Selling Adult Birds

[TARDIS37379]

I am considering selling off one flock of chickens I have.
There are 32 New Jersey Giants including two roosters. I’ve raised them from day old chicks and they are healthy.
I've had two people inquire about a price and one wasn’t interested and the second was offended I priced them more than she would pay for a whole hen in the grocery. The big difference, I explained to her, was the hen in the grocery was dead, frozen, and not producing eggs.
They produce eggs, are healthy, the roosters are father and son and work as a team. I just want a different breed to lay larger eggs.

If you’ve ever sold an entire flock, how did you get a satisfactory and mutually agreeable price?

 

[3KillerBs]

I have no experience with selling an entire flock as a unit, but I looked at Craigslist to get the average prices for various ages of chickens and readily got $15 for POL pullets in my area.

 

[TARDIS37379]

Most of the flocks listed on CL here are barnyard mixed breeds. I’ve seen adult hens as cheap as $5 and 26 week pullets as high as $50 per bird. The latter being a specific breed. I just looked at a chick speciality web site and their pullets are about $65 per bird plus shipping.

 

[Mrs. K]

You can get the market will bear. Might offer to split them up, at a higher price, or lower a price if they take the whole works. With two roosters, you easily sell two breeding flocks. And there will be people that want that breed, but only a couple of a birds, a lot of people like a mixed flock.

32 birds is pretty large flock, people that have a big enough set up to have that many birds, probably already have birds. It would need a pretty large set up to take in an additional 32 birds. I think you will get more per bird, if you sell smaller groups.

Some people will worry about bringing a whole flock in to their own flocks. There are several people on here that will not take any full grown birds, for bio security reasons. That might make them a bit harder to sell.

Unless you have quite a bit of a reputation as a breeder, you are not going to get top price as those that do.

Good luck, luck on this type of sale is going to be crucial.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

The big difference, I explained to her, was the hen in the grocery was dead, frozen, and not producing eggs.

That cracked me up!

How old are these birds, in weeks or months?
How much are you asking for them?
Are they from some show line or hatchery JG's?

@Mrs. K makes some very good points.

I bought my first flock from someone who had too many.
Five 18 month old hens and cock.
Four 4 months old pullets(but one was a cockerel).
$20...she just wanted to get rid of them...and help out a newby with an impressive coop.
Bummer was, those birds brought lice, SLM, and mild respiratory issues.
I will never buy adult birds again, and advise against anyone else doing so.

 

[21hens-incharge]

You may find the luck better closer to warm weather.

It is certainly more birds than most small keepers are looking for.

All good points in posts above.

Wishing you the best for your flocks.

 

[TARDIS37379]

I have no experience with selling an entire flock as a unit, but I looked at Craigslist to get the average prices for various ages of chickens and readily got $15 for POL pullets in my area.

That cracked me up!

How old are these birds, in weeks or months?
How much are you asking for them?
Are they from some show line or hatchery JG's?

@Mrs. K makes some very good points.

I bought my first flock from someone who had too many.
Five 18 month old hens and cock.
Four 4 months old pullets(but one was a cockerel).
$20...she just wanted to get rid of them...and help out a newby with an impressive coop.
Bummer was, those birds brought lice, SLM, and mild respiratory issues.
I will never buy adult birds again, and advise against anyone else doing so.

These NJGs are 18 months and healthy. I offered to let them be examined but I wasn’t going to send “a few” birds to the UT Vet hospital.
We treat for pests, including lice regularly.
I’ve seen over the last few days that most interested want a huge bargain.
I’ll keep them first

 

[jher77]

I am considering selling off one flock of chickens I have.
There are 32 New Jersey Giants including two roosters. I’ve raised them from day old chicks and they are healthy.
I've had two people inquire about a price and one wasn’t interested and the second was offended I priced them more than she would pay for a whole hen in the grocery. The big difference, I explained to her, was the hen in the grocery was dead, frozen, and not producing eggs.
They produce eggs, are healthy, the roosters are father and son and work as a team. I just want a different breed to lay larger eggs.

If you’ve ever sold an entire flock, how did you get a satisfactory and mutually agreeable price?

I brood, raise and sell some about twice per year. Average price here is $15 for laying birds within reasonable age. New pullets at POL $18-20. Selling a complete flock is harder to do than splitting them up.

I sell mine on craigslist. Sometimes they sell quick, sometimes they dont. Eventually they sell. This time of year is a little slow.

I've had people call me and get mad at the price. I have the same polite kid every time that calls me and asks me what the price is but never wants to buy any. I've had people call and tell me the biggest cockamamey stuff I've ever heard. I've had people call and offer me more than asking price. I've had people that want to buy one and butcher it in my driveway. I've had people that want to buy 20 at a time. There are all kinds. You'll just have to listen and don't take offense.

My dad had a dog with cataracts from diabetes the vet recommended it to go to the UT vets because it was the only place around to work on it. I went with him. There was a woman in the lobby on the phone who was pawning her truck to pay her bill there. They charged my dad $500 dollars to talk about cataract surgery. I nearly fell over. We never went back. Stay away from that place.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I understand discounts if it is the whole flock, most people are nice though. One time I had 3 pullets, 12 weeks old and was asking $10 each. A lady wanted a discount for buying all 3. I told her I was willing to keep my birds, for under $10 each. I didn't hear back from her. I don't want my birds to go to someone who doesn't value them.

 

[TJAnonymous]

It sounds like you have done your homework on market price. Based upon that, stick to your guns....especially if you are willing and able to hold onto them if they don't sell. Eventually you will be able to determine through your own experience if your price is reasonable or not.