Selling chicks, best way to run it, and get the word out?

[Weeg]

Not a bad idea, my only issue is space, but if I only had a few, it wouldn't be that bad.

With the additional unwanted chicks or leftover chicks, i would wait till there at egg laying stage and try to sell them again or use those eggs to make another batch.

 

[shineandrise]

With the additional unwanted chicks or leftover chicks, i would wait till there at egg laying stage and try to sell them again or use those eggs to make another batch.

Good Idea!

 

[aart]

Post it on Facebook and Facebook market place.

You can't advertise live animals on FB, especially market place...gotta be tricky about it.

@Weeg how will you deliver chicks to customers, are you cool with strangers coming to your house, or will you drive to meet them someplace safe?
Selling online can be a real PITB and time consuming with no shows, all talk no walkers, etc.

Gotta have marketing savvy to sell well.
Barnyard mixes aren't going to sell well, IMO.

 

[Weeg]

You can't advertise live animals on FB, especially market place...gotta be tricky about it.

@Weeg how will you deliver chicks to customers, are you cool with strangers coming to your house, or will you drive to meet them someplace safe?
Selling online can be a real PITB and time consuming with no shows, all talk no walkers, etc.

Gotta have marketing savvy to sell well.
Barnyard mixes aren't going to sell well, IMO.

Ya, all things I have been thinking about. I am not expecting mixes to be #1 best seller for sure! I think they will probably just come to my house, but you have a good point about selling in general. I am glad I am planning this ahead of time!

 

[Weeg]

If I go through with it. I will do a batch of 5-6 first, and see how that goes. Who many hatch, if I want to continue to hatch after that, and if I am still into the idea after doing it once. Plus, 3-5 chicks will be much easier to sell, then 22 all in the first run.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Also know that just because you advertise extras as meat birds doesn't mean you be able to sell them. I have several I have literally offered for free, I drop them off and no takers.

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

If I go through with it. I will do a batch of 5-6 first, and see how that goes. Who many hatch, if I want to continue to hatch after that, and if I am still into the idea after doing it once. Plus, 3-5 chicks will be much easier to sell, then 22 all in the first run.

Keep in mind some states have laws prohibiting selling under a certain amount of chicks. Like here in New York you cannot sell under 6 chicks at a time.

 

[Acre4Me]

Do you have a target price in mind? Or, are you happy to just hatch and sell chicks for less than TSC?

this past summer I incubated eggs, sold the chicks at a livestock auction. Selling price was always less than TSC, but they all sold as straight run, barnyard mixes. Selling price varied depending on who wanted them... one auction I only got $1 per chick! But at another auction, there were several people interested and bidding went back and forth a few times. So, I got some money in my pocket.

you won’t be hatching very many chicks -that incubator holds around 24? So, seems reasonable to be able to sell them. I timed my hatches to hatch on the Tues or Wed prior to the livestock auction, so they would get a few days of food and strength before the busy day of transport and selling. You might want to time them to hatch ahead of a weekend, so they are ready to go on Fri/Sat/Sun.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

One of my friends got really good (before a dog killed off his main birds) at hatching around the time most people's chicks would be shipping. That way if they lost some in shipping, they could just get some that were close to the same age locally

 

[JacinLarkwell]

And then there would be me bidding to won cause I love getting more babies....XD

Do you have a target price in mind? Or, are you happy to just hatch and sell chicks for less than TSC?

this past summer I incubated eggs, sold the chicks at a livestock auction. Selling price was always less than TSC, but they all sold as straight run, barnyard mixes. Selling price varied depending on who wanted them... one auction I only got $1 per chick! But at another auction, there were several people interested and bidding went back and forth a few times. So, I got some money in my pocket.

you won’t be hatching very many chicks -that incubator holds around 24? So, seems reasonable to be able to sell them. I timed my hatches to hatch on the Tues or Wed prior to the livestock auction, so they would get a few days of food and strength before the busy day of transport and selling. You might want to time them to hatch ahead of a weekend, so they are ready to go on Fri/Sat/Sun.