Advice on selling birds?

[ChicksnMore]

I'm just starting with breeding banties for an actual project and I know I'm going to be drowning in birds at some point.

I've always kept birds just for pleasure and was able to give away, trade or butcher any excess because I hatched few chicks. But with this project I'll have to hatch a lot of babies and know my friends won't want all of them.

I thought I'd just sell what I can't give away....but I sold my first birds the other day...a trio of pure bred oegb creles that I couldn't give away. I checked local prices and set my price by the average for general chickens since these weren't exceptional birds for their type...though I noticed the pure bred stock selling for some (in my opinion as someone who normally doesn't sell birds) silly prices. It turns out the fellow who bought them buys and resells chickens at a higher price. He keeps them in awful conditions and I felt bad for my birds.

So, I'm wondering how people experienced in selling their birds try to make sure something like that doesn't happen? Do I have to sell at higher prices if I'm not selling to someone who I know why they're buying the birds, or is there a way I can keep my prices what I consider reasonable...in other words cheap...lol?

 

[3KillerBs]

I've been selling extra birds on Craigslist and I set my prices according to the going rate for the sort of bird they are. Lower for backyard mix, higher for known breed. This year, with hatching chicks, lower for straight run hatchlings, higher if I sell them as started and sexed.

I made no special efforts to screen customers. Some people feel differently, but unless I knew for sure that the buyer was going to abuse them, it really isn't my business if they want to resell them or even eat them.

I am pretty sure the cockerels who were sold weren't bought for dinner though since I charged $10 each for Blue Australorps and wrote my ad targeting people who wanted to breed blue into their flocks.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Lol...your right, it really isn't my business. It sure made me grumpy though! I expected they'd end up someone's pets...never occurred to me that anyone would buy to re-sell.

I'll at least bump my price high enough that it's not worth his time. Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll be gone before I decide to get rid of more birds.

 

[3KillerBs]

Lol...your right, it really isn't my business. It sure made me grumpy though! I expected they'd end up someone's pets...never occurred to me that anyone would buy to re-sell.

I'll at least bump my price high enough that it's not worth his time. Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll be gone before I decide to get rid of more birds.

Well, you know now to not sell him anything. You're not obligated to sell to the first person who answers the ad.

I had one who tried to bargain down the price on some of my girls and I didn't move on it -- I had done my research about what POL pullets were worth around here.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Well, you know now to not sell him anything. You're not obligated to sell to the first person who answers the ad.

I had one who tried to bargain down the price on some of my girls and I didn't move on it -- I had done my research about what POL pullets were worth around here.

Ya, I only knew because his ad had the same number he used to contact me to buy them. Was thinking that if I refuse to sell to him in the future, all he has to do is have someone else call me. I'd have no way of knowing. The pictures he put up with the ad showed maybe a hundred chickens of all sizes crammed into a small space. If my birds are in that cage, I'm not sure they'll survive til he sells them.

Anyhow, lesson learned...give bargain prices to people you know a little about and higher to complete strangers.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Ive had that happen gave away a glw rooster to find out they where flipping him if i knew that i would of kept him for breeding! But ones i sell now i really dont care what they do with them if they can make more then have at it im not raising them for a possible sell. Though most of the time now i eat my extras as im not waiting for a no show

 

[JedJackson]

I would check his prices frequently and charge something similar. Then it won't be worth his time and energy to bother you. I would be furious if something like that happened to me! The nerve of some people astounds me. These are living animals, after all.