When I was a kid....

[sparkles2307]

I lived in Washington, by Centralia and Chehalis (for you Washingtonians) and I remember the feed stores getting in a huge variety of chicks, ducklings, goslings, and poults each spring. We got all kinds of things, my favorite being the trio of brown chinese geese from a grab bin. So, why is it that now you get pekins and a few basic chick breeds and MAYBE some good ones in the bantam bin and thats it? Why are the brown chinese in the rare category and cost a fortune from hatcheries, but we got them for a few bucks when I was a kid!? Seriously its really frustrating to remember how it was just a few years ago and compare it to now.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

the times they are a changing..... and not always for the best that is for sure.

Steve

 

[Whispering Winds]

Cause they know people will pay for them too. It's like Peacocks. One lady has them for $25 a chick, and a pair will sell for over $200-$?? in the catalogs. I guess it just depends upon how bad you want something. I want them bad, but can't afford to pay top dollar, dang it.

 

[arabianequine]

supply and demand

 

[sparkles2307]

I guess there was a lot more supply 15 years ago...

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
There probably was in the area and local people would wait for the breeders to sell them in the spring. Now days it's "I want it now" which drives the price up. That and you are going to hate me Sparkles but we are getting older and remembering the good old days.

As for peafowl that's what we sell our chicks for $25 per chick and that is a reasonable price. They don't start laying well until the 3rd year and the cost of feeding and keeping breeders figures in. There are alot of people that "give" birds/eggs/chicks away and I won't do it when you have years and years of careful breeding involved. You see posts all the time of I bought this "pure breed" and hatched out all kind of sports and creepyness.

Steve