Selling birds unsexed- Sellers and Buyers Share Your Stories

[cluckcluck42]

Awhile back I sold some birds unsexed, they were EE's and around 1.5 months old. I had a bad hatch and only four came from it, so I wanted to sell them and get a new hatch going so I sold them as unsexed. Two seemed like girls, one was definitely a boy and I told the buyer this but also stated I could not be sure as the breed is notoriously hard to sex. The buyer emailed back months later saying three had been boys, one girl. I said that I was sorry, that's quite unfortunate and I'd be happy to give her a deal on any hens I have for sale in the future. The buyer later told me they felt deceived and I took some offense since I am really not sure there was anything more I could have done? The birds were unsexed.

I am done selling unsexed birds, from now on it will be eggs, chicks or full grown birds. If you knew me you know the last thing I would do is screw anyone. Not only do I not want people saying to their friends they were screwed, I simply do not do unto others what I would not want done to myself. I couldn't live with myself knowing I was lying to people, I don't get how some people do it. I have been lied to about chickens and I have heard horror stories about people selling newbies roosters as pullets, and selling sex linked chicks as pullets that were actually roosters. I know it happens and it is despicable. If I had sold a hen (and guaranteed it was a hen) and it turned out to be a boy, I would refund the money or give them a hen and be really sorry about it. I love eating our extra roosters, so truly I have no real need to lie to people and try to pawn off roosters.

Please share your personal stories as either sellers or buyers in these situations, I would love to know what you all think and I would love to hear experiences. And please tell me what you would do in my situation!

 

[sunnychooks]

I sell day-olds as "straight run only". Then I (in detail) explain exactly what that means. During the conversation I use terms such as "not sexed", "as hatched" and just plain "I don't know if they are males or females" ad nauseaum. Then we have a discussion about what they can do with the unwanted roosters they are sure to get and I explain that the odds are that they will get 50% of each sex, although I can't guarantee they won't all be males. I will offer to take them back but will not pay for them and have had people grateful to take me up on that.
So far, so good.
If I ever have someone get upset about getting males... oh, well. I'll take them back, but that's all.

 

[dsqard]

I would have to say that you had an unreasonable person buying your chickens. I understand what "straight run" means even if I have only owned chickens for a few months. I figured that out even before I found this site. I don't know how the people who bought your chickens could have expected more than your honest word. You told them that they were unsexed so that means that you could expect at least 50% of them to be boys. Anyway, you can't please all the people all the time. The best you can do is know that you were truthful and sleep well knowing that!

 

[dsqard]

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Not to take over this thread or anything, but I hope you are careful with any roosters that come back. The lady I bought my chickens from had a policy of trading out any accidental rooster (I am pretty sure she buys a lot of her chicks from hatcheries sexed) for a same age hen. Unfortunately someone brought back a sick rooster and she has had to change her policy.

 

[Mtn Cur]

I haven't had a personal run in with this guy,but a guy I buy chicks from told me that: A guy buys all his red sex link cockerels and sells them as straight run at the flea market. (karma is a mother) I would be very ticked if I didn't know any better and was buying my first chicks expecting a few pullets.

 

[sunnychooks]

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Not to take over this thread or anything, but I hope you are careful with any roosters that come back. The lady I bought my chickens from had a policy of trading out any accidental rooster (I am pretty sure she buys a lot of her chicks from hatcheries sexed) for a same age hen. Unfortunately someone brought back a sick rooster and she has had to change her policy.

Good observation! I explain that all roosters that come back go to auction (I tell them that during the initial "I'll take them back" discussion). I never intergrate with any of my own.

 

[cluckcluck42]

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How evil! I have heard of that kind of thing in my area too. What a cruel thing to do to people just getting into the chicken habit. Those kinds of people should be ashamed of themselves

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Not to take over this thread or anything, but I hope you are careful with any roosters that come back. The lady I bought my chickens from had a policy of trading out any accidental rooster (I am pretty sure she buys a lot of her chicks from hatcheries sexed) for a same age hen. Unfortunately someone brought back a sick rooster and she has had to change her policy.

I agree, be careful taking back birds. I refuse to take anything back on my property, I just will not risk it. I would give a refund instead of taking anything back, that's a strict rule around here. I would be devestated if anything happened to my birds. Just be careful, but then again I do not know your setup, it would be possible to take back the males and cull them immediately and not introduce them to your flock again so maybe you are already aware

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Thank you, I appreciate you saying that! I do feel bad because she got 3 out of 4 boys, that DOES suck, the odds were against her. But my first hatch was 3 boys and 10 girls, this latest one is pretty split down the middle when it comes to boys and girls, so you really just do not know. You can luck out or end up with more boys than you wanted.

 

[silkieluver_07]

I sold 4 silkies as unsexed to NewtoFarming on here. Let's just say they ALL turned out to be boys.

I told her if she got alot of males that I'd offer to sell her some hens at a discounted price. That is exactly what I am doing and a couple girls are going home with her tomorrow

 

[SunshineSilkies]

I HAVE to sell my young chicks unsexed..I have some that are 4-5 months old that I am still trying to determine the sex. Anyone that buys from me is made well aware that I cannot sex them. If one is older and is bought as a girl and turns out to be a boy, I will work something out with them. Straight run is the only way to go with silkies....

 

[cluckcluck42]

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Oh no! All 4 were boys, how unlucky. I know Silkies take a long time to sex, even worse then my EE's. I want a breed that I can sex easily, it is such a pain not to know.