Fri, 11th January 2008
They've Done It!!!!!
The chicks are now officially Point of Lay Pullets! They are 18 weeks old today, and are ready and raring to go to their new homes!!
I've got an advert coming out in the local paper next Tuesday, but have had quite a few enquiries through this blog!
I'm waiting for someone to come today who wants, 50, but he hasn't turned up yet. Hope he doesn't let me down!
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You know, it had never even occurred to me to sell POL pullets… at £5.50 somebody's getting a bargain! Hybrid pullets are selling for around £8 down here in Dorset, although they've been vaccinated too which must bump the price up. Thanks for that, must tuck it into my article.
I started them off at £4.50 Hedgewizard, as tht's what we bought our 12 POL's for last August, but the price of feed went up £1 a 20kg bag in a matter of weeks, plus I worked out that keeping 300 of them for 18 weeks would take 2 tonne of food, but instead the greedy little so and so's ate through another tonne, which had gone up another 24p a bag and I've just had delivery of another half tonne of layer pellets which will last about 2 weeks, so I've got to get them sold soon, as I've got half a tonne of chick crumb, rearer and finisher for 50 day old meat chicks I've got on order.
So I put the price up to £5.50 to cover costs, but don't want to go too high or I'll never sell them. I looked at buying POL's in Cambridgeshire, and they are selling for £12.50 for hybrids!
Wish I hadn't agreed on 300 though! Its too much for the area we've got, and they are turning half the garden into mud now, and I've got to save a certain amount of space because I don't want to put the new chicks onto the same ground as these ones, you never know what nasties might be lurking in the soil!
But I have enjoyed rearing them, and they all have their own characters. I've got 3 cockerels, 2 are going into the pot, but one, I'm not sure if its a cockerel or not. Little Rosemary! Is the smallest chicken there, although they were all hatched at the same time, but like the cockerels, he/she grew a large comb and wattles very early, but she's a right petite little thing, so she's a bit of an enigma!
But if you've got the room, have a go!!!!! You never know they may sell really well for you.
Just a quick update Annie,to say the 6 Amberlinks we had from you are all doing brilliantly. They're real characters and the dog has fallen in love with them !
Still no eggs yet but it's early days. They make hardly any noise other than cooing when they see us and have learnt to take themselves off to bed, apart from one who enjoys playing hide and seek when we try to close the pophole at night. She keeps popping her head out so we have to walk away again ! They're not as daft as people think.
I hope the others find good homes soon. They're a lovely breed and make a great addition to the garden.
All the best.
Thanks Julie and Rob. I'm pleased they are now settled in! I know you are looking forward to your first eggs, but I don't want them to start laying just yet, not sure what to do with 250 eggs a day!!!! lol
But I've had several more enquiries, mostly from here, so fingers crossed!!!!!