# Chicken prices ?



## savysilkie (May 9, 2013)

Does anyone know how much the following chicks are worth?
Batam silkies 
Blue marans
Black Orpington


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Depends where you live, where the parents originated ( hatchery, breeder, or champion bloodlines), how readily available they are in the area, color, and if the parents are up to standard of perfection.


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

And if you are near the Houston area, I may be interested in the blue Marans! I would also check Craig's list in your area, see what others are selling them for. You may have to search other cities near by to find what you have though.


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## savysilkie (May 9, 2013)

Two things

Well I live in Canada in Ontario and another thing how can u tell what bloodline they come from Paper work ?


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

savysilkie said:


> Two things
> 
> Well I live in Canada in Ontario and another thing how can u tell what bloodline they come from Paper work ?


Any decent breeder will have kept tract where their flock originated, they would also keep tract if any of their flock has won Best of Breed and the such. If you buy from someone who just has a back yard with a few chickens and breeds them to sell them for money they most likely will not be good bloodlines. You want chicks from someone who take care to carefully breed their flock to be true to standards. Then you also know they are not inbred.


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## savysilkie (May 9, 2013)

Jim said:


> And if you are near the Houston area, I may be interested in the blue Marans! I would also check Craig's list in your area, see what others are selling them for. You may have to search other cities near by to find what you have though.


I live in Ontario and also I don't have any of these but I am planning on getting some but I don't know what kind to get, I don't want to dig a hole that I can't get out of. I'm also hoping to make a buck or two


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

Apyl said:


> Any decent breeder will have kept tract where their flock originated, they would also keep tract if any of their flock has won Best of Breed and the such. If you buy from someone who just has a back yard with a few chickens and breeds them to sell them for money they most likely will not be good bloodlines. You want chicks from someone who take care to carefully breed their flock to be true to standards. Then you also know they are not inbred.


Thus the new challenge, inbreeding. To help our Serama flock, I have just driven a few hundred miles to get a new rooster and hen that should not be related to my flock. Sometimes you have to do that to increase the gene pool.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Jim said:


> Thus the new challenge, inbreeding. To help our Serama flock, I have just driven a few hundred miles to get a new rooster and hen that should not be related to my flock. Sometimes you have to do that to increase the gene pool.


Exactly and this is why you will never see a rich chicken breeder lol There are to many veriables and costs that need to be added in just to sell some chicks for a few months a year lol. Thats awesome you drove so far to get the new blood, that shows ethics with your flock. !


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

Apyl said:


> Exactly and this is why you will never see a rich chicken breeder lol There are to many veriables and costs that need to be added in just to sell some chicks for a few months a year lol. Thats awesome you drove so far to get the new blood, that shows ethics with your flock. !


Thanks. We had 3 with bent out legs over 3 hatches, and figure it must have been inbreeding somewhere along the line we had. We are still on the fence about keeping our current roo in there...


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## savysilkie (May 9, 2013)

So do you know what an average chick of these breeds sell for say in Ontario?


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## savysilkie (May 9, 2013)

From a breeder


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

savysilkie said:


> From a breeder


If I were to buy chicks from someone just starting up , like say from a backyard breeder who has not taken the time to make sure their chicks are quality I would pay no more than $3 a chick for any breed since they can only be sold as pet quality not show quality.

Now to buy from a breeder who put years into their flock and have garunteed show winners in their flock I would pay may $15 for a chicks since there is a good chance of a quality adult to grow from it .

Now if the breeder garuntees a show bird and will replace the chick if it grows up to be less than show, then I would pay around $30 for the chick.

But thats me, you have to do the research to find what people will pay in your area. Go to some poultry shows see what the breeds are suppose to look like verusus what hatcheries sell. It takes years and time to get perfect birds.


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## savysilkie (May 9, 2013)

One more thing how can you tell if its a show chicken ?


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

savysilkie said:


> One more thing how can you tell if its a show chicken ?


By the quality . You will need a Standard of Perfection book or what ever its equivalnat it in Canada. Show birds need to adhear strickly to what is in these books. Not just look like a picture but actually follow the standard. By having the right color/tones, right skin color, right size breast, right feather shapes and under color, the right number of toes, the right size shape and color wattles and combs. The right stance, tail length and position. They need to be clean , free of lice and mites. And so on and on. In order for you to truly understand you will need one of the books mentioned, you may be able to borrow one from the library.


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## Reinerchick (May 10, 2013)

I got my Silkies from a feed store right down the street from me. They were $5 each, and are healthy and happy


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