YO GEORGIANS! :)

[Mylied]

Hello fellow Georgians,

I’m new to the selling chicks business, so I don’t know if this is the norm, but I keep seeing chicks being sold (more like advertised) for $8 each newly hatched and straight run! Has that always been like that or is that due to the supply&demand of chicks lately?

Granted some are pretty breeds but even some of the more common breeds are going for that much. Idc since I’m not buying any (I have all the breeds I want) but just seeing those prices makes me cringe because I thought $4 per pullet from TSC was pricey back when I was a newbie two years ago. I can’t imagine newbies today paying $8 per chick just to gamble if one or all will be cockerels and what if they die or newbie mistakes etc.

Anyway, thanks for the input.

In one of my fb chicken groups I saw someone selling straight run silkies for $12 a piece! I mean I don’t know if people haggle and bring it down, but still...

Are people taking advantage because all the hatcheries are sold out or something??

It's new. Used to be $2-4 for day olds unless it was a fancy breed. Silkies would be $6-8.

 

[hysop]

Hysop,

I think it is supply and demand. With hatcheries sold out the prices keep rising. In my case I paid $3.95 for RIR day old pullets. I wanted layers but did want more of a heritage look even though I was never going to show them. All have bent combs which isn’t a breed standard. In hind sight, I might have paid more to get a specific look. However, seems like barnyard mix is going for $4 and that seems to be the minimum price. Individuals are asking more than feed stores/hatcheries.

People are looking at ways to be self sufficient and/or have a hobby while stuck at home. I do think there are some people taking advantage of newbies.

That makes sense that maybe this is supplemental income for some while they’re out of work, but like you said, I’m sure there are some people who are price gouging just to make more money and not necessarily because they are/were out of work

 

[hysop]

It's new. Used to be $2-4 for day olds unless it was a fancy breed. Silkies would be $6-8.

Oh wow! Yeah I figured they couldn’t be that much more than TSC.

I just rather people see the fun side of owning chickens instead of a bad experience of “I bought 5 chicks and 4 ended up being males”. That way they can become self sufficient with chickens such as eggs and meat, not to make money by price gouging

 

[sawcochran]

That makes sense that maybe this is supplemental income for some while they’re out of work, but like you said, I’m sure there are some people who are price gouging just to make more money and not necessarily because they are/were out of work

Agreed.

How is your broody doing with the eggs? Are you using an incubator too?

 

[hysop]

Agreed.

How is your broody doing with the eggs? Are you using an incubator too?

So I didn’t think having a broody would make all my hens stop laying since it never has happened in the past but lo and behold it did. I have two broodies (out of 14 laying hens) And I am only getting 2 eggs per day if I’m lucky.

I decided to be a meanie and took all the eggs from the broodies and set them in my incubator until they begin laying more.

I’m sure they’ll just end up sitting on the one or two eggs that get laid today, but I will keep pushing them off or I may move both broodies somewhere else.

I really need to make a broody pen. So for now I have 19 eggs in my incubator. And probably close to 100 eggs in my fridge from May and part of June so at least I don’t need eggs.

 

[sawcochran]

So I didn’t think having a broody would make all my hens stop laying since it never has happened in the past but lo and behold it did. I have two broodies (out of 14 laying hens) And I am only getting 2 eggs per day if I’m lucky.

I decided to be a meanie and took all the eggs from the broodies and set them in my incubator until they begin laying more.

I’m sure they’ll just end up sitting on the one or two eggs that get laid today, but I will keep pushing them off or I may move both broodies somewhere else.

I really need to make a broody pen. So for now I have 19 eggs in my incubator. And probably close to 100 eggs in my fridge from May and part of June so at least I don’t need eggs.

Wow! I didn’t expect production to decline like that overall! Following along on the progress. Learning so much everyday!

 

[hysop]

Wow! I didn’t expect production to decline like that overall! Following along on the progress. Learning so much everyday!

I knew keeping a broody could make the others broody but not stop laying all together without being broody/sitting on eggs.

I’ll keep you updated so far today is day 1 of the broodies not having eggs. They’re out of their nesting boxes and with the others since they have no eggs to sit on I guess.

 

[gunslinger33]

I haven't experienced that. I will have more than one go broody very close to each other but I haven't experienced the non-broody's stop laying.

seasonally mine will really slow down in the peak of the Summer

In my Biel coop I have 5 hens , one of which is currently broody. I got 4 eggs yesterday from them.

My coop of misfits (5 hens and 2 roosters) were nice enough to bless me with 2 eggs yesterday and none of them are currently broody

 

[hysop]

I haven't experienced that. I will have more than one go broody very close to each other but I haven't experienced the non-broody's stop laying.

seasonally mine will really slow down in the peak of the Summer

In my Biel coop I have 5 hens , one of which is currently broody. I got 4 eggs yesterday from them.

My coop of misfits (5 hens and 2 roosters) were nice enough to bless me with 2 eggs yesterday and none of them are currently broody

It may be age then. All my hens are either on their second or third year of laying. And it has been hot lately. So it could be as you said, they have slowed down due to the heat.

I’ll monitor it for a week and see if I see any changes.

 

[gunslinger33]

My Biels are 2 and the misfits are anywhere from 1 to 2