Scared to start...help with questions

[andreanar]

Ive been wanting to get a bator and start hatching. But Ive got a few questions first...I know once I do it, I will become hooked on it! It will become an obsession. LOL. I cannot keep all the chicks that I hatch. So what do you do with them? And what to do with the little cockerels? Are there enough people out there wanting to buy chicks? I don't want you all to see me on an episode of Hoarders! With chickens running all around my house because I'm addicted to hatching! Or maybe on an episode of Intervention.

 

[Junochick]

Ive been wanting to get a bator and start hatching. But Ive got a few questions first...I know once I do it, I will become hooked on it! It will become an obsession. LOL. I cannot keep all the chicks that I hatch. So what do you do with them? And what to do with the little cockerels? Are there enough people out there wanting to buy chicks? I don't want you all to see me on an episode of Hoarders! With chickens running all around my house because I'm addicted to hatching! Or maybe on an episode of Intervention.

Are you willing to butcher and eat the cockerels? Do you know anybody that will? I would find someone that would be willing to eat them , before you start hatching boys you don't want. Remember 50% of your hatch will be boys.

 

[andreanar]

Yes, I have people that will eat the boys. Lots of people feed RAW to their pets. But that still leaves all the girls LOL.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Ive been wanting to get a bator and start hatching. But Ive got a few questions first...I know once I do it, I will become hooked on it! It will become an obsession. LOL. I cannot keep all the chicks that I hatch. So what do you do with them? And what to do with the little cockerels? Are there enough people out there wanting to buy chicks? I don't want you all to see me on an episode of Hoarders! With chickens running all around my house because I'm addicted to hatching! Or maybe on an episode of Intervention.

That the reason I've only hatched once. I'm a big softy and I know it! I can't cull based on gender alone. If he's aggressive with the girls and won't reform then he has to go.
As far as people wanting roosters... you generally can't give them away. I don't want people to take them if know they may be eaten. I feel so bad...
Again, I'm a big softy. So I've avoided hatching for just that reason.
If I could I'd have a rooster flock of all the unwanted boys around. But I think I'd need a horse barn instead of a coop.

 

[Junochick]

Yes, I have people that will eat the boys. Lots of people feed RAW to their pets. But that still leaves all the girls LOL.

I guess I would try hatching, your people that eat boys could eat any girls you don't want to keep or sell. Lots of wonderful chicken dinners.

 

[MillersFarm]

Ive been wanting to get a bator and start hatching. But Ive got a few questions first...I know once I do it, I will become hooked on it! It will become an obsession. LOL. I cannot keep all the chicks that I hatch. So what do you do with them? And what to do with the little cockerels? Are there enough people out there wanting to buy chicks? I don't want you all to see me on an episode of Hoarders! With chickens running all around my house because I'm addicted to hatching! Or maybe on an episode of Intervention.

Honestly I'm glad I decided to hatch out some chickies! If I hadn't then I wouldn't of met the people i now know today. This was my first year hatching chicks and i LOVE IT! though we used broodies instead of bators since my luck with then is terrible! but anyways we have a majority of roos from our first hatch 7 roos out of 13. So I put up an ad on craigslist say free roosters to good home. I couldn't believe I got 2 calls the very next day of one lady wanting a rooster for breeding and another wanting 4 roos for breeding. I was amazed! The one lady who wanted the 4 gave 22 banty chicks for only $20 and 4 free adult banties. We keep in touch every now and then. Even gave her one of our barn kittens. We also met a butcher who was willing to take the rest of our roos and butcher them. They even showed me how they butchered them! I honestly think you should hatch up some chickies and hey, maybe you'll luck out and get all hens

Edit: I think getting rid of the hens would be the easiest part. some people will pay a pretty good price for some pullets or layers.

 

[andreanar]

Honestly I'm glad I decided to hatch out some chickies! If I hadn't then I wouldn't of met the people i now know today. This was my first year hatching chicks and i LOVE IT! though we used broodies instead of bators since my luck with then is terrible! but anyways we have a majority of roos from our first hatch 7 roos out of 13. So I put up an ad on craigslist say free roosters to good home. I couldn't believe I got 2 calls the very next day of one lady wanting a rooster for breeding and another wanting 4 roos for breeding. I was amazed! The one lady who wanted the 4 gave 22 banty chicks for only $20 and 4 free adult banties. We keep in touch every now and then. Even gave her one of our barn kittens. We also met a butcher who was willing to take the rest of our roos and butcher them. They even showed me how they butchered them! I honestly think you should hatch up some chickies and hey, maybe you'll luck out and get all hens

Edit: I think getting rid of the hens would be the easiest part. some people will pay a pretty good price for some pullets or layers.

I want to hatch them and of course, keep some, but I know I couldn't keep them all, not even all the girls! Id have to try to sell some.

 

[MillersFarm]

I want to hatch them and of course, keep some, but I know I couldn't keep them all, not even all the girls! Id have to try to sell some.

I'd love to just one day breed chickens and sell them for a profit. But before I do that i need to start socialize more ( Insert eye roll ) and make sure i'd have some takers that would buy chicks off from me. One day.. one can only dream for now.

 

[theuglychick]

You're right! It IS addictive!

I hatch a batch almost every month.

I give a lot of mine away because I feel like the world needs more chickens owners, lol.

I usually have a waiting list for a lot of breeds (Marans and Legbars!). Heck even the mixed breeds are popular!

I also do sell a few as well.

When I get the need to hatch but am also running tight on space to raise them to feathering out, I hatch eggs for friends and family who don't have incubators and send the chicks off to their new homes once hatched and dried.

I don't have trouble finding people to take cockerels for their own flock or for food.

However this year I'm switching to dual purpose breeds so we can process the bad ones that we don't keep or rehome.

 

[venymae]

Honestly, pullets are usually easy to find homes for. I suggest hatching an auto sexing or sex link chick. That way you can easily tell girls from boys. Boy chicks I would usually give away free or cull them right away unless you want to eat them.