Raising Chicks Questions

[Laci7210]

My local feed store is getting chicks in soon and I want to get some. I was thinking about getting some to raise to be 3-5 months old and sell them at a swap meet...? I have laying hens of my own, so these would be sold to other people wanting laying hens, not meat birds. I thought it would be a great idea because I love being around chickens and then finding them new homes when they are ready. And I might even be able to make a profit. Now my questions..
-How many chicks should I get to raise and find homes for?
-How difficult is it to find homes for them?
-Should I get ducks and turkeys too, or do most people only want laying hens?
-Is this a good idea?
Thanks guys!!!!

 

[realsis]

Most folks in my opinion want laying hens. There are also a lot of folks who also want silkies. I think a mix of the two and you will do quite well. I raise silkies myself and know people are ALWAYS looking for them. I don't sell mine mine are pets but people are always asking where to get them. I'd start out with about 15 to 20 Maybe a few laying hens and a few silkies. I don't think you would have a problem selling them. If you go to a much larger scale you might run the risk Having more than you sell. Hope this helps. Best wishes and good luck!!

 

[donrae]

My local feed store is getting chicks in soon and I want to get some. I was thinking about getting some to raise to be 3-5 months old and sell them at a swap meet...? I have laying hens of my own, so these would be sold to other people wanting laying hens, not meat birds. I thought it would be a great idea because I love being around chickens and then finding them new homes when they are ready. And I might even be able to make a profit. Now my questions..
-How many chicks should I get to raise and find homes for? Don't get more than you're willing to keep if you can't sell them. Start small, you can always add more.
-How difficult is it to find homes for them? Highly variable. Some areas folks don't want to pay a decent price for a point of lay hen, they think anything more than $5-10 is too much for a chicken. You'll lose money at that rate.
-Should I get ducks and turkeys too, or do most people only want laying hens? I'd start small, maybe a few, but not too many.
-Is this a good idea? It's not a bad idea, you just need to get a good feel for your local market. IMO Craigslist is a great way to do this. Are there ads for chickens? How is the pricing? Do roosters fetch any price, or are folks paying someone to take them? How many folks are advertising eggs for sale? Also, do you have an active chicken club at 4-H? Those are some things to keep in mind. Also, having the breeds offered by the feed store, they might be harder to sell as everyone could get them locally. You might think about ordering a rare breed special assortment or something like that from a hatchery and see if those sell better.
Thanks guys!!!!

 

[The Chickeneer]

I do this with laying hens, meat ducks, guineas, rabbits and will do it with peacocks and geese once they start having babies. I hatch and raise my own and sell them on Craigslist. It is a good idea to go on the farm & garden section, type in hens or chickens, look at a few adds and see what kind of prices your area brings.

I live in a very diverse community, and there is a market for everything. Typically, whenever I sell game birds, ducks, guineas, I have mostly asian customers. They've told me their likes and dislikes. They like darker, gamier meet, preferably muscovy ducks, silkie chickens, guineas etc. Several of them have told me they don't like to eat barred rock or Cornish Rock X. The meat is too bland and flabby for their cooking methods.

Whenever I sell laying hens, or dual purpose breeds, I tend to get more caucasians and latinos. Asians don't tend to find value in laying hens, and usually will not buy those breeds from me. Roosters in my area bring high prices, but not the roosters of the laying breed. People here want game roosters, Aseel, Shamo etc. and pay anywhere from 50 -100 dollars per rooster. I sell my laying hens around $10 to $15, guineas $25, ducks $20. I trade for feed, sell and trade for other animals at our local swap meet and on Craigslist.

 

[Laci7210]

Thanks for the replies!!

Chickeneer- on Craigslist, laying hens in my area bring about the same price. I am either going to sell them on Craigslist or at a swap meet. Thanks again!

Donrae- thanks for answering my questions! I will let you guys know how it goes when I get them next month!!