Rare Breed Chickens

[AndersonFamillyFarm]

I currently own a few rare breed chickens and I’m wondering how much I should charge. I own Bantam Speckled Sussex and Crele Orpingtons. I also have Blue Laced Red Wyandottes and Blue Isbars don’t know if these are rare though. How much should I charge for hatching eggs and chicks etc. If anyone knows anything about these breeds and how much I should charge please let me know!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC!

In my experience... rare and popular are two different things! Much will depend on YOUR market.

But also your value will depend on things like do you cull for and select against faults in your parent stock... like comb sprigs, split wing, shank color, eye color, demeanor, and so on... Are your parent stock from separate lines or closely related? Do they meet the SOP for their breed?

I DO all that.. I charge $10 each for large fowl chicks and $65/dozen for hatching eggs with fertility verified via my own hatching... for things like the French black copper Marans.

I sell LF pullets just laying for $30... breeding quality birds for $50. Bantam pullets for $25.

I offered my Silkies, at $8-15/chick (depending on color variety) my first year and sold them faster than I could hatch them.. all day long every day.. but they weren't the breed for ME.. so I sold off all my breeding stock. Too darn broody!

Going through many breeds including Swedish Flower Hens, the Marans, standard Speckled Sussex, and Silkies... just to name a few, popular breeds sell WAY more than "rare" breeds... in MY location.

The thing is that I'm selling ME also... otherwise peeps can buy sexed chicks in tons of breeds all day long for about $4 at the feed store... with a no disease guarantee.

Adding your general location to your profile might help others make the most relevant suggestions possible at a glance.

If you select for all those things and set yourself apart from hatchery quality birds... word of mouth spreads. Getting an NPIP certification increases your value and ability to ship IMO... (even though it is a false sense of security and the states don't all require the SAME testing, none require reporting of Marek's).

For non Silkie bantam eggs I go cheaper at $25/dozen ($5/chick) on less popular sellers like my Wheaten Ameraucana... but it took me more than 2 years to get my bantam Lav Ameraucana and several hundred dollars (I think I got 4 males and hoping for 1 female)... and I will be charging more when I offer them. Maybe $50/dozen... not sure yet. I will assess my market at that time and decide on what I feel is a fair value to myself and still good value (or incentive) to buyers.

With BLRW and Blue Isbars... will you also then be dealing with black and splash? And will you offer them at the same value as the blues?

Good luck and happy hatching!

 

[Acre4Me]

Great post by @EggSighted4Life. Your location can determine what people value. Also, NPIP status as you need that to ship to most (all?) states. What market are you trying to enter? Show chickens that are amazing examples of the breed, or just overall nice breed representation?

Good Luck.

 

[Fairview01]

There are 2 poultry markets. The backyarder and the person attending poultry shows.

How close are they to the SOP? How many times have you been in the winners circle at sanctioned poultry shows?

That's where the money is and it doesn't really matter the breed. If you have created credibility for winning stock at poultry shows you will be able to demand outrageous prices and get them. People that are willing to spend serious money for poultry are attending shows.