I've sold them for Hatching before - and-yes I only collected them when it was about 70° outside. I bring t hem inside without rolling them and store them 3 days on the top basement step (for temp reasons) until I had enough for a batch.
Not like collecting daily for baking.

I might go overboard but running a batch takes time so I want them to start out good.

Here's you some chicks that are $3.50.

https://www.welphatchery.com/early-bird-sale/

Near me the Amish and other "free range" brown egg farms are mostly contracted to sell all their old layers for 25 cents each. I buy them from the next guy up the chain, who sells them for $1.00 to $3.00 each, delivered here. He buys about 15,000 a week, 52 weeks a year.

I usually only buy 220 old layers at a time. Most are still laying well. It's easy to tell if they are still laying. Older hens that are laying, will be in less than perfect feather and have very wide, moist, pink vents. Older chickens with really good feathers are putting their energy into feathers instead of eggs. Older hens with narrow or wrinkled vents are no longer laying. Older hens with little color at the vent, with a still wide vent, are only occasionally laying. Really heavy hens are almost never laying still.

Keith

Geesh, If you have the same feed costs, the same stewing hen after 3 years and you get 400 eggs out of an $8 chick and 400 out of a $4 chick you spent a penny and egg over 3 years. I would worry more about other issues where I could save more money.

Bryce

Hey Rob, look into Sunnyside Hatchery in Beaver Dam, WI. Jane buys close to 1000 birds a year there and is always happy with them. She did say the prices are up this year

Bryce, you know full well trappers are wound tight and spend accordingly

with the birds going like hot cakes means more people with birds means more flocks to spread bird flu in a couple months from out of control wild birds migrating i wouldnt want to be a owner of a large poultry set up iowa shut the sale of birds at auctions and bird shows twice last year more protecting of wild birds and animals by the goverment land owners not allowing hunting a lot less use of wild meat and furs mean a lot more problems in the future

Bettah order them soon...or yah going to be left holding yah Johnson

Domestic birds are an insignificant vector for spreading bird flu. Wild, migratory waterfowl are the main source of Avian Influenza.

Keith

McMurray and Hoover hatcheries (iowa) ships for free (in many cases). Still Close to $5 per chick, though.

Most feed places that sell chicken feed carry chicks in the spring. Generally they have an order form at the front desk come spring. Tractor Supply usually has them on hand in store as well. My local feed store gets them from Hoovers. Order a couple weeks in advance and they deliver them to the stores every 2 weeks or so, kinda thing.

the way i understand it the wild birds are the ones that start it but once they get it they can spread it from one flock to another thats the reason more than one farm will have it with in a few miles and why delivery trucks have to wash coming and going from one farm to another

Back away from the chickens, you don't want eggs. I saw today that scientists are claiming there is a lot of people dying of heart attacks and strokes and it could be from eggs. It could be.

Its those "WILD" chicks that'll kill ya!

Shipped eggs are a toss up. Ive had mixed results but i have some really nice laying hens and I would be happy to ship you some fertized eggs for free. We've got about 20 guineas running around but we usually let them raise there own. If you want to try to hatch some let me know and I'll ship some out when you are ready

We sell fertilized eggs, chicks, started pullets, and 2.5yo hens. Many folks buy "farm fresh" eggs and attempt to incubate them because they are cheaper than buying fertilized eggs for incubation. You get what you pay for.

OK, I like numbers, so, let's just toss a couple out there.

6:

• a nice round number
• a half dozen
• easily manageable number for a personal backyard flock.

20:

• typical cost of prime but declining laying hen
• conservative price for layer feed

5:

• approximate cost for dozen eggs.
• number of eggs per week per hen.
• cost of rooster.

ASSUMPTIONS

• Hens produce 5 eggs each per week.
• One $20 bag of feed is about right for 6 layers for a month.

In one month you get 10 dozen eggs worth $50. Feed costs you $20, leaving you with a $30 value. Your hens had cost you $120.

Therefore, your investment has paid for itself in 4 months. Toss in a $5 rooster and your investment is self sustaining, and somewhat protected.

Add in the entertainment value too. My birds have always free ranged and the Guineas are tick and snake eating little buggers and that is why I want them again. Thanks all and I got everything I need.

I just saw this. Who knows if it is true. Would the powers to be sterilize peoples chickens?

Online claims have emerged, corroborated by others, that the popular “Producer’s Pride” chicken feed sold by the Tractor Supply chain has been recently altered and that its new formulation is causing chickens to stop laying eggs. Some suggest a deliberate reduction in the amount of protein in the feed may be causing the reduction in egg production.

Hatch the eggs and sell the chicks and you do even better still. That's what I do.

Keith