Selling 23 week old chickens for profit- is there a market?

[junebuggena]

I see. I might be able to buy grain for a very cheap price, would chickens do okay with 1/2 that and 1/2 starter/grower?

No. Growing birds need a nutritionally balanced diet for healthy growth and development.

 

[BYCforlife]

I thought so. I suppose I could give it to them later if I wanted them older to sell but wanted to save money...

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: If you were selling birds with that regime, giving full disclosure to the customer, I doubt very much if you'd have any customers, other than the ones who do not have a clue that production of a flock is related to the nutrition and care they receive from the beginning. IMO, the beginning starts long before the egg you intend to incubate is laid. The breeding flock needs superior nutrition to produce superior chicks. Those superior chicks need superior nutrition to become superior layers.

 

[waddles99]

What I don't get is why you are trying to make money with chickens.....there are so many hidden costs and time and energy that you really can't make money.

 

[BYCforlife]

I am obsessed with chickens, and I want to try to get quite a few and have a way to make money from it.

 

[junebuggena]

You may not make a profit, but chick sales will help pay for a few bags of feed. I only sell the pullets. Cockerels get raised up to be processed for the freezer, to help reduce my grocery bill.

 

[BYCforlife]

Sounds fun!

 

[BYCforlife]

I am obsessed with chickens, and I want to try to get quite a few and have a way to make money from it.

Seriously, I am absolutely CRAZY about chickens. Whenever I think about another plan for chickens, it is all I can think about for weeks.

 

[waddles99]

Thats good. It makes the work that you have to do more fun if you like chickens. I hope everything works out for you.

Just a tip, if you are going to be breeding and selling, make sure you know what you are doing and your customers know what they are getting. So many times breeders are unknowingly breeding junk and selling it to people as good quality birds only to disappoint their customers later on.

 

[keesmom]

Not worth it. People want everything for cheap. I was forced to sell POL pullets for $10 when I needed space. No one wanted them for $20 or even $15. With a $5 chick plus all the feed and work that goes into it, $10 is losing money. I figure a chicken eats around $20 of food before it gets to that age. Plus the labor. And all other costs. Not worth it at all.

Same here! Two, three years ago I had a bunch of 5 month old non-hatchery Faverolles pullets for sale for $15 each. I had a small number of people indicate they would be by to pick up some. All were no shows, including the one I offered to meet halfway. Every other inquiry assumed they could have all of them for $15. I ended up butchering the lot for the freezer. Since then I no longer list birds for sale and all culls are dinner.

Sorry to be so negative, that's just the way the market is around here. It may be different where you are.