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Not really sure what your weather is like there. Spring is the hot time to sell. I do sell chicks year round but do have a harder time on the off season. I also ship chicks which opens things up a bit for sales.
 
Acre4Me said:
Any livestock auctions or poultry swaps near you?

This past summer I hatched out mixed breeds from my flock. All full size. So, my only marketing I could use on the box of chicks was "Straight- run, Full-size breeds" and their hatch date. One sale, in the middle of summer, I got $1 per chick. But the other sales were $2.50-$3.50 per chick. Of course this is a pretty low-key way to sell, just have to get them to the auction house the morning of the sale. The auction house takes their cut, but I could wait there for cash (from the auction house) or they would mail me a check. Another nice aspect of this was that I could also bid on various things there (they sell a variety of non-animal stuff) and they would take out what I purchased from what I earned selling chicks. So, that worked for me.

However, if you want to get more $ for your chicks, then you need to have what is desired in your area. Maybe the market is for started pullets, if you have the room to grow them out. Maybe the market is for blue/green egg layers or for high production breeds. But, generally to be able to become successful, then you need to be known as selling good and healthy chicks that grow up well and produce well. If you are having a breed to sell then it should look like a good example of that breed.
Click to expand...
I’ve never been into the auction thing, but I’ve got friends I can ask about it. I think white leghorns might do well here. Most people are into white eggs. I’ll just have to ask around.
 
ChunkyBirb said:
I will mention that my lavender orpingtons are definitely not high quality birds. I bought them on impulse and had no idea how terrible they looked in person (my dad drove to pick them up for me). I’m thinking about investing in some high quality breeding stock, but I’ll have to wait until spring for that.
Click to expand...

You can become a responsible breeder - by growing out your chicks. Then select the best and use them for the next generation of breeding stock. THEN offer the grown out ones for sale - the way that others have already stated. You could start that now - giving you growouts to sell in the spring, then get better quality chicks as you can and maintain as a separate line. Use your better roosters from your better quality line over the pullets/hens you kept from your original line. Again, grow out your youngsters and keep the best. You will improve your own birds this way and learn about chicken conformation, qualities and egg laying at the same time.

I don't believe 4-Hers in our state raise/show birds that are not APA accepted. The Lavender variety is not yet an approved variety in the APA - just black, blue, buff & white are. Orpington chickens were removed from the Livestock Conservancy list in 2016.

Your parents can join chicken groups in your state and help to market chickens. And while you aren't supposed to sell animals directly on FB, many chicken groups will list breeders and then you are on your own (that is how I've located quite a number of breeders and got to meet new breeds of chickens - since 2012). Check out your State Thread here on BYC. There is also a market place here on BYC. Your parents could do your Craigslist ad (I have gotten some great birds and met great folks thru CL - just in the last 2 years).

Some of our TSCs and local feed stores (several w/i 25 miles of me here in NC) do "Flock Swaps" - in which folks gather outside and set up their crates. The one I buy my feeds from has one every 1st Saturday of the month. The next one is this Sat - 1/2/21. W/ Covid, a few were shut down but have since come back. Both the sellers and buyers wear masks. Most sellers usually have hand gel or wipes as well. Some will have boxes for the purchaser, others the buyer either has to have their own or go into feed store to purchase. If you go this route and have stock that doesn't sell, be prepared to keep those birds separate from your normal stock for 30 days to make sure they didn't pick up anything.

I bought Lavender Orps here from a "breeder" (now out of business). My chicks didn't do well - some died in the brooder, some died when introduced to pens and tractors outside. Out of 20 total chicks in 2 batches, I had 3 pullets make it to laying and a couple of roosters. None of these birds lived past 8 months of age. Failure to thrive? Don't know. No outward signs of illness. Other birds in same tractors or coop/runs were fine. None of our other birds were affected that way. I paid $12/chick - straight run.

There are other breeders of Lavender Orpingtons here. Some I've spoken with. They charge more per chick/straight run. I don't know if I'm going to do Lavender Orpingtons again. Beautiful birds, but I did better with my Lavender Ameraucana and get large blue/green eggs, too. Lavender (known as Self Blue) Ameraucana were accepted as an APA variety in January 2020.

We utilize freezer camp to feed us and our dogs/cats before selling started birds. When I have sold other breeds as started pullets (POL or already laying), I've sold for $25-35/pullet and $15-25 for a couple of roosters I did sell (not Orpingtons).

Hope this helps! Have a great start to your New Year!

Paula
 
paintedChix said:
You can become a responsible breeder - by growing out your chicks. Then select the best and use them for the next generation of breeding stock. THEN offer the grown out ones for sale - the way that others have already stated. You could start that now - giving you growouts to sell in the spring, then get better quality chicks as you can and maintain as a separate line. Use your better roosters from your better quality line over the pullets/hens you kept from your original line. Again, grow out your youngsters and keep the best. You will improve your own birds this way and learn about chicken conformation, qualities and egg laying at the same time.

I don't believe 4-Hers in our state raise/show birds that are not APA accepted. The Lavender variety is not yet an approved variety in the APA - just black, blue, buff & white are. Orpington chickens were removed from the Livestock Conservancy list in 2016.

Your parents can join chicken groups in your state and help to market chickens. And while you aren't supposed to sell animals directly on FB, many chicken groups will list breeders and then you are on your own (that is how I've located quite a number of breeders and got to meet new breeds of chickens - since 2012). Check out your State Thread here on BYC. There is also a market place here on BYC. Your parents could do your Craigslist ad (I have gotten some great birds and met great folks thru CL - just in the last 2 years).

Some of our TSCs and local feed stores (several w/i 25 miles of me here in NC) do "Flock Swaps" - in which folks gather outside and set up their crates. The one I buy my feeds from has one every 1st Saturday of the month. The next one is this Sat - 1/2/21. W/ Covid, a few were shut down but have since come back. Both the sellers and buyers wear masks. Most sellers usually have hand gel or wipes as well. Some will have boxes for the purchaser, others the buyer either has to have their own or go into feed store to purchase. If you go this route and have stock that doesn't sell, be prepared to keep those birds separate from your normal stock for 30 days to make sure they didn't pick up anything.

I bought Lavender Orps here from a "breeder" (now out of business). My chicks didn't do well - some died in the brooder, some died when introduced to pens and tractors outside. Out of 20 total chicks in 2 batches, I had 3 pullets make it to laying and a couple of roosters. None of these birds lived past 8 months of age. Failure to thrive? Don't know. No outward signs of illness. Other birds in same tractors or coop/runs were fine. None of our other birds were affected that way. I paid $12/chick - straight run.

There are other breeders of Lavender Orpingtons here. Some I've spoken with. They charge more per chick/straight run. I don't know if I'm going to do Lavender Orpingtons again. Beautiful birds, but I did better with my Lavender Ameraucana and get large blue/green eggs, too. Lavender (known as Self Blue) Ameraucana were accepted as an APA variety in January 2020.

We utilize freezer camp to feed us and our dogs/cats before selling started birds. When I have sold other breeds as started pullets (POL or already laying), I've sold for $25-35/pullet and $15-25 for a couple of roosters I did sell (not Orpingtons).

Hope this helps! Have a great start to your New Year!

Paula
Click to expand...
Thanks Paula! Im thinking about eating my orpingtons. I’ve only got 4 hens and a rooster and they are kinda scraggly looking anyways. I need to downsize my flock too. I made an ad on craigslist asking people what they would be interested in. I’m in high school so I can do some advertising myself. I’ve emailed my teachers asking them to let me know what some knew ffa kids would be interested in. I will definitely look at breeder lists. I’m okay with driving a little to buy from a reputable breeder.

I have 4 pullets and a cockerel from my batch of chicks in October. The cockerel is very sweet and I’m sure I could get something for his sweet personality (if he decides not to become a meanie head 😉).The chicks are much prettier than the parents. I did learn from a post I read a while ago that Lavender Orpingtons are not recognized by the APA. That’s why I’m starting to change my mind on breeding them.

Thanks again!
 
Here's an ad that caught my eye. If they'd had brown leghorns, I'd be contacting them and arranging to buy right now. If i just wanted eggs right now, id also b contacting them.
 

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