day old baby chicks?

[chickman]

hey guys thanks for the forum. maybe someone can help me out here. i have access to as many day old baby chicks as anyone can stand.. alive or dead. is there a market for these things? i would love to set something up where i make 1-2 runs a week to drop off chicks somewhere. any ideas on who might want them or what possibilities there are? any ideas are appreciated. thanks.

[infernalis]

maybe you should tell us where you are located? that may help.

Many monitor lizards and some big snakes gobble up baby chicks.

[chickman]

i'm sorry. northeast florida.

[KORBIN5895]

I would kill them and sell them as frozen feeders. The big companies sell them (or were) for 25¢ a chick.

[chickman]

Thanks for the response. Right, I know there are people that offer bagged frozen dead chicks. I'm not planning to bag and sell them a couple at a time here and there. Id like to sell and deliver large quantities at a time. I thought maybe offering them live would be more valuable, but I'm clueless. Just hoping to find a way to make a couple extra bucks. Thanks and any other input is appreciated.

[chickman]

Btw where are these big companies? I can hook them up!

[stephanbakir]

There is a huge market for day old chicks, especially in hots. What price are you looking at?

[chickman]

thanks. What is "hots"? I'm not sure what price I'm looking at. guess it depends on how many, how often, dead or alive, delivered where or whatever else. Like I said, large quantities a couple times a week regularly would be ideal.. and i don't mean a couple hundred.

[valid]

Hots are Venomous snakes.

As far as selling the chicks though- Goodluck trying to find a big company to supply too. Most of the big companies in the states are pretty stingy about where they purchase their feeder animals from.

If I were you I would try to sell to a smaller privately owned pet/exotic store. I had a buddy who had a pretty good deal going on at our local small exotic shop selling rats that he bred him self.

Or just try to sell them independently (on your own).

[stephanbakir]

If you were local I'd buy them, we have no sellers here at reasonable prices.
Your better off selling them to a person who is willing to do the work selling them at retail, then doing the legwork yourself. You make less money but you save on overhead/time

[chickman]

hots, lol i'm definitely a newb. Thnx

Valid, this is not a sell a couple here and there thing, I'm not interested in that at all. i want to unload several thousand birds each delivery. I know nothing about these big companies other than I can get them cheaper than they can.

Stephan.. Agreed, that's what I would like to do.. sell to the ones selling them or to reptile farms.. whatever, whoever could use alot.

[stephanbakir]

Thats your best bet, I'd call the retailers and look around. When my friend did rats he would sell 2-3000 a month to a guy who did the footwork, and a roadtrip a month delivering another 2-3000 to individuals (it took 1-2 days) He made twice as much on his roadtrip - the gas, but it was a pile of work.

[valid]

I am not doubting that you have a lot - I just know that personally, having tried to deal with the big companies - they are highly unlikely to buy stock from an every day farmer/chicken breeder (I am not sure exactly what you do, or how you get them) Petco Owns their own feed company/breeding facilities (or use too - It looks like they may have switched , it's been a while since I have been into petco. .. but it is still a large scale breeding syndicate) , I am not entirely sure about petsmart. It's worth the try I guess, but I would not hold my breath.

Again, I would try smaller shops/ or private breeders. Stephan gave some good ideas as well.
I am not trying to dissuade you from selling them - I think it sounds like a good idea.

[chickman]

So start bugging those closest to me and work my way out I guess? how do i locate them, what should I google lol?

Any ideas of any other uses for the chicks besides retail pet food?

Thanks for the help

[stephanbakir]

Also, chicks aren't worth nearly as much as rats... not sure where your profit will be selling them at 10C-15C (wholesale) each...

[stephanbakir]

So start bugging those closest to me and work my way out I guess? how do i locate them, what should I google lol?

Any ideas of any other uses for the chicks besides retail pet food?

Thanks for the help
I'd check the venomous snake forums, Kingsnake.com Faunaclassifieds etc.

[chickman]

Thanks valid. I didn't know u meant places like petsmart as the big companies.

I thought u were talking about people who have big companies that supply the rats/mice/chicks to whoever.

[stephanbakir]

Thanks valid. I didn't know u meant places like petsmart as the big companies.

I thought u were talking about people who have big companies that supply the rats/mice/chicks to whoever.
I am, talk to the venomous keepers and try and find some that want "bulk", then also try and find out who they buy from and chat with them about being a supplier.

[chickman]

so long as I sold alot at a time.. need buyers first, then can figure out how to make it work money wise.

Ill have to check out the other forums as well, thanks for the tip

[chickman]

Ok good info thanks. any other ideas welcome

[stephanbakir]

Ok good info thanks. any other ideas welcome
Message me on facebook and I'll toss you a few forum names/possible people.

[chickman]

Ok my wife is the Facebook person so I'll get her to look u up later tonight. thanks alot. would love for this to work out somehow.

[valid]

Any ideas of any other uses for the chicks besides retail pet food?
Try contacting a country feed store (livestock feed stores)
I know when I use to breed turkeys they would gladly take the extra babies off my hands. I bred decoration birds, not meat stock/ but I always see a bunch of chicks when I go in to buy feed. Easter is coming up and I know chicks are usually huge sellers for them this time if year.

[chickman]

think they'd like 10-20k of them a week?

[valid]

No xD not quite that many. Maybe like 20 a month.
It could be a side business
Try to sell most as feeders, but sell the best chicks live to feed stores?
I dunno.

[stephanbakir]

Most people use them frozen, but selling 20 a month won't be worth it at 10-15C each wholesale, especially with 1000s to sell

[valid]

I don't think selling 20 on the side would make that much of a difference.
The feed store in my area sell chicks any where from $3-5 depending on the breed.
I have never sold chickens but I would guess that the feed store would pay about $1-2 per chick (I got $5 for feeding turkey chicks) .

I am not saying he should depend on that, as selling frozen would be far more profitable and he could sell far more .. He just asked for other ideas and I was throwing that out there. I know that right now they are really hot items at feed stores - so if he wants a couple bucks immediately he could try that route, and then continue to look for large suppliers to go the frozen route.

[KORBIN5895]

Call rodentpro.com, micedirect.com and Americanrodent.com. They are some of the big timers I know of. Check out this link for other possible clients (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=961). Or just make an ad there.