someone bought some chicks because "oh, aren't they so cute!" Then dropped them off with someone when they realize they didn't have a place for them.
So, here I am..at the beginning of cold fall...raising ISA Browns and RIRed chicks. Plus the other 6 chickens, 2 puppies, 2 adult dogs, and a cat. I'm fighting for a goat next!

 

[daskhan]

I have the same incubator as the first styrofoam one my success rate dropped a lot but I think it might be because of low fertility or maybe they are spending to much time in the coop before being brought in but a lot arnt developing beyond developing the air cell... I had two swaps one 10 eggs one 9 and first ten I had 1 hatch second so far none
Any ideas

 

[daskhan]

Sometimes, life happens and you stay away from ypur favorite chicken place for....geez....7 months.
Little life update.
I am a stay at home Mom who's baby just started Kindergarten

We've veen downsized to a flock of 6 for a few months so what better time to increase than when the SAHM is bored and sad! Haha!
Actually, a new Rural King just opened down here and someone bought some chicks because "oh, aren't they so cute!" Then dropped them off with someone when they realize they didn't have a place for them.
So, here I am..at the beginning of cold fall...raising ISA Browns and RIRed chicks. Plus the other 6 chickens, 2 puppies, 2 adult dogs, and a cat. I'm fighting for a goat next!

If you have any issues or need to rehome them I'll take em in or atleast care for them till you can better care

 

[EmSteele]

Thanks for the offer @daskhan. We have a brooder set-up though! The original buyer didn't but dropped them off with a man who got them to us. Turned out pretty okay because I SWORE to Husband I wouldn't buy any until spring but I was getting chicken fidgets!

 

[daskhan]

Thanks for the offer @daskhan. We have a brooder set-up though! The original buyer didn't but dropped them off with a man who got them to us. Turned out pretty okay because I SWORE to Husband I wouldn't buy any until spring but I was getting chicken fidgets!

Now that I've bought a new car I told my dp that everyweek we go buy chicken feed I'm going to buy more chicks

 

[PeacefulWalls]

@Fattyfrogpots - I think one can fairly charge $3-3.50 for good farm/fresh eggs. That being said, I am in the $2.00/doz club too on the eggs I do charge for (I have one "customer" that I give eggs to weekly - as well as gifting eggs now and then to neighbors/co-workers when I have a surplus). The "paying customers" I have are all friends and I feel weird taking money from them, but they are ones that insist on paying something, so I set the price low. I don't even put a dent in the feed bill at this price, lol, I give the money to DS because he is my "business partner" in the chicken thing. Were I to start over I'd be in the $3-3.50 range - but I feel kind of stuck at this point as I feel I can't very well decide that any new customers will pay one rate and my old customers another, and I am not sure how to broach an increase with the existing customers so...........yeah.

We were charging the same amount for eggs the past 2 years ($2 lg, $2.50 XL, $3 jumbo). This spring we made the switch to non GMO feed, which of course is more expensive. Around the beginning of June I looked back over the last 1 - 2 years, comparing feed costs to egg production (I keep my records on an excel spreadsheet) & realized we were losing money with every dozen we sold (avg. 4 - 5 doz/week). We also don't expect to make much if any profit from our eggs, but I do want to cover my costs feeding the birds. So we told all of our customers about 3 weeks in advance that as of July 1st (or whenever it was) our prices would be going up $1/dozen ($3 lg, $3.50 XL, $4 jumbo). Of course this coincided with egg prices going up in the stores! We just gave a simple explanation that no, it wasn't due to grocery store costs, but due to our higher feed costs/needing to cover our expenses. We also told everyone that if it was too expensive for them they shouldn't feel any pressure to continue buying from us. Didn't hear any negative comments. We did have various responses like, "your eggs are worth it!", "you definitely need to cover your costs", etc. We didn't lose any customers. In fact we continue to gain customers, so much so, that I almost always have a waiting list for our eggs! I was also feeling stuck with our prices for awhile, but then decided to bite the bullet and do what needed to be done. Besides, the prices in the stores have gone way up so we really shouldn't feel bad about charging a bit more -- especially since we have a superior quality product!!

 

[jenaman]

I would if it was me especially if she charged you true AM price, I have an EE that same way, she lays great is the only reason she is still here.

I had a bird who acted the same but it was largely because she was the new young girl who was quickly made the bottom of the pack by any hen who came close she hid for weeks till I got ride of the two who bullied her always and lowered my flock number so that might be the issue if you arnt mad about the price or that she's not exactly what you wanted id give her a chance..

I paid $20 for her. She's in the coop with 3 other young hens that were all put in the coop at the same time. She's not being bullied and the other hens are very sweet to her. They let her have her space. She is not eating or drinking as much as she should because she's too afraid or whatever to even move. I just don't want her to be afraid or in shock for a few more days while I try to get her used to it and then she get sick and I can't take her back. I have a few EE's already but I bought her with the understanding I would have blue eggs. The 3 ameraucanas I posted pics of are $40 for the trio.

 

[daskhan]

Oh wow well I'd be upset too what will you do if they won't take her back?

 

[jenaman]

Oh wow well I'd be upset too what will you do if they won't take her back?

He said if I had any problems to let him know. If he won't take her back I guess I'm stuck with her and I'll hope for the best. I wouldn't be able to sell her to anyone knowing that they would have the same problem or knowing that she is not eating good. I couldn't just pass on the problem to someone else and be okay with it.

 

[jenaman]

He said if I had any problems to let him know. If he won't take her back I guess I'm stuck with her and I'll hope for the best. I wouldn't be able to sell her to anyone knowing that they would have the same problem or knowing that she is not eating good. I couldn't just pass on the problem to someone else and be okay with it.

Although, if someone was up to buying her knowing all of the above, I would get rid of her.