The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: AndynJ on April 06, 2014, 06:20:59 pm
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Am I missing something ?
We said last year we were going to breed our stock of Marans, legbars & speckled sussex
Since we said this we have received phone calls/messages a few people have visited to see our stock
We have been offered by different people
£15 each for 8 week old hens for the Legbars (everything we produce)
£4 & £5 per egg for the speckled sussex (everything we can produce)
Marans £3 an egg or £18 per hen
People have stated we have the best Marans in the south they produce level 6 & 7 in colour of their eggs
The speckled sussex are show condition with exceptional colours
The legbars are very good quality
So why are people kind of queing up for our stock ? are the prices they are offering about right, they seem right to me but maybe those prices are for standard stock.
Any comments appreciated
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That sounds reasonable for good stock I think :thinking: though if you can get more then take it. Just don't price yourself out of the Market.
Im about to pay £1 per maran hatching egg but not sure of quality as I haven't yet seen them but plenty of people are asking for some of his stock so I'm hoping they are reasonable.
Maybe it's just word of mouth knowing they are getting quality of stock. Enjoy your good fortune :sunshine:
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If they're happy to pay it, take it! Personally I wouldn't pay as much as £4 or £5 an egg for hatching eggs - I think the most I paid last year was £2.50 an egg and that was from stock I'd seen. I just reckon if it gets to that level, I'm better off getting somebody else to hatch them and raise them and then I can just have POL hens without having had to pay for the food to get them there - or the cockerels. But if somebody else has offered you that, take it! That's the sort of level where you can actually make a small profit from hens (or at least start to pay off their housing costs as well as just covering their food and bedding).
I presume the £18 for Marans hens is also for 8 weeks olds? POL that would seem low for good stock. And much easier to sell when they're 8 weeks old than raise and house them to POL.
Good luck!
H
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Hester yes to 8 weeks old, but to be honest a hen costs 3p a day to feed
We make money from our eggs at the gate £1 a half, though our housing hasn't cost a lot, we have just bought another 10x8 shed ex pheasant so with a 10 x 8 shelter too for £30 and we bought some 10 foot x 5 foot chicken wired panels with timber kick boards for £5 each. There were 100 sheds and 1000 panels for sale.
Limited to the amount of laying hens I'm allowed selling good stock seemed the next logical step, though they take up a lot more housing.
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People will pay for good stock iv just done 3 sales and 3 hens fetch £100 pound the going price for leg bars are £ 2 pound a egg and 30 for a hen Marians we have some of the best in Scotland winning Scottish national in eggs 2 pound each and 20 a hen .I'm glad better stock is coming through .These prices are utility stock with high egg numbers . If i had my way i would cull all sub standard stock in the 50s hens were good its the same price to keep a good hen than a bad one .