Why do so many of you buy so many chicks?

[beausonge]

I mainly wanted a pet roo or two to help keep the fly population down for our horses on our property. I have a dear neighbor and they are having hard financial times. She has raised critters for a long time and she is a hard worker. Almost all of her flock was so aged, she had to butcher the majority of them last year. She bought some poor grade pullets at the auction this past fall but she could not afford very many. So I decided to ask her to partner with me in chickens. I bought the chickens and I will pay for the necessities. She will care for them and clean the eggs, etc. She also has an incubator and she wants to try hatching eggs so we got some roos for the breeds we ordered. She has never been able to afford purebred chickens and she is thrilled to do this. We are very lucky as there is a very popular livestock auction nearby and they sell every egg you bring in at very good prices. She doesn't have a dependable car but I do. We will take the eggs to the market and sell them there every week. I am hoping she can make enough money to help them out. We also bought dark cornish chickens for meat - either she can butcher them or sell them at the market.

 

[VI KING RANCH]

Hey I have over four hundred eggs in my hatch rite right now and am expecting over 350 to hatch.
It called love and a addiction... Well I guess it is better that being lonely and having nothing to do know one to love....well I have my chickens that's for sure.

 

[KazAnder Farms]

Haha! We would have to buy everyone's property around us to pull that off. I would love too but I think we would have to create massive piles of poo to drop the property value enough. Or move

The closest places with affordable serious acreage are a little far south from here. Maybe one day.

 

[TrystInn]

Honestly, I blame hatchery shipping minimums for getting me started. I'd love to order 6 but the hatchery I use requires we buy at least 25 chicks per order.

Then 25 cute little fluffy chicks arrive. I raise them up to about a month old, just ready to come out of the brooder. Then I think 'this was fun, let's do it again!' and I sell off the adolescents and order more chicks! And the cycle keeps repeating!

Last summer i made $500 selling chickens and ducks, so its all very profitable, too!

 

[VI KING RANCH]

Haha ya mine are on a fifteen acre farm and let me tell you they have a lot of running room.
But I also sell lots of day olds and ready to lay pullets. Let's just say I take lots of trips to the local poultry swap...I don't ever come home with someone elses birds either.

 

[Welsummer Rancher]

I have a dozen week old chicks in my brooder. Will keep the pullets and butcher all but 1 roo later this spring. I do have to say though that I have plans for about a dozen Black Copper Marans to be added to the flock later this year.

 

[drdoolittle]

wannabchick wrote

some of us don't like our neighbors"

I keep thinking, my neighbors are so mad..they saw the coops go out.. And I have almost 4 acres and put them, literally at the side of my yard..but I did that because I wanted them closer to me, and where we all spend our time..

But boy I wonder what they are saying at those family dinners...

This is funny-----a friend of my hubby's (who is the son of our next door neighbor) asked my hubby what in the world we had over on our property----his dad wanted to know. When my hubby said "Oh, she's got chickens, goats, ducks, and a couple of geese.", the friend said, "Well, they sure LOVE you guys-----they couldn't stand the people who lived there before, they had campers all over the property and junk everywhere!" So, I guess there are worse things than a bunch of roosters crowing next door!​

 

[chickie fam]

Quote:
What hatchery do you use? I'd love the excuse to order 25 at one go!!

 

[cartersmith]

where i live have chickens just aint the norm lo but i have to say im getting addicted we started with a small coop and 3 hens....a fox got in and killed them

so instead of thinking chicken keepin just aint for us. we brought a large 8 x 6 shed made this the coop and built a big 12foot run on the side made it all very secure

we now have 7 hens and a cockerel out there...i also got 7 lil baby chicks living in a cage in my living room and another 19 eggs in the incubator in the kitchen waiting to hatch

 

[kitchwitch]

Quote:
What hatchery do you use? I'd love the excuse to order 25 at one go!!

Most hatcheries have a 25 minimum, which is why people order so many chickens to being with (OP).

Ideal, Cackle, McMurray, Mt. Healthy all require a 25 chick minimum.