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" Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? #6768900
02/13/20 02:54 PM
02/13/20 02:54 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline OP

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline OP

trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
Chick Days at the AG. Center/feed mill order chicks that day there will cost over a dollar fifty less per bird. Free lunch and coffee too.

To Wait for "Chick Days" would save me about $40 Bucks on my New chick order. But the wait ...until March 17th will drive a Guy Nuts!

I keep changing my mind on Bird Types....

Law Dog had me hooked on White Plymouth Rocks....but Hoovers does not sell those this year.... and Id like the cost savings of ordering March 17 . So...

The Delawares
And
Saphire Gems are Now my Top Consideration


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768913
02/13/20 03:02 PM
02/13/20 03:02 PM
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 16,951
OH
Catch22 Online content
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Posts: 16,951
OH
I think I'd wait, not just the savings which is a plus but less winter for caring for chicks. Are you wanting layers only or meat birds too?


I wonder if tap dancers walk into a room, look at the floor, and think, I'd tap that. I wonder about things.....
Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768922
02/13/20 03:10 PM
02/13/20 03:10 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,132
SWMo.
T
tjm Offline
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tjm  Offline
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SWMo.
If you want hens, you should always buy chicks Sept-Oct; they will be laying throughout the summer while the feed is free. Spring chicks will start laying just in time for winter to make them stop laying.

Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768924
02/13/20 03:14 PM
02/13/20 03:14 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline OP

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline OP

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Minnesota
I like and Sell LG. Brown Eggs...
So Prolific Layers ...

I buy new birds at 2 years and when the New chicks grow & start laying I sell the last flock to cover the costs!!!


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768925
02/13/20 03:14 PM
02/13/20 03:14 PM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,943
South Dakota
H
Hydropillar Offline
trapper
Hydropillar  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,943
South Dakota
delewares are great dual purpose bird


The only place you find free cheese is in a mousetrap !
Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768928
02/13/20 03:17 PM
02/13/20 03:17 PM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,520
Champaign County, Ohio.
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KeithC Offline
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Champaign County, Ohio.
Originally Posted by tjm
If you want hens, you should always buy chicks Sept-Oct; they will be laying throughout the summer while the feed is free. Spring chicks will start laying just in time for winter to make them stop laying.


This is the best way to do it, if you don't already have chickens and want eggs. However, few people do it that way and few people are willing to pay more for pullets just starting to lay than chicks they will have to brood for a few months and feed for 6 months before getting a return, even though it makes economic sense.

Keith

Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: tjm] #6768929
02/13/20 03:17 PM
02/13/20 03:17 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline OP

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Minnesota
Originally Posted by tjm
If you want hens, you should always buy chicks Sept-Oct; they will be laying throughout the summer while the feed is free. Spring chicks will start laying just in time for winter to make them stop laying.

We have too many Hawks here that ate my first birds...

So we have a Roomy Insulated coop with a Long chicken wire enclosed run. ACTUALLY Two coops
So I feed all year and they lay well even when its -zero out.


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768935
02/13/20 03:27 PM
02/13/20 03:27 PM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,520
Champaign County, Ohio.
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KeithC Offline
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KeithC  Offline
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Champaign County, Ohio.
Originally Posted by 330-Trapper
Originally Posted by tjm
If you want hens, you should always buy chicks Sept-Oct; they will be laying throughout the summer while the feed is free. Spring chicks will start laying just in time for winter to make them stop laying.

We have too many Hawks here that ate my first birds...

So we have a Roomy Insulated coop with a Long chicken wire enclosed run. ACTUALLY Two coops
So I feed all year and they lay well even when its -zero out.


You can often buy pullets, just starting to lay, for well under the price of purchasing chicks, plus the electricity used brooding them, plus the feed fed them for 6 months, plus a heck of a lot of time watering, feeding and cleaning up after them. Check Craigslist.

Keitj

Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: KeithC] #6768939
02/13/20 03:29 PM
02/13/20 03:29 PM
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 4,525
MN
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Donnersurvivor Offline
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Donnersurvivor  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 4,525
MN
Originally Posted by KeithC

You can often buy pullets, just starting to lay, for well under the price of purchasing chicks, plus the electricity used brooding them, plus the feed fed them for 6 months, plus a heck of a lot of time watering, feeding and cleaning up after them. Check Craigslist.

Keitj


Its fun to be able to select your preferred breed and raise the birds and gain that connection with them. Pullets are not typically priced low locally, usually 15-20 per bird.

Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: Donnersurvivor] #6768949
02/13/20 03:41 PM
02/13/20 03:41 PM
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 16,951
OH
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OH
Originally Posted by Donnersurvivor
Originally Posted by KeithC

You can often buy pullets, just starting to lay, for well under the price of purchasing chicks, plus the electricity used brooding them, plus the feed fed them for 6 months, plus a heck of a lot of time watering, feeding and cleaning up after them. Check Craigslist.

Keitj


Its fun to be able to select your preferred breed and raise the birds and gain that connection with them. Pullets are not typically priced low locally, usually 15-20 per bird.

Same here, used to be like Keith said in my neck of the woods but now they want premium. If I were still doing it I'd hatch my own, on my time frame.


I wonder if tap dancers walk into a room, look at the floor, and think, I'd tap that. I wonder about things.....
Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768954
02/13/20 03:47 PM
02/13/20 03:47 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,105
Piney va. soon be 19
cotton Offline
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cotton  Offline
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Piney va. soon be 19
i am gonna wait till tractor supply or rural king has some meat birds
hatchery prices have gone nuts


John 3/16

ifin your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough
VTA life member

Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: cotton] #6768962
02/13/20 03:55 PM
02/13/20 03:55 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,372
PA
Coon Duke Offline
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PA
I love starting chicks in Jan/Feb. You can just put the heat to them!

In spring there’s a lot more swings in temp.


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Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768965
02/13/20 04:00 PM
02/13/20 04:00 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 28,978
potter co. p.a.
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pcr2 Offline
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potter co. p.a.
put 17 in the incubator yesterday and 13 today.batch 1 is on its way.









Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768970
02/13/20 04:04 PM
02/13/20 04:04 PM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,520
Champaign County, Ohio.
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KeithC Offline
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Champaign County, Ohio.
It costs an average of $21.60 a month to run 1 250 watt heat lamp. Chicks brooded in the cold part of the year, in cold areas will need 3 months of heat. It's dangerous to run only 1 heat bulb in a brooder. 2 bulbs cost $43.20 a month to run. The bulbs are typically just over $5.00 each. The lamp is usually just under $10.00. Bedding is $5.00. Just in heating and bedding you will have $78.00 before you consider the cost of buying or feeding a chick.

Hatcheries like Murray McMurray don't sell any pullets in small numbers for less than $4.35 each. Some hatcheries are selling pullets for as high as $15.00 plus for breeds that can't really be considered that rare any more. Rarer breeds are even more.

I do understand wanting to grow up your own chicks. I am just pointing out it's not cost effective for small numbers.

Keith

Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768976
02/13/20 04:09 PM
02/13/20 04:09 PM
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Posts: 18,373
Green County Wisconsin
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GREENCOUNTYPETE Offline
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Green County Wisconsin
I would wait and not just because of the delivery money.

typically in a chick delivery they ride from hatchery to drop location kept warm with the post office not a guarantee.

march 17th is not that far away and spring is far enough away that you don't want to have to heat and house them inside for longer than needed.

true you will get eggs 3-4 weeks sooner but your waiting 20-25 weeks to egg 1 any way.

generally hatchery days are based off common annual weather for your area much before first hatchery day and your keeping them inside that many more days and paying heat.


America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768977
02/13/20 04:11 PM
02/13/20 04:11 PM
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 16,951
OH
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OH
Keith, I never seen that kind of rise in my electric bill. We hatched our own in the spring and had two lights going in the pen. I don't have my books anymore but it was cheaper for me to do it that way or I wouldn't have done it. We had a variety of chickens before we settled in on Golden Comets for laying. The meat birds were separate.


I wonder if tap dancers walk into a room, look at the floor, and think, I'd tap that. I wonder about things.....
Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768981
02/13/20 04:12 PM
02/13/20 04:12 PM
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,971
Oklahoma
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Matt28 Offline
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Oklahoma
If you want lots of brown eggs I dont know how you can beat red Sex links or even black sex links. When they turn 3 they won't lay as well as they did the first 2 years but it dang hard to beat them for laying eggs.

Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768988
02/13/20 04:18 PM
02/13/20 04:18 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 41,592
Northern Maine
Bruce T Offline
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Northern Maine
I would order now to make sure I get what I want but would also order from a different place that had the white Plymouth rocks as well.


Nevada bound
Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: 330-Trapper] #6768990
02/13/20 04:18 PM
02/13/20 04:18 PM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 9,132
SWMo.
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tjm Offline
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SWMo.
I've currently got a bunch of hens that I bought at the feed store a few weeks old for $.50 ea when they got to the ugly stage and were unsold, hope I find another deal like that. They were Easter babies, replaced in the store the next day with new babies @$2 ea. .
But if I'm going to brood them, I want fall chicks, old enough to feed and grow through the dark days with out heat or lights, and they will be laying by Easter. Just keeping lights on all winter to fool the birds into eating and laying is more costly than buying eggs already cooked.

Re: " Chick Days " To wait or Not Wait???? [Re: GREENCOUNTYPETE] #6768992
02/13/20 04:20 PM
02/13/20 04:20 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,658
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline OP

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Originally Posted by GREENCOUNTYPETE
I would wait and not just because of the delivery money.

typically in a chick delivery they ride from hatchery to drop location kept warm with the post office not a guarantee.

march 17th is not that far away and spring is far enough away that you don't want to have to heat and house them inside for longer than needed.

true you will get eggs 3-4 weeks sooner but your waiting 20-25 weeks to egg 1 any way.

generally hatchery days are based off common annual weather for your area much before first hatchery day and your keeping them inside that many more days and paying heat.

March 17 is the Order date...you get to choose may or July delivery. You only pay when the birds are delivered. Sound like Ill wait and get my chicks delivered in May. Buying them fron hatchery that way Ive only needed the birds under heat for 4 to 6 weeks here.


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