International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Hensndoes]

Anybody selling chicks? How much should I charge for chicks?

You have nice chicks. Drives me nuts when I see people advertising BCM for $10 and then I think how poorly bred they are. I pay $25 straight run for mine and I think it's worth it. You have nice birds and I'd pay you the same.

 

[KF0002]

Anybody selling chicks? How much should I charge for chicks?

I'm not going to sell anything right now. I'm too busy really this year, but I will later on. I've got some work to do first. The going rate ranges from $8 to $15+ each for straight run.

 

[KF0002]

You have nice chicks. Drives me nuts when I see people advertising BCM for $10 and then I think how poorly bred they are. I pay $25 straight run for mine and I think it's worth it. You have nice birds and I'd pay you the same.

I see some ads selling chicks and hatching eggs, and I just cringe when I see pictures of the stock. Breeders like that do the breed a huge disservice by propagating poorly bred birds. Redbanks has great stock and a good eye.

 

[Hensndoes]

I'm not going to sell anything right now. I'm too busy really this year, but I will later on. I've got some work to do first. The going rate ranges from $8 to $15+ each for straight run.

What's the quality like at that price? It's much lower than I've paid. My business and economics studies taught me an interesting stat. If you charge low people will assume lesser quality. There are studies where therapists and consultants who struggled for clients jacked their price up and then couldn't keep up with the workload as the phone rang off the hook.

In other words- who is your ideal client? Do you want to go up against back yard breeders who sell for $10 straight run or do you want the attention of those who are breeding for standard? Pick one and network to that choice.

 

[Red Banks]

I see some ads selling chicks and hatching eggs, and I just cringe when I see pictures of the stock. Breeders like that do the breed a huge disservice by propagating poorly bred birds. Redbanks has great stock and a good eye.

Thank you.... I put them for $20@ or 3 for $45. Straight run.

 

[Red Banks]

He wasn't big enough to be worth the trouble of butchering. He was half the size he should have been and underdeveloped. We humanely culled him today. You were right that not even extra calf manna could help him. He definitely had some kind of genetic abnormality because he never started crowing and he should have been at that age. Freak chickens happen. We have a line of gamefowl that threw a rumpless cockerel once.

Has your pullet started laying yet?

 

[Red Banks]

Thank you.... I put them for $20@ or 3 for $45. Straight run.

I used to sell my Bouviers below the top breeder prices even though I had the same bloodlines but once I became known I had no trouble commanding better prices. I agree about prices. When you are in a bargain shop you won't pay as much as you would in a nicer shop for the same item. I have friends/customers who won't buy a bargain item cheap but will buy the same item with a high price. Same if you give something to someone for free, they don't appreciate it, they think it is an inferior item because it was free. Mutt versus purebred.... same situation. I will see how it goes with the chicks. I don't care if they sell or not. I can keep them and cull some of the older hens.

 

[KF0002]

Has your pullet started laying yet?

Not yet but Im checking everyday and will hopefully see one soon!

 

[KF0002]

What's the quality like at that price? It's much lower than I've paid. My business and economics studies taught me an interesting stat. If you charge low people will assume lesser quality. There are studies where therapists and consultants who struggled for clients jacked their price up and then couldn't keep up with the workload as the phone rang off the hook.

In other words- who is your ideal client? Do you want to go up against back yard breeders who sell for $10 straight run or do you want the attention of those who are breeding for standard? Pick one and network to that choice.

A few of my best birds I got for next to nothing or for free. My first pair of show quality BB red standard Old English Games were given to me by a friend I met online and happened to live in KY. The hen had won best of breed at the Ohio Nationals an the pair are amazing quality and bred to APA standard.

Just because you pay top dollar doesnt always promise great quality from every chick. There will still be a lot of culls and few keepers from any Marans line from any breeder. Trying to find the best quality you can is great to get a good start, but dont expect perfection from all of them.

I charge top dollar for any of my Marans pullets or hens I sell locally, even though I'm selling my culls as layer quality because I dont care if they sell or not. I have given a ton away to friends as layers, and we eat all the roosters I dont use for breeding.

I have a long way to go before I start selling chicks or anything. I want to focus on bettering my own stock and showing. If someone approaches me and asks for chicks or eggs I will try to help them out, but I'm not going to advertise or anything and try to sell right now.

I agree though, you get what you pay for. I was referring to the going rate for Marans chicks in my area I guess. People wont pay as much for chickens around here. I have seen them advertised on a Kentucky sales page for anywhere from $8 to $15 each. If you order from a top notch breeder, absolutely you will pay more.

 

[chickengr]

What's the quality like at that price? It's much lower than I've paid. My business and economics studies taught me an interesting stat. If you charge low people will assume lesser quality. There are studies where therapists and consultants who struggled for clients jacked their price up and then couldn't keep up with the workload as the phone rang off the hook.

In other words- who is your ideal client? Do you want to go up against back yard breeders who sell for $10 straight run or do you want the attention of those who are breeding for standard? Pick one and network to that choice.

100% agree.

I have been in import-export business for years. expensive goods are not of high quality, just good marketing. people who have money don't want to pay little. they think cheep things are not for them.