What do you do with your extra chicks?

[tomato lady]

I am new to the chicken thing. My oldest are just ready to start laying eggs.

I would like to get an incubator and hatch some eggs with my granddaughter next spring. Of course I would want to keep some of the chicks, but I there is a limit to how many I have room for. I am fast reaching that limit with out hatching any eggs (total is 44 pullets now). I already have 2 walk-in type coops and I want to add on to the large one by Spring. If I am going to hatch eggs I want to be able to keep some breeds seperate.

Now for my question. What do you do with all the chicks you don't want to keep? Obviously, if I hatch very many times I can't keep them all. I also don't want a bunch of roosters, and I am not sure there is much of a market for them.

What do you do with your extra chicks?

 

[Katy]

I keep them until I can tell whether I want to add them to my breeding flocks. If they don't make the cut I take them to the local poultry auction.

 

[2txmedics]

place ad's on CL to sell them cheap or trade for feed which Ive done, talk to your local feed store sometimes they buy them...they do from me at 4.00 a chick and turn around and sell them....

 

[silkiechicken]

Sell extra chicks or hens, sometimes can sell roo hen pairs, but usually, roos end up soup.

 

[vfem]

I either keep a few, or sell them to people locally by selling on craigslist.

 

[horsejody]

I call the local 4H extention office and let them know what I have. Then I give them to 4H kids. I have only hatched purebreds to make this easier. The kids always want the extra birds, even the roos.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Quote:
That's an awesome idea Jody!

 

[CindyS]

If you develop into a Hatchaholic (like alot of us here)

you need an outlet regularly for your chicks like a local auction-thats what I use and actually from about February to August I make around $100 a week, so my addiction makes a little profit.

 

[canada-goose]

I have a few little Serama cockerels I want to sell but nobody wants them! Very sad. It looks like we will have to kill them.

 

[Mesa]

I have too many chickens already and more in the bator. My hubby isnt going to be happy once he sees these new chickies.
I plan on keeping a couple hens, and giving away the rest.
Anyone "NEED" some BC Marans, silkies or Ameraucanas in New Mexico ROFL.