Selling excess flock at flea markets etc

[fenris]

Has anyone had an experience with this? I used to keep about 50 hens for eggs. I'd sell off most of eggs and managed to more or less break even on my expenses each year.

I stopped raising chickens when I started college and decided to start back again since im graduating next year. I have some eggs set to hatch this Friday(give or take a day) in my incubator and I bought a dozen RIR chicks yesterday. I'm planning on keeping a much smaller flock this time around, just enough to produce eggs my family will actually eat and some meat birds. Ill hatch new chicks off occasionally and cull some of the roosters at around 12 weeks.

I'm interested in selling off excess laying hens and roosters for meat at a young age to help pay for feed( and to avoid having to pluck dozens at a time). I'm trying to get some ideas about what age would be best to do this and roughly what I can expect to get per chicken. I'm only raising Rhode Island reds this year. Maybe bring in some other breeds next summer.

 

[crowsnestfarms]

I am afraid you will have to try to "feel the market" where you live. Prices vary from region to region. I recently purchased 5 RIR young pullets (they had just started laying) for $12 each. They were around 20 weeks old. Older (1 year olds) hens here go for about $10. I live in NE Arkansas. This is about all the help I can give you as prices could be much different where you live. Look for some flea markets or swaps close by and feel it out by seeing what others are selling theirs for. That is really the only sure fire way to know how the market is in your area. Hope this helps even if a little! lol God bless you and have a great day!

 

[fenris]

Thanks, you too. i was worried i woudn't get a response lol. I'm planning to check a few places out soon.

 

[tamraclovw]

My local tractor supply store hosts animal swaps occasionally. I think people just show up with whatever they have. You could see if any of you're stores do that.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

We sell excess hens on Craigs List. As was said above, you'll need to feel out your market. We sell day-old chicks for $1 - $2.50 depending on breeding (or not, lol) with a $5 deposit before the chicks even hatch so we're not stuck with extra chicks. We sell started pullets at 14 weeks for $12, or at 18 + weeks for $15. We sell one year old hens or older for $5 - $10 depending on breed and age and how rough they're looking. I've never had a problem getting rid of my cull birds.

Roosters are more difficult. I can't sell them on CL. I do put them on CL for free sometimes, but often I just wait until I have a batch and then drive to a livestock auction and drop them off. I usually get $2 - $3 per bird this way. They don't usually pay for the gas to get to the auction, but my father lives near there so we go visit him and call it a wash. We also eat some breeds of excess roosters.

But whatever you do--don't buy birds from a livestock auction! I see horrid stuff there. Sick birds, roosters with an egg put in the crate with them to trick people into thinking they are hens, "pullets" that are really aged hens, all kinds of disease... I do a total change of clothes and disinfect my shoes and take a shower and run my car through the car wash before I come home.