what are chickens that everyone wants

You're going to get many different answers, probably, but you need to know the market where you live first. Are you an experienced breeder who is truly interested improving a breed or breeds? Because if you are trying to get into the "chicken biz" to make money. . . well, it ain't gonna happen by selling eggs and chicks. It generally takes many years of trial and error, hard-core culling, and a lot of money (feed, housing, equipment, etc) to have a desirable bloodline.

 

Quote:Agreed!

 

The ones I see selling easily are show quality silkies (not the scruffy hatchery ones) and Seramas.

Seramas sell as pets so in very small groups and the buyers like to have them sexed and buy pairs and trios.

Really commonly known egg layers sell fairly well as point of lay hens. Breeds where everybody recognizes the name. I guess you eat all the roosters you hatch.

 

I agree with everyone when they say it depends on the market. Where I live, I personally get frequent requests for Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rock, Rhode Island Reds and Black Australops. My customers are really not interested in the other breeds. They are looking to start back yard flocks for the eggs.

 

Quote:I agree. Many people I deal with just want good layers, so I have breeds that are very good egg producers.

 

Quote:Same here.

 

I agree, pick a bird, zero in, work hard, cull hard, wait for people to want them or keep em to yourself. Lots of topnotch breeders out there, try Bantam anything. Lavender anything. Olive Egg Layers- Wheaten Anyone? Lavender Wheaten Olive Eggers? Barred Easter Eggers. Green/Blue Egg Layers and Purebred Ameraucanas. Marans, darker egg the better who cares the color.
Heritage Anything...

Big Fat White Quail.

just my thoughts and desires...

 

Check your target market if selling is your objective.

Around here most people that I know are interested in started pullets at POL and young laying hens. One lady who sells chicks on Criags List was lamenting that everyone wants chickens and no one wants chicks. If you are targeting the backyard small flock keeper that is looking for good egg production and docile birds, then look into the sex-link hybrids so you can know at hatching time which ones will grow up to be laying hens.

Usually people who ask me what they should look for, if they are seeking egg production, I recommend that they get a sex-link hen. Low feed comsumption, high egg out put.

Alternatively you could specialize in a rare breed, but it is a totally different ball game.

good luck with your chicken project!

 

First off, I think you have to want and like chickens yourself, as you are never going to make a bunch of money selling chicks or chickens. The best you can hope for unless you have show birds, is to break even. You my make some in the spring/summer, but you won't sell many in the fall/winter and the chickens you have need to eat year round, so they will eat up anything you make in the good months.
That being said, P.O.L sex link pullets are good, they start to lay earlier, and lay lots of very large eggs for a couple of years, after which time your buyers will need new pullets and you can take back their spent hens for the soup pot. I also think that for most backyard flocks peope like the brown egg layers, with maybe some blue/green egg layers just for fun.
I for myself like a flock of several different breeds with lots of pretty colorful birds. I still don't have all the breeds or color variations of breeds that I would like, but maybe some day.