I've been had!!!

[sonarjay]

by the way i thought id help you out a "chourkey" as you called it is actually called a naked neck or turken and in no way is a cross between a turkey and a chicken.

 

[Young MacDonald]

The other thing to keep in mind is that when you buy from a hatchery that is a member of the National Poultry Improvement plan, you know you are getting good stock. When you buy from a local farm, you very well may be getting good stock, but the birds could also be in-bred or not as high quality in other ways. As a novice, you will have no way of knowing. You shouldn't feel like you were taken advantage of.

 

[msgenie516]

Hi,

I paid $4.00 each from a feed store, so you shouldn't feel overcharged. Enjoy your chicks!

Genie

 

[LA~Poulet]

I bought 28 from a hatchery recently (5 breeds) and my total with shipping was around $70. Our feed store sells chicks for $2-$3 but they are normally only a small handful of breeds, RIR, CornishX, etc.

AFTER ordering I found out that our feed store will order any hatchery breed from the one they deal with, special order, and just charge a small markup (probably cheaper than buying on own b/c of shipping and number concerns). I was glad and probably will add a few more 'unusuals' to my order that way in the future, so I can add a few and not 25 at a time.

 

[firedove]

I paid $121 for 27 chicks, nearly $4.50 a chick but I got exactly the breed I wanted in the varieties that I wanted and my chicks were vaccinated. From the hatchery you pay more for shipping and packaging, sexing, and the guarantee that (while only hatchery quality) they are purebreds of the breed you want, and vaccinations for a little extra $. Mixed barnyard chicks are usually cheaper because they are mixed breeds, no shipping cost, and straight run so you have a 50/50 chance of roos. Although the hatcheries can only guarantee 90% accuracy, you do mostly get pullets. Some people will get a cockerel but you have to figure that 90% accuracy means that 10 out of every 100 might be a cockerel. It's good odds that you won't get one of those 10. When I bought from the hatchery they also sent me 2 extra chicks in case I lost some and my free rare chick, making it 31 chicks. Even then, when I did lose two they reimbursed me for those that died in transit.

If you just want layers then it doesn't really matter if you get mix chicks from another small farmer, but if there are certain breeds you prefer then the hatchery (or even better a show breeder) is the way to go.

 

[rancher hicks]

The TSC had chicks for $1.89 but only RIR and Golden comets and partridge and black cochins.
I ordered from Ideal and got 3 pullets of 7 breeds and 4 Rd Frizzle str, looks like 2 roos and 2 hens. 3 friz and one hen not.
So far it looks accurate on the pullets.
I paid $81 and I'm not disappointed. It's nice to keep a deep gene pool. Next year I intend to travel to pick up more of the breeds I like, within driving distance of course.
I guess it's about the purity of the chicks. I don't like crosses. No fun in that. My sis. in law is selling chicks and I wonder how many mutts she's passing off as pure. Now if you like mutts that's fine but I would rather not.
I know my hatchery frizzles aren't pure red cause they're different shades and one definitely has blue or black in it.
Anyhow if your not satisfied with your chicks, go with farmer brown. What matters is that your satisfied with the chicks you get. I haven't seen too many here who can sex chicks.

 

[in2chickens]

You did pretty well, I bought 9 chicks from private farmer and paid $2.00 each, with what I call a 70% gaurentee of the sexing(which still has not been confirmed). Of those 9, 4 died, from what I don't know. Their chickens seemed healthy. I the need of more to have a nice size flock, I bought more at my local feed store, which were imported from a hatchery. They were $2.99 each, I was told the were all pullets. If I had to do it again I would probably go with the store chicks from the hatchery even though they were more money.
Stop kick yourself in the behind there will allways be a better deal some where.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Don't feel so bad. I paid near 45 bucks for 20 chicks. straight run speckled sussex. straight run red shouldered yokahomas, straight run Lakenvelders and pullet partridge rocks. I got ONE packing peanut.

Chicks where high this year. I did not get my Molted Houdans nor my Saipan jungles.

Straight run vs pullets are a pretty good price difference. PLUS, your farmer friend may have the breeds you want, but I am guessing he is mixing them and they are not full blooded.

Enjoy your babies. They grow so fast and their lives pass so quickly before your eyes.

I try not to get attached to my chickies, but I have those few that I just dread losing.

I have a wild hen that I can go pick up and put in my lap and pet until I ask her to go. She is sooo cool.

 

[MNmommy]

I paid $6.00 per chick from a local breeder

 

[selinagil]

That's just the way it is. Really you paid the extra for shipping and sexing. I ordered pullets from the feed store (who ordered them from Mt. Healthy) and paid 2.25 per chick. The feed store didn't offer anything exotic...just good layers, but they were sexed and they get them cheaper cause they are shipped by the thousands. A guy down the road hatches all the time and he sells chicks for 2.00 and has more of a selection but they are unsexed but I still feel like its a good deal. I got guinea keets from him last week for 3.00 and I'm getting Marans from him next week cause I couldn't find any local and I also don't need to order 25 more chicks!