I've been had!!!

[mener6896]

because I am so new to chickens, I think I am a sucker!!! I recently placed an order for chicks from a hatchery. I paid extra for pullets (which is only 90% accurate anyway) I also paid a boxing fee for choosing specific breeds, plus shipping and handling...for a total of 25 - day old pullets, I spent around $88 averaging out to about $4/chick.

I went to a local farm (to pick up a side of beef) and was pleasantly surprised to see all of his chickens!! Probably well over a thousand!!! Now of course his hen house was a huge pole barn, but they all did free range! He had them all over the yard. My farm friend said, he purchases the chicks around 50 cents apiece (he buys 2000 at a time) but sells them for $1.50 a piece. He was shocked that I paid so much!! He had all of the breeds that I had ordered!!

I feel like such a dope!! I know where I will be getting all of my future chicks!! He also said in a couple years when mine are slowing down their laying, he will buy them from me and sell me all my new chicks.

This farmer is a good friend of my dad's and has been running his farm for well over 20 years. He has everything from cows, goats, sheep, deer, to peacocks, guinneas, quail, chickens, turkeys, chourkeys (he crossbred a chicken and turkey) parakeets, everything you can imagine!!! I was amazed at all he had!! He said he would be happy to give me any advice I need!!

my question is: what is the average price people pay for chicks? Did I totally get taken by ordering from the hatchery? Is there any benefit from hatchery vs farmer?

Thanks!!

 

[Marlinchaser]

I wouldnt feel bad, maybe if you ordered 2000 chicks you would get that kind of price to.

 

[mom wewantchicks!]

when i bought pullets from the feed store,they where almost 3 bucks apiece. i dont think you paid to bad of a price. if you bought chicks from the farmer,where they already sexed? that would be my only worry. at least with your order you had a 90% chance of getting what you wanted!

 

[highcountrychickens]

What a wonderful resource to have this farmer so close and so enthusiastic! That is really a treasure -

Don't feel like a dope... not much different than buying something the day before it goes on sale - I don't think you've been had really, hatcheries run a business after all (though $4 seems high for a true hatchery chick - not from a breeder though)
I dunno, maybe you could call it prepaid karma for all of the wonderful advice and support you will get from your farmer friend, as well as a connection to your Dad in some obscure way.

I ordered mine through a farm store that gets their chicks from McMurray hatchery, because we didn't want to have 25... Even there they cost around $2 apiece (they make $$ on the chicken schwag chick buyers load up on when they're there with a sweet peeping box). That said, this is the last time I'm buying hatchery chicks... wonderful as they are, I think with my little flock I would like to be a bit more high-minded about maintaining and perpetuating the higher standards that small breeders embrace - not to mention the fact that in whatever small way, I'm supporting small farmers. Pretty important, I think.

Don't worry too much about it, and have SO much fun with your new flock!

 

[fargosmom]

If it's any consolation I paid $3.25 each for ours, at a feed store.

 

[noitulover]

shipping only 25 chicks is different. when places like TSC order them, they order way over 25, so the cost per chick goes down. whether you get 25 or 50, they still have to be packaged properly, and that costs. the fewer chicks you get, the more it is going to cost per chick.

i don't think you've been had! i wouldn't worry about it! you've got 25 little babies now!

 

[Wifezilla]

Two months ago I paid $5 for one duck from a feed store (turned out to be a drake too

)

I just paid $25 for 3 Welsh Harlequin FEMALE ducks. Guess what? Worth every freaking penny

I got exactly what I wanted. I got females like I wanted. I got the qty I wanted. They are healthy and I am very happy.

 

[FrenchHen]

That's about what we paid fro 28 chicks in July of last year. I was in grad school, working, and being a wife and mom. It was worth the extra cash to wait, and I still think it's one of the best deals on pets around.

Yeah, you found a new source. We all do eventually! It's frustrating, but don't be too hard on yourself.

 

[Southernbelle]

His are probably all straight run so in order to get 25 pullets you'd have to buy 50 birds at $1.50 each, then raise them until you can sex them, so you'd go through twice the feed you would have. Then all those roosters you'd gotten attached to you have to find homes for and you know some of them are going to end up as stew. I don't think you made a bad choice.

 

[fshinggrl]

I paid $2 for each of my day olds. Sorry... I've been learning a lot hanging around this forum. Hopefully you can save some money on other things by reading here.