How to Sell Chickens for a Profit

I learned how to sell chickens as a child and it was a fun and profitable experience. It is one of the things that helped shape me into the entrepreneur that I am today. Here is the low down on how to sell chickens. This is how I did it back then and how my father still does it to this day!

What Breeds to Sell?

First you need to decide what breed of chickens you want to sell. I suggest going with a Rhode Island Red, a Buff Orpington, or a Plymouth Rock (also known as a Barred Rock). The reason I choose these three is because they are very hardy birds and are good egg layers. I know this for a fact because my father has been in the egg business for many years and he deals only with these breeds. You could also go with a Cornish Hen which lays descent but is more of a meat bird. The first two breeds lay a brown egg and the last two lay a white egg. Be careful on your selection and make sure that you choose a strong , hardy breed . This is essential to making a profit because when the birds are shipped as babies , you will sometimes find several dead especially in the weaker breeds. This can create a bit of a loss sometimes although some companies will refund you for the ones that arrive dead.

Price and Purchasing

The best way to start off is by purchasing baby chicks. You can always hatch your own eggs , but it takes much more time and the hatch rate is usually much lower than it is for large hatcheries that have the proper equipment needed. Here is a list of companies that you can buy wholesale chickens from:

- Murray McMurray Hatchery

- efowl.com

- Belt Hatchery

- Estes Hatchery

You can generally pick up day or week old chickens for around a $1.75-$2.50 each and can still have a nice profit margin. The best way that I can suggest to buy them is in flocks of at least 100 at a time. This make it a little cheaper therefor making you more money !

Shelter

Baby chicks must have a good shelter. They need heat and have to be out of the weather completely for the highest success rate. The ideal brooter would be an enclosed wooden box that has easy access and a good source of heat. The optimal temperature for baby chicks is 100 degrees.This temperature can easily be sustained using heat lamps and a thermostat (to ensure that they dont get cooked !). Be sure to keep the bulbs far away enough so that they cannot peck them. Also experiment with the height of the heat lamps. To close and they will be to hot. To far away and they will be cold. You will know when you have the right height because the chicks will be evenly dispersed. They should never be hudling together . This will cause them to suffocate eachother! Every week the temperature should be brought down 5 degrees until they start to feather out which is usually between 6-8 weeks.

Food and Water

When it comes to food , you must buy a good chicken starter . Chicken starter is high in protein and nutrients and is vital to the healthy growth of the baby chicks. Go to your local feed shop and ask them. They will know exactly what your talking about. It is not very expensive and one sack goes a long way. Never let the chicks run out of water or food especially in the first few weeks. Also be sure to keep their brooder and water supply clean at all times to prevent bacterial growth.

How to Sell Chickens / Marketing and Pricing

Once your chicks have reached 6-8 weeks old, you can generally get between $10-$12 each for them.

Here's some ideas on how to sell chickens:

- Put an ad on craiglist.org or in the local newspaper.

- Set up on the side of a road with a sign. This works great and is best done on a vacant dirt lot.

- Put up fliers around town .

- Advertise on your vehicle "Chickens for Sale Call 000-0000"

All of the marketing methods above work great and are proven ways to sell your chicks . Be creative and don't be afraid to try some fresh ideas.

Hope this helps on your journey to extra income and please email me if you have any questions on how to sell chickens for profit.



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