Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Craigslist (www.craigslist.org.)
Laying hens currently go for about $10 apiece
, though
we found ours for $5 each.
Be aware that transporting hens that are already laying can traumatize them and make
them stop laying for several weeks. Buy your hens as close to home as possible and move
them when the weather is relatively cool.
Another option for the more advanced buyer is to start with day-old chicks which
cost around $2 apiece.
McMurray Hatcheries is one of the top online hatcheries—you or-
der your chicks online and they are mailed to you as soon as they hatch. In the spring, you
can often find chicks at the local feed stores as well.
When starting with chicks, you will choose between straight-run or sexed chicks.
Straight run chicks are cheaper, but you'll end up with half males and half females, which
means that you'll need to learn to slaughter your extra males quickly. You can instead order
all female chicks, or throw in one male if you've decided to have a rooster in your flock.
I recommend against starting with day-old chicks your first time around because....
•
Most online hatcheries have a minimum order of 25 chicks, which is too
many birds for your first flock.
