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Barnyard Buddies:  Hatching instead of Selling Eggs?  |
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YakLady
True Blue Farmgirl
652 Posts
Natalie
Montana
USA
652 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 6:43:32 PM
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I thought it would be smart to start using my incubator to hatch our fertile chicken eggs instead of selling them for eating at the feed store... I can incubate 42 at a time, 48 eggs would net me 12 dollars in feed store credit, but if I get even a 50% (and I have 34 viable less than a week to hatch now) hatch rate, and sold each chick for $2, I would make 30 dollars more with (6 less eggs) than I would simply selling the eggs. This seems like a good plan to me...
Has anyone else done this? Had any luck?
~Natalie~ Just a farmgirl in Western Montana. http://mtnme.blogspot.com
Starting a family and raising Tibetan Yaks, Highland cattle, Laying hens, Muscovy ducks, Silver Fox rabbits, and a few dogs. |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 9:17:56 PM
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Has the feed store already offered to buy them for that much? You might get more selling them yourself. I have a friend who hatches and sells show chickens for $25 and up. I have also seen folks sell eggs online for $700. Check out backyardchickens.com. I mean if you like hatching them and you are pretty good at it and have a good incubator then go for it. I'm not very good at it and my incubator is a cheapie...pardon the pun. I also worry about them and stress about them and then get attached to them if they live..lol. My daughter is pretty good at it and she sold a bunch of half grown roosters for 10 and 5 each. She raises lavender auracaunas and cochins. They are so pretty. I take her rejects and sell and give away eggs.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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YakLady
True Blue Farmgirl
652 Posts
Natalie
Montana
USA
652 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 11:29:54 PM
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I think the Marans chicks I could get 5/piece for- but the others are mixes. Olive eggers and Australorp/Marans crosses. Those will be like 2 bucks or so... I want to undercut the feed store and sell them myself. People who just want some backyard chickens or some new blood appreciate a deal. I plan to just list on Craigslist.
~Natalie~ Just a farmgirl in Western Montana. http://mtnme.blogspot.com
Starting a family and raising Tibetan Yaks, Highland cattle, Laying hens, Muscovy ducks, Silver Fox rabbits, and a few dogs. |
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farmmilkmama
True Blue Farmgirl
2027 Posts
Amy
Central MN
USA
2027 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2012 : 02:35:35 AM
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Sounds like a good idea to me! We were thinking of maybe doing the same thing. So many people around here sell eggs, so hatching them out would be something different... Good luck with it!
--* FarmMilkMama *--
Farmgirl Sister #1086
Be yourself.
Everyone else is already taken.
-Oscar Wilde
www.farmfoodmama.blogspot.com
www.thehmmmschoolingmom.blogspot.com |
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homsteddinmom
True Blue Farmgirl
441 Posts
Brandee
bullard
tx
USA
441 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2012 : 03:52:08 AM
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What will you do with all the ones that dont sell?? Do you have the room to keep them?? Around here everyone sells chicks for about $2 each straight run but i can buy mine from the feedstore pullets for $2. If i can get them sexed somewhere for a little more money that is where im gonna buy them. Also have you ever sold any?? Some people wont buy from back yard people only mail order or feedstores.just some thoughts to put out there~
Homesteading Mom in East Texas. Raising chickens, Rabbits and goats here on my farm!
http://homesteddinmomsworld.blogspot.com |
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YakLady
True Blue Farmgirl
652 Posts
Natalie
Montana
USA
652 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2012 : 07:55:32 AM
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I have acreage, and my flock is free-ranged, so I'm not concerned with any that don't sell. I have a use of meat for all roos, and I'll keep pullets for layers if nothing else. I have a hard time keeping my eggs stocked for my regulars right now, and the feed store wants more because of the BCM eggs being "So pretty." Apparently my cartons go fast.
There are people up here who hatch their own birds and sell BCMs for 7 each straight run day-olds, so 5 is doable. 2 on the rest seems reasonable when they can't get them from that w/shipping from a hatchery, and that's a dollar less than the feed stores here. We'll see how it goes, and I'll let you ladies know if I sell any :)
~Natalie~ Just a farmgirl in Western Montana. http://mtnme.blogspot.com
Starting a family and raising Tibetan Yaks, Highland cattle, Laying hens, Muscovy ducks, Silver Fox rabbits, and a few dogs. |
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Megan
True Blue Farmgirl
155 Posts
Megan
Hudson
South Dakota
USA
155 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2012 : 08:40:07 AM
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We have blue copper marans and Black copper marans... people love them and we sell ours for $5 straight run. We sell our birds on craigslist and it has been good buisiness. We started with 3 little giant syrophome incubators and are up to 6 Gqf incubators and 2 hatchers. Good Luck! its a lot of fun being able to help others out.
You might want to check with your state about becoming NPIP ( national poultry improvment plan) or pullorum tested flock to sell day old poultry. we get some weird calls from people (we think vets) who call and ask then hang up and never call back. we have a friend who got in really big trouble for not doing it and sell hatching eggs and day old peachicks.
Just some thoughts
Good Luck poultry is alot of fun!
www.rockriverexoticsandkennel.net |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2012 : 2:42:41 PM
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I definitely think you could get more than $2 ea for them, even straight run! We can sell chickens easy here cause we are 100 miles from any feed stores except for 1 that nobody likes to go into cause the guy is a jerk. However most folks here don't have much money cause jobs are sparse but they still just love to buy chickens. There are sometimes chicken swaps maybe there is one in your area.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2012 : 2:45:48 PM
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How sad Megan that you get goofy phone calls just cause you sell chickens...sheesh! People need to buck up and eat some real food and grow some antibodies. Just my opinion :)
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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Dusky Beauty
True Blue Farmgirl
1108 Posts
Jen
Tonopah
AZ
USA
1108 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2012 : 3:34:31 PM
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I've been thinking about getting into Marans in general, I hear they are a great heritage meat bird and the eggs are so stunning...
Rather than selling chicks though, I'm thinking of hatching and raising mostly, freezering the roo-lets and selling the pullets as productive layers after they get started. I've been pulling 20-35$ each for a daily layer duck on craigslist and any birds I list are gone in days. Chickens seem to hover about the same. I think if I can free range and supplemental feed cheaply enough it could work out well. (As I see it, if the pullet sales pay the feed bill I'm getting meat from their brothers and eggs from the moms/sisters for free.)
~*~ http://silverstarfamilyfarm.blogspot.com/ ~*~
“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.”
~Erma Bombeck |
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crittergranny
True Blue Farmgirl
1096 Posts
Laura
Lindrith
NM
USA
1096 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2012 : 4:37:58 PM
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I have found that Marans are a bit more feisty and skittish than other chickens in general so I haven't ordered any more even though I love those beautiful eggs they lay. I wouldn't mind having some more sometime.
Laura
Horse poor in the boonies.
www.nmbarrelhorses.com |
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Barnyard Buddies: Hatching instead of Selling Eggs? |
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Hatching instead of Selling Eggs?
