[ellied]

I got news that the farm that were advertising POL pullets still have some at 17 weeks, "a selection of hybrids, bluebells, rhode rock, sussex star £16 each" and "some warren pullets just started laying £12"..

I was really hoping for non hybrid breeds, even rare breeds but am slightly put off by the price as it is more than I was expecting, is it because they are hybrids that they're dearer, or am I just out of touch with prices?  

To get 6 hens would be another £100 at that price on top of the house and other setup costs in which case I'll keep my new henhouse empty and the poultry netting can go back in the garage til I can afford the expense

[DJ_Chook]

The price can vary a lot depending on where you are. In Mid wales I've seen 16 week old warrens for £10. Speckledy & RIR for £14. I saw some 10 weeks old crested cream legbars for £22 each 
 
 If it's a posh bird we make a price guess at   £3-£5 + £1 per week per bird.  So a 16 week old lavender araucana could be £5+£16=£31

There is a well known breeder a few miles away shrops borders who asks for £45 and they get it because their stock are show winners.

[Heather]

last year I bought 4 older birds, cross bantams, for £3 each from a local smallholder.  No idea of their age but they're laying well.

[Rosemary]

£30 each in our local Dobbies 

[Heather]

 :wave:I don't know if anyone has mentioned this before, Ellie, but the description 'POL' can be misleading.  Some don't lay until 26weeks old.  I'm a novice at this chicken biz, but it's a sharp learning curve.... 

[Dizzycow]

I stupidly bought my first two birds from Dobbies, £30 each. (The children and I were overcome by desperation to own chickens and didn't know where else to get them from!) They were sold as POL, I suspect they were about 12 weeks, so needless to say we had a very long wait until our first egg. I think £15 is a fair price for a good bird that is around the 20 week mark.

[Sandy]

I think I paid £16 Each for my first three, £1 each for recue ones and about £10 each for some at auction. I found my first ones took until about 24 weeks before they laid thier egg. I saw the chickens recently in Dobbies and thought they looked very good, nearly tempted myself

[darkbrowneggs]

I got news that the farm that were advertising POL pullets still have some at 17 weeks, "a selection of hybrids, bluebells, rhode rock, sussex star £16 each" and "some warren pullets just started laying £12"..

I was really hoping for non hybrid breeds, even rare breeds but am slightly put off by the price as it is more than I was expecting, is it because they are hybrids that they're dearer, or am I just out of touch with prices? 

To get 6 hens would be another £100 at that price on top of the house and other setup costs in which case I'll keep my new henhouse empty and the poultry netting can go back in the garage til I can afford the expense

If you are just after something to lay you a few eggs you can probably get some "spent hens" from a nearby commercial unit which should only be a £1 or £2 each.  They will probably be in moult so you won't get many eggs till they are through that, and expect a percentage of losses, as the farmer will have had the best of them.  You may find if they are a friendly set up you could buy half a doz from them for cash when they are re-stocking.  I expect the price comes down quite a bit if they are buying 40,000 

Cyril Bason is always reasonable on his prices for hybrids, or try looking on Preloved or something similar. 

I keep my traditional English Cuckoo Marans, and I have to say the cost of electric and feed has risen dramatically this year.  I suppose if I had an inccy and a brooder for 1000 it wouldnt cost all that much more than running lights and incubators for smaller numbers, and although I am not in it to make a profit, I do want to recoup some of my costs, otherwise I might just as well keep half a doz for myself and let one go broody and bring off a clutch each year. 

There is a lot of care time and love put into the traditional breeds by those who are really interested in improving their chosen breed, though of course there are those in it to make a "quick buck" ,but when our local paper advertises farm kitten for sale at £35 and mongrel dogs at £250 and even more I don't think you should maybe be too begruding.  As you say the housing cost and fencing cost more.

All the best
Sue

[Womble]

Actually, those prices don't sound too bad. The last time we bought, we paid £10-15 each for hybrids, and £20 for pure bred. The hybrids are generally both cheaper AND more productive, but not quite as decorative IMHO  .

Just a thought, why don't you take the number of eggs you eat per week, divide that by five, and then only get that number of hens to begin with?  As long as you keep at least a pair together for company, they'll be perfectly happy.  That way you'll have your own eggs right away, and can then get whatever other breeds you like to add to the flock later. You could even try with hatching eggs if you like!

[faith0504]

We paid £15.00 each for our bluebelles, and the ex battery we had were £2.00 each, 

[Eggs, Chicks & Hens]

This is the reason I started to breed my own, 

[crosser]

our pol are 4.50 each and usually we get them at about 20weeks old..  usually start laying within a couple of weeks...  not sure what they are but very reliable layers... 

[egglady]

ellie, you could also contact Pillars of Falkland, that is where we got our first hens from a few years ago and they didnt cost much at all as they were their old ones that didnt lay everyday - but laid often enough to satisy our family needs.

[DominicJ]

I think mine were £6 each as 2 week olds, and £12 for "adults", which from the pictures, look to be about 12 weeks

[Womble]

This is the reason I started to breed my own, 

Likewise Julie!!  However, our first batch all turned out to be boys, and batches 2 and 3 are still to young to lay, so it's early days for us yet.

Have you ever put a figure on how much it actually costs to rear a POL pullet?  I mean including keeping parent birds, incubation losses, raising male chicks you then can't sell, heat lamp costs, food, vaccinations, etc etc?   I did enough of a sum a while back to convince me only to breed for myself, rather than to sell (it simply wasn't worth the hassle, given the small amount of profit involved), but I'd be interested to hear your point of view.