Ready to lay $5?

[Skinny rooster]

Couvoir Simetin - a Quebec hatchery near Mirabel airport was in business 52 years and shutdown last July (they probably couldn't compete with new gov't rules and regs, not to mention against the big hatcheries)!

and I clearly recall their recent catalog had "ready to lay" birds at $8 each. (i thought about buying a truckfull and reselling)

Freys (last year) was at $14 each minimum order 20 birds, with a $20 delivery fee (to Ottawa)

people (myself included) will pay as little as they can.

I didn't know they were closed Bert, now that you said that I did wonder why I wasn't seeing ads anymore. I never ordered from there, some people around me said when they ordered, they got the birds weeks later than they wanted or got a lot less birds than they ordered. I don't know this for a fact because as I said, I didn't deal with them. That was a main reason however, I had the same idea Bert, I had thought about buying a bunch of layers and reselling at local buyselltrades since that's what people ask for. However I was afraid of ordering hens for a June buyselltrade and getting them in August when nobody wanted hens.

[SusanH]

I tell them I don't have any but I ask how much they are willing to spend in case I hear of someone trying to sell birds. Five dollars tells me enough about them that I would never recommend a friend to them. You can't hardly get good chicks for five bucks!

I know someone who got some for $4 a piece, they asked me if they looked old, (not making this up) I told them no.... the birds didn't look too old, according to the length of their spurs..... they are under two years!

Ok, dumb newbie here, why is it shocking they asked you if they looked old? How do you gauge the age of a chicken?

[Jaye]

Not shocking that they asked if they looked old ... the size of the spurs means they had to be cockerels, not ready to lay hens.

[baronrenfrew]

Susanh, we welcome questions, there are no dumb questions (if ya don't know, ya don't know), and we'd rather you ask "dumb" questions and learn the answer now, then stumble along and get out of birds due to lack of success. And I'd rather you learn from my "dumb" mistakes than repeat them (and I've made some doozies)

[Skinny rooster]

Ok, dumb newbie here, why is it shocking they asked you if they looked old? How do you gauge the age of a chicken?

Hi newbie! Yes we love to talk chicken, so ask all the questions you want.

Yup, they were roosters! The spurs are those spikes that stick out of a rooster's legs, you can judge a rooster's age by them, so if someone bought hens there should be no spurs on their legs. Lol

[SusanH]

Thanks for the explanation!