My husband is considering buying some chickens called Black Giants. They are full grown and the man wants 40$ for 3 of them 1 male 2 females. This sounds like a lot to me and I would rather get babies but he wants them full grown for his own babies next year. What do you think? Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), September 07, 2001

Answers

I agree, that's a lot of money for 3 chickens. I wouldn't offer him more than $8 a piece.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), September 07, 2001.

Sounds like a lot unless maybe the man is a breeder and is used to selling them for people who want to SHOW them. I would think you could get them cheaper elsewhere. Do you have a local poultry auction or livestock auction or something similar? Around here, hens are usually $8-$10 and roosters $3 at the most........

-- Tracey (trjlanier@cs.com), September 07, 2001.

Boy we are getting off cheap! Our neighbor raises chickens and sells them off. We're buying hens at $3 a piece! DD is going into business selling eggs to the neighbors!

-- Lisa in WI (lehman16NOSPAM@vbe.com), September 07, 2001.

At $40, they're more than likely show quality and are some fine birds.

-- Buk Buk (bukabuk@hotmail.com), September 07, 2001.

I found around here that everyone is jackig up their prices on poultry because of the ordeal involving Northwest Airlines not going to ship day old poultry anymore. Every chicken person i have spoke to is pretty concerned about it, myself included. For example, one guy is selling GUINEAS for $15 a piece! Peafowl is another story! So are you getting those Black Giants??

-- Pamela Hood (pamandmatt@earthlink.net), September 07, 2001.

I'll have to show this to my hubby and let him decide, I hate to interfere because he is just now showing interest in the animals and he was real excited.

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), September 07, 2001.

If they are exhitibion quality and are very large that is a fairly reasonable price for good birds. We have some exhibition birds that cost us $25 each! (I NEVER thought I'd pay that for a chicken). However, if they are commerical type Giants I wouldn't pay more than about $8-$10 for adults and that is if I really wanted them. Trios are a pretty standard way to purchase adults.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@Linkup.net), September 07, 2001.

I know that your husband was not interested in peeps. But it takes less than 6 month before they are laying eggs of their own . And with additional light as the days are getting shorter u can encourgage them to lay sooner and longer. The peeps around here are going from fifty cents to a dollar. And full grown are going from 2 to 5 dollars depending on the breed.I have bought everything from show birds to mixes and i wouldnt pay that price. I guess theirs a market for everything.

-- paul miller (millerclan@alltel.net), September 07, 2001.

For local breeders, check with the 4-H, county extension, or the county fair or state fair boards to find out if they have a list of poultry exhibitors you can contact. I got a list of names from our state as well as the 4 surrounding states on breeds I was interested in.

-- Claudia Glass (glasss2001@prodigy.net), September 15, 2001.