how much should i pay for chooks

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by melinda, Jun 11, 2005.

  1. melinda

    melinda Junior Member

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    hi everyone,

    this forum is so informative

    can anybody give me an idea of how much i should expect to pay for common breed chooks that are ready to lay?

    melinda
     
  2. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    chook prices

    Hi Melinda....Here in the west Oz i buy/sell/breed chooks
    and my prices are $3 day olds
    $5 for over a day to 10 weeks
    $15 for Pullets or Point of lays
    Different breads mature at different ages.The Average ISA brown hatch to lay ratio is 6 monthsat approx 5 months they are point of laythen start laying from that point.These are all averages as House keeping, breeding times ,seasonal variations,and even feed quality should be taken into consideration.....Id be very interested in Knowing the prices anywhere else because i beleive mine are the cheapest in Aussie and id like to know how much other poor buggers pay for them.
    I can only guess what they be like in Nimbim lol
    Tezza
     
  3. ~Tullymoor~

    ~Tullymoor~ Junior Member

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    Hi Melinda,
    I have ordered 6 Buff and 6 blue Orpington pullets and a cockeral in each colour. They are: $8.50 day old, unsexed. $20 2-3 mths. $35 4-6 mths for blues and buffs are a little bit cheaper as they are not as rare.
    I could get egg machine/ hybrid commercial layers such as the Isa Browns, but am interested in the keeping/breeding and conservation of rare purebreeds.
    Have a look at feathersite.com and check out all the breeds (make sure they are available in Oz before you fall in love) make a list of what you want from your chooks and choose ones you love and that will suit your needs.
    Here is a link to the chook shed message board. https://www.eboards4all.com/209762/ Once you decide on a breed you could post a wanted message here and someone, somewhere in NSW will be able to help you. See also the main site, The Chook Shed for chook keeping info.
    https://backyardpoultry.com You can find a chooky forum here and a notice board for wanted/for sale. This site also has lots of pics of lots of breeds, articles, and also a breeder list you can select by state or breed to help you source your chookens.
    Good luck, chooks are great!
    PS Tezza, (love your avatar) how do you breed Isas when the hatcheries kill all the boys at a day old?? Did you score the 1 in 100 they missed when you bought your original chicks :D :D :D or are you using a different breed of rooster? Do they go broody or do you use another breed or 'bator for hatching?
    Your chooks ARE cheap that's for sure... it would cost you that in feed to get em to POL....put your prices up now man!!
     
  4. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    chooks

    Hi Once again
    WEll with my chooks I started out with the Idea Of Breeding A super Chook (a permie chook) I wanted a chook that was.....
    A good layer 300+ year
    A good Meat Bird
    A Chook who gets clucky
    A freindly child freindly Bird (for my grand kids)
    A brown egg layer.
    A bird used to hot/cold conditions.
    A bird that Everyone can recognise as a chook that is a good chook.
    I crossed A Rhode Island Red with Isa Brown apparently they used R.I.reds crossed with the white Leghorns to come up with what is todays Isa Browns...
    What i now get are a cross ..The benifits being a great laying, motherly, meat making, Super Chook that has an excellent temprament as well.I found that the normal meat bird is usually white to eradicate the feather dark spots in the meat etc.But my chooks are in an open/Free rangeing area that has attracted foxes etc White being my worse surviving breed during fox attack (there easier to see in the dark ) Whites were the ones
    that would be missing mostly during fox attacks.Black is a colour that only about 10% of people want Brown Is peoples choice not mine.Black chooks can look unsightly when plucked.
    So choosing a browny white colour is the colour ive chosen to breed
    How i keep my prices down is by running my flocks using Permaculture principles ,Hence running them under my fruit trees etc It costs me approx $12 per 8 weeks to supplement their scratcied food with seconds wheat thats packed/ sold by our loacal Lions club. I usually run anything up to 40 chooks at a time (i live on under 1/4 acre suburban block) and find i cant give away eggs because ive influenced anough freinds to use my offsprings for there own egg demands ,Also being able to have a very active breeding line going aswell.Im dying to go real commercial but funds dont allow for this time.
    As for the batterie places with there sexing It helps to know a few in the buisness .Tell em u want to eat them and they give em to you lol..but now the selective breeding that happens ,Id rather do my own.
    I do not EVER use Antibiotics, Drugs,Hormones At all and my hatchabillity/surviver ratio Is all most 95%As long as the avoid the areal Predators as there growing My chicks are on free range from about 3 weeks in Summer ^6In winter.Day one if with mum.No netting coverings just open air and garden fencing 6feet high is all i have.
    My prices may seam cheep but thats a fair price at moment In West Oz
    I also give a 100% garuntee that my prices will remain the same for my life time....Im 51 now
    Thnx
    Tezza
     
  5. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    Just curious.... why do you give a guarantee that the prices won't change?

    Sue
     
  6. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    chooks

    Hi TO Avoid Boring everyone yet again with my long winded answers
    I say that there will be no increases in prices during my lifetime.
    Reasons being,,,,,,,Price Increases mean just that....Price Increases
    Price increases mean others have to follow suit to enable them to pay for
    the increasethen the vicious circle begins.
    The Circle Stops here.

    Tezza
     
  7. Meridian

    Meridian Junior Member

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    Price increases mean others have to follow suit to enable them to pay for the increasethen the vicious circle begins.
    The Circle Stops here.


    Tezza, I really wish that applied to realestate prices too :-(
     
  8. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    chook prices

    It Can If You Really Want It To
    We can all Keep our Prices Down/Stable
    Big Buisness Dont Like It neither do the Money Makers :lol:
    For Years (more than i care to remember)Governments have hinted At Wage Freezes If government Has Its Way It Will Happen but Itll never work because Goods n services keep Increasing
    Tezza
     
  9. ~Tullymoor~

    ~Tullymoor~ Junior Member

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    Hi TO Avoid Boring everyone yet again with my long winded answers ....
    Tezza, I enjoy your posts, you are neither long winded nor boring! (should that read "You are neither longwinded OR boring"? "You aren't long winded OR boring"? "Long winded and boring you aint!!"?? LOL Left school in form 3!)
    Thanks for telling me all about your chooks, I imagined you were on acres..I'd love to hear more about your place.
    I might start a new thread named "All about my/our place" where people can give an intro and tell us all about what they started with and where they're at now and their dreams/plans for the future.. :D Some photos would be great too.
    ~T~
    PS I also love reading Tamandco's posts...you could talk the leg off an iron pot girl! :shock:
     
  10. Tamandco

    Tamandco Junior Member

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    Just had to put my two bob in here.

    Isa Brown's are $15 from our local produce store.

    I paid a lot more for my australorp breeding stock though plus I took 4 years to source them searching right up and down the east coast of Australia.

    If I were you, I'd stick with something like the Isa Browns though, they're hardy, good layers relatively cheap, usually vaccinated and affordable. They'll keep you in eggs while you find your feet and decide if a particular breed takes your fancy. After all, there's a breed of chook for every fancier and a fancier for every breed of chook.

    If you've got kids, you might like to keep a couple of silkies or pekins for them as they're really easy to handle, nice and docile, plus they make great broodies if you every decide to hatch your own. You don't really need a rooster, if one of your chooks becomes clucky, you can usually source a doz fertilized eggs from your local area. Although not recommended, they can store up to 3 weeks at room temperature before being put under a hen (or in an incubator) when gestation will resume.

    Have you got a copy of Jackie French's 'Chook Book'. It's a good source of income with Jackie's usual light humour. You can purchase a copy through one of the book clubs like 'Earth Garden' or 'Good Life Book Club'. Check on line for prices and availability.

    Tam

    Tam
     

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