Selling your chicks before they are hatched?

[Susan Skylark]

I was planning on doing a small new year’s hatch of quail to be ready for spring (want to sell a few eggs and chicks so need to slightly expand the breeding flock) but had a guy call the day I put my eggs in the incubator asking when he could buy quail (just sold everything but the breeders!). I told him I’d have some hatching chicks at New Years and he seemed fine with that. I tossed another dozen eggs in the incubator and just hope the guy doesn’t flake out, not sure what to do with two dozen adolescent quail in the bleak midwinter (I have 18 breeding birds at full capacity!). What do you do when a potential buyer flakes out and you are left with more birds than you can handle (yes, humane euthanasia is a last resort but I’m looking for less sad ideas). We are very rural and it is off season so finding another buyer isn’t easy (that’s why I’m doing my best to accommodate this one!). We can make it work but it will be interesting!

 

[townchicks]

Perhaps ask for a deposit?

 

[Susan Skylark]

That’s an idea, except we’re talking $20 here (big money in quail)! The money isn’t the issue, it is getting stuck with 10 extra birds!

 

[Squawkers]

That’s an idea, except we’re talking $20 here (big money in quail)! The money isn’t the issue, it is getting stuck with 10 extra birds!

Wouldn’t a deposit kind of ensure that he won’t back out? He still might, but I think it would make it less likely.