Is it better to have pure breed chickens or not?

[nicoe]

I was wondering if it's better to have pure breed chickens?
I'm new to having chickens and i got a bator.... I would like to start hatching chicks and sell them. So i'm not sure if they should be pure breed or not? also what are the best chicken to sale? how much do chicks sell for? can you keep them until they get a little older and get more money for them?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Master S.M.C]

Of course, nobody will pay good money for a chick that isn't pure bred or you just don't know what it is. lol

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

If you are wanting to sale chicks, purebred chicks will sale better than mixed up chicks. Chicks usually sale for around $1.50 to $2.50 here. Depending on breed, age and etc. And you can keep them till they are a little older and get a little more for them, but it costs you a little more to get them older.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Well, that really depends. If someone is just looking for a good laying flock and not really interested in any type in particular, then yes, you may be able to sell mixed breed chickens. However, if you plan to make any money at all, you will need to focus on a breed or two. You can sell started pullets for more than chicks in most cases, too, so yeah, you will make more on the ones you raise to laying age. As for the price, that will depend on the breed, the age, and where you are (IE the market in your area). Good luck.

 

[Renee]

I don't think breeding chicks is a good money making scheme. It is possible you might find a niche with a rare breed and recoup your expenses, but unless you have a very large operation, it's tough to turn a profit.

If you decide to breed chicks, make sure you choose a breed that is in high demand and make sure you get exceptional breeding stock to start out with. Then you can build a good reputation with folks.

Maybe some of the breeders will chime in with their experiences saying either yea or nay - I'm not a breeder, so I'm going off of hearsay.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

The advantage of a purebred chicken is that you know what to expect when it matures. Some breeds are better egg producers early on, some are more duel-purpose, some are calmer, some are smaller/larger, some are more cold hardy, etc.

"Mutt" breeds are very hardy too and can produce just as many eggs and be just as colorful and fun. They will often have similar traits to whatever parentage they come from.

The 'best' chicken is not a simple answer. Again, depends of what individuals are looking for. Right now Marans are commanding large prices, but can everybody continue to afford that? Heritage breeds are popular with folks wanting to preserve the older style breeds. Sexlinks are popular with folks interested in egg production.

Selling straight run 'mutt' chicks probably won't bring much. Purebred would do better, but still straight run (unless you go with sexlinks variety). Older chickens will sell for more, especially since then you can sell pullets, as opposed to a straight run, but you will have put a lot more time and feed into them and it might pretty much be a wash. You will also have to decide how you will deal with the excess roos, because you are sure to have some.

 

[nicoe]

Thanks for all the replies! so how do you get the sex link chickens? red stars are sex link right? what kind of roo do i need for pure sex links? i have red star hens?

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Sexlinks are all crosses. Black Stars are RIR roo with a BR hen ... all the roo chicks are born with a white spot on top of head so you can sex them as day olds. You'd need a flock of Barred Rock hens and a Rhode Island Roo.

Certain other crosses lend themselves to 'sexing' by color as dayolds. Red Stars are also a sexlink variety, but unsure of which crosses result in them (I think there are a couple).

 

[DouglasPeeps]

Quote:
Red Stars = White Leghorn Rooster over RIR hen

 

[willowcol]

Chicks from Red stars won't be sexlinked. But should be cute. Some of my best layers are mutts. Those are the eggs we eat, my pure eggs when I start getting them will be for hatching.