Chick Sales

[rhoda_bruce]

I have been having a few chick sales a year for about 3 years now, as my mother did before me. I keep myself up in fresh meat and young hens as well as make extra money for whatever new barn yard expenses I might try. I usually do fairly well. The chick sales far exceeds what I can make in egg sales and insures that I will cut a profit, rather than a loss. Well this year I started a sex-link project, which I was hoping would increase my sales. I am not doing as well as I had expected, but the local feed store did start to carry chicks, so that may have hurt me. In fact the man who runs that store used to send me customers, so I know I lost my biggest help.
Well I advertised on facebook, put signs up at one of our ag stores and 2 of our grocery stores and put a sign up in front of our street. Do any of you have chick sales? What pointers can you give me to get the word out to the right people?
I have sold enough chicks to more than cancel out what I would have gotten in egg sales, easily, but I still have most of my hatch, which is mainly pullets. Fortunately I had a Latin American couple that came over and bought a bunch of meat birds from us and took several of our sex-link cockerals. So even if I can't off load the chicks, that puts me having lots of started pullets in a few weeks.

 

[PeuAPeu]

I would try craigslist.

 

[the funny farm6]

I would say craigslist and word-of-mouth are my best sellers. But you might try an ad in a local paper.

I know here, the local feed store didn't get nearly as many chicks in this year as normal. And they only got them for @ 3 weeks. And I would say @ 1/4 of what they normaly get. And they never did get any americanas. Which is what I wanted. The only person with americanas withen driving distance has orders that will take him @ 6 weeks to fill.

I saw today an ad in the paper wanting chicks.

 

[MorelCabin]

the way to make chick sales here is to bring in breeds that the feed store doesn't carry...people are really starting to look for heritage and rare breeds these days. You may just try something in that market. Another thing is to advertise before the feedstore chicks start coming in. Craigslist is a great start

 

[Wannabefree]

Yeah Craigslist is my best option when I have chicks I am not planning to keep. Do you have flea markets? Lots of folks sell at the flea markets here in the animal section. That's where I offload a LOT of mine when I want to get them moved out fast. I sell cheaper to flea market vendors so they have room for profit too, and I have to know the vendor, but I do sell a bunch that way. I have never put signs up. Word gets around pretty quick when I have extras, and I am able to get rid of them within a week usually. Our feedstores get massive ammounts in, and it has never really hurt my sales.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I mentioned craigslist to DH and he said 'No.' I forgot about a lady that went missing because of a car sale.....vanished without a trace and the only thing anyone knew was she was negotiating from craigslist. But thanks.
I do have araucanas, but I'm trying to breed out tails. I'm hatching some babies and plan on eating whatever has a tail....male or female. I don't want to let the word out that I have araucanas, until I have a flock I can brag on. Plan on making changes to my breeders by culling real hard this year. Going to have a bit of soup meat too.
I sold 4 chicks yesterday. We have to finish our barn, so I have more room for meat production, so if I can't offload these chicks, I'll have lots of started pullets to sell in a few weeks and some meat. I'm not putting anymore chickens eggs to incubate before that and even when I'm finished the barn, maybe just araucana eggs for my own purpose.

 

[Denim Deb]

I've bought stuff on CL B4. The trick is to NOT meet the person at their house, but in a public place, like a parking lot, etc. And, if they pick a place that you don't know, don't go for it. I met one person at Home Depot, the other at a post office.

 

[pinkfox]

agreed on the craigslist, pick local "meet up" spots, a local grocery store, gas station ect, anywhere where theres plenty of people. keep a cellphone with you and make sure at least 2 people know where you will be, when and why.
if you can, tkae a friend, if you cant...take a dog if you have one...if none of the above, take a can of pepper/bear spray

meeting folks off craigslist is no more or less dangerous than meeting anyone from anywhere, freeks dont just troll craigslist, they check personal adds, newspapers, online classifeids, bullitain boards (4 women whent missing not far from where i used to live and the ONLY thing they had in common was they all posted some stuff for sale on ther CHURCH bullitain board)

you might also want to check your facebook, do a search for classifeid groups in your area, poulty groups, ect...theres a bunch of them out there.

i use craigslist ALOT, its a wonderfull resource. if i have people comming to the house i dont know, they dont get to mee the dogs, i put the dogs behind a closed door that way all they cna hear is a REAL ruckus (the little guys sound alot bigger when muffled by the door, and dozer is all talk form excitment...) i also have 911 on speed dial and my phone in my pocket, its done in such a way that i can slide open my phne, press the speed dial number and have it on speaker phone without actually removing my phone from my pocket.

But for the most part i avoid having strangers comming over and typically meet them at one of the local stores and take dozer with me as a visual deterant.

 

[the funny farm6]

If I have to have people come to the house, I try to make sure my hubby is home. If not I chain my dogs to the front porch or put them in the house and let them sound crazy! But if possable I meet in town. And to be honest...most people understand. If I buy from someone, online or from an ad in the paper, I meet at a public place.

so funny, some Saturdays wal mart looks like a drug dealing headquarters from the people meeting there! Lol

 

[rhoda_bruce]

The lady that I am referring to did meet someone in a public location, but disappeared anyway. I did look a bit on craigslist. Not sure how I would find our locals....
I guess I need to print out some cards, because really I'm into a few things and I might not mind if some trusted friends/contacts have a few cards to hand out to serious people.
I'll get my barn in shape and just finish these chicks off.