How Much Is Too Much?

 Written by Brian Justice

How much is to much?

Written by Brian Justice

This is for the Newbies in the Fancy. It is Fall and no one wants to winter any more birds then they must. So, they sale off the extras. This is where you, the Newbie will get his start or improve the stock he already has. You get the Poultry Press, Year Books and use the internet to locate a Breeder that has a winning line of your breed. You contact him and he has birds for sale. He gives you a price. Wow! That seems awfully high!

I have heard it said many times, he wants to much for his birds! Here are a few things to think about before you make that decision.

A Breeder with a winning line did not just happen. He searched to find his starter stock. Either traveled or had the birds shipped to him. He spent hours studying and discussing the Standard and breeding with others (if there are any) working with the same breed and variety. He has cared for, fed and watered every day in Summer heat and Winter cold. He worried and checked on his little flock hoping they would survive the heat, cold, sickness and predators long enough to hatched some offspring. If he’s lucky the breed he chose are good layers and he has good hatches.

Now it starts over the caring and raising the offspring. The Breeder has the same battles as before, heat, cold, sickness, and predators. According to the following study. You are going to have 7-9 bags of feed in 25 birds. At $15 per bag of feed that is somewhere between $105 to $135 to get 25 chicks, which is $5.40 each, to young adults. That doesn’t account for any medications, vitamins, wormer and other miscellaneous cost. (electric, water)

EXTENSION Agriculture and Natural Resources • Family and Consumer Sciences • 4-H Youth Development • Community and Economic Development COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICEUNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT

For raising replacement pullets for egg production:(25 pullets)

Commercial white-shell egg layer to 18 weeks of age ............7 bags

Dual purpose type breed to 20 weeks of age ..........................9 bags

Commercial brown-shell egg layer to 18 weeks of age ...........7 bags

Out of the 25 chicks the breeder hatched, 12 may be keepers and the rest culls. Now we have the cost of raising 25 birds in 12. That’s $11.25 each X 5 years= $56.25 invested in each bird to get to champion row. We have not even discussed the amount of time the Breeder has invested in those birds to get to champion row.

Now, you want to complain if that Breeder want $50 or $100 for a bird! Most Breeder will help you after the sale. What price can you put on the knowledge he or she has from breeding and raising those birds over the last 5 years they are willing pass to you.

Pay him or her and walk away happy. You just got a bargain and saved yourself 5 years and X amount of money.

These dollars and amounts of time I have used in the article are low in my opinion. Now, you have your own opinion and that’s great. Don’t be stepping all over mine. You can pick this apart and there are thousands of scenarios. I just want to show newbies good birds aren’t cheap!

No I don’t have any birds for sale. I got to go unload feed!