Need opinions ASAP on whether to sell these chicks...

[WalkingOnSunshine]

OK, quick background. We have over 150 birds, and we're selling all but six (lots of reasons, but not making enough money for my work is the biggie). I have two people coming over today to look at my nine week old EEs (they're kind of fighting over them, lol).

I was planning to keep one Olive Egger that I bred this year just to see what color egg she lays, since I've never bred Olive Eggers before. I don't have any other birds that are 9 weeks old. I'm going to keep four that are 16 weeks right now, one older hen, and one rooster.

I was thinking that I probably ought to keep another 9 weeker or two to keep the Olive Egger company. But I only have three more EE pullets that age, and these people are coming to buy today. So... here's the decision.

1. I could keep the Olive Egger and one more pullet, although two birds is a pretty poor flock. I'd get to see what color egg the Olive Egger lays to determine if it's a mating I'd like to do again (I'm keeping her father and mother)
2. I could sell all the pullets, get them out of here, since I am keeping the father and mother and could repeat the mating next year if I felt like it.
3. I could just keep the one Olive Egger, and hope that she either does OK alone or can go live with the 16 week pullets and the hen since going from 150 to 6 birds is enough of a pecking-order shakeup that she might be OK.

What should I do? Part of me says to just sell her and all the other EE pullets and get them out of here while I have buyers. Part of me wants to keep her since I was planning this mating for a while and I'd like to see what I end up with.

Help me make this decision!

 

[donrae]

Wow! That was a fast decision to sell, or had you been thinking of it longer? I thought you were giving it a year.....but anyway!

I'd say keep her. She'll do fine with the older birds once things settle down. I know space isn't an issue for you, so I'm thinking you should be good. I'd say what I'd do, if I were really invested in keeping only Ameraucanas, is just keep her until she starts laying. By then she'll either have pet status and you'll keep her, or your curiosity will be satisfied with what color egg she lays and you can sell her as a point of lay pullet. Won't have any problem selling her then, esp as an Olive egger!

Hmmm, black Ameraucanas.....I may have to check with you on hatching eggs maybe this fall.

How exciting (and nerve-wracking) for you

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Hi Rachel!

Yes, it was a quick decision. I was sitting here a week ago complaining about how poorly the hens were doing, when my husband said "why don't you just sell them? You are clearly covering costs, but have you ever taken a profit from the business?" And the answer was not really, just a few dollars cash here and there.

So I thought about how much work it is to wash, sort, package, label, and deliver eggs every week, not to mention hauling 300+ pounds of feed and dealing with the billing and the fact that the market doesn't always pay us on time and I have to worry about the feed bill, so I put up the Craigslist ad that day.

We've been selling chickens like crazy. I have four people coming for birds just today. Of course, they'll take only 3-4 each and I have 150+ to disperse, so I've got chickens to spare. My son has some "Kids in College" classes every day for two weeks, so I'm selling all I can for two weeks. Then I'll load all the cockerels and barebacked RSL into crates and haul them up to the auction in Amish country. I'm actually pretty happy about the decision.

I ordered 10 black Ameraucanas and 5 Lavender Ameracauna peeps from John Blehm. The blacks because I love them and the Lavs because I think they'll sell like crazy and support my blacks. Everyone loves a blue chicken, LOL. I won't have hatching eggs for you this year, since John takes orders in June of one year for the next spring's hatch. I won't get them until April 2015. I'm overwintering six or seven birds--three ISA Brown, one Amberlink, one Blue Copper Marans, (maybe) that one splash Olive Egger, and my Blue Ameraucana rooster. I won't know what to do with myself, it will be so much less work!

The BBS Olive Eggers have caused a bit of a fight. There are two people interested and it will come down to who gets here first since I won't hold birds for CL customers--I've gotten burned a couple of times. You're right, I will keep the little Splash Olive Egger pullet just long enough to see what color egg she lays, then I'll sell her before winter. Based on how the other Olive Eggers are selling, she'll be here about a day before someone comes for her.

Thanks for the advice. If you think she'll do OK with the four 16-week old pullets, one rooster and one year-old hen, then I'll just put her in with them. They will all have to stay in the pasture shelter for a while because we're going to scrub walls and nest boxes and disinfect the hen house from top to bottom, then leave it empty for a month or so and disinfect again to make sure we kill any disease organisms before we move chickens back in. Yet another reason my husband brought up to do this in summer rather than this coming winter.

Want any chickens?

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I just sold her. They keyed in on her first thing and offered to pay extra. I gave them my card and made them promise to email me a photo of her eggs once she starts laying.

 

[donrae]

Well, if you're happy with the deal, sounds good! I've had the same feelings about a bird from time to time--I bred her and I just want to see what she lays. Not particularly interested in keeping her, just want to satisfy my curiosity!

Well, I'll likely pick up some black hens at the swap I'm going to this weekend. I"m not looking for that good a quality, honestly, just a black bird that lays blue eggs. Puffy cheeks always a bonus! I don't breed Amers but even I know that name! Glad you're getting some good stock to start. I agree on having the lavenders to support...I think it's good to have a money maker as a back up. And I sure hope everyone likes blue chickens, I should have a crapton of them next spring!