# Demand for baby chicks unexpectedly doubled this spring



## Guest (Mar 25, 2014)

And I'm wondering if it has to do with more people trying to produce their own food due to uneasiness with the economy, crop shortages, etc.

After finding both Meyer and Ideal's websites periodically going offline this past week, I've been going to the facebook pages of various hatcheries and reading dialogues between users and the hatchery owners/employees.

The hatcheries have been totally caught by surprise and are already sold out of many breeds for months to come. Due to increased website traffic, the sites keep going down and some of the hatcheries are upgrading their servers to handle the unprecedented demand.

I find this very interesting, but also disturbing in that there will be increased demand for animal feed, which will lead to higher prices, and possibly even shortages.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Murray McMurray Hatchery (where I've gotten all my chicks) has specific breen hens available in May, and some random breeds available in April. But better move fast! They stop shipping once the weather gets too warm, or they run out.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

It rises and falls.

We USED to sell chicks.
Used to..

We would either sell out with people scrambling or be left with a ton of chicks.
We just stopped. It wasn't worth the time and investment and the horror of the years when we had leftovers.

We did well with turkey poults. Very very well.
Only supplier of farm hatched, farm raised Bourbon Reds in the western part of 4 states. 
Aaah.. this is the first year we haven't had orders of 60 or so poults to fill.
House is so quiet.

But we feared that this year would be another year of cold, dark, wet spring where the hens layed late and left us explaining on the phone and we felt it was worth a month's mortgage to sell the breeding stock and incubators.


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## Sumatra (Dec 5, 2013)

That is quite disturbing. I was wondering what had happened to them(don't have an FB account). Apparently a lot of things have been going downhill recently. I should have put in my order to Ideals before, but got sidetracked with next month's rabbit plans. 

I do hope purely poultry stays the same and Ideals somehow fixes this without too many price increases. Going to the TSC is a last resort for me due to their limited stock.

Hopefully my plans to grow 80% of my flocks winter food works out this year.

Upon checking meyers, it seems ducks have gone up $3 each this year. Not setting my sights very high for them.


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## hurryiml8 (Apr 15, 2009)

I like to order chicks in the fall so they are laying in the spring. Ordered my buff orpingtons last september and they are laying well. I hope to raise my own chicks from now on.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Yesterday, I went to a store that carrys bulk seed I use. They sell chicks. One person came in and bought every one of their 500 chicks. They said it was very unusual. A customer had come in inquireing about chicks and I heard this.


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2014)

7thswan said:


> Yesterday, I went to a store that carrys bulk seed I use. They sell chicks. One person came in and bought every one of their 500 chicks. They said it was very unusual. A customer had come in inquireing about chicks and I heard this.


Very weird. I wonder if they were planning to resell them or something.


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Still waiting for them to come in...probably next week.

Matt


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

very few chicks yesterday at my local feed store.


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## Jupiter (Dec 30, 2012)

We placed a order with Welps last week for chicks & turkey poults & our order won't come until the last of April.


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## CFarmerLady (Dec 1, 2011)

I'll just get my fertilized eggs from my aunt or mother, who both have roos in with the ladies. But do you think this might mean that people are getting more prepared?


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## lindamarie (Jul 9, 2013)

I ordered mine thru southern states, they should be here April 7. Was in tractor supply on Friday and they had very few left and they were straight run.


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## Wanda (Dec 19, 2002)

There are only a few hatcheries left that you can order from. A spike in sales will ripple thru the whole group quickly. There is a very short window of time that chicks can be shipped so they are a very perishable item. The days of second guessing the market and killing the extras are long gone.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

CFarmerLady said:


> I'll just get my fertilized eggs from my aunt or mother, who both have roos in with the ladies. But do you think this might mean that people are getting more prepared?


Yes, I do think more are getting ready for something.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

split chicken breast are over 28% price increase here in the last year.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Ours come Thursday. We always order thru our local feed store. Price up,too. Over 30 bucks for 10 pullets. But everything is up. Just spent over $300 for 2-3# lbs bees with queens plus horrendous shipping as only shipped priority UPS. But bee situation is the same...short supply and high demand. Sure wish that bee hadn't visited and wiped our honey business out. Starting from scratch sucks. Besides the bees he destroyed a lot of boxes and they are high dollar,too. And steers at the aution going over $2lb live for fattening.


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## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

I got 3 Holstien replacement heifers coming tomorrow. They weigh about 550lbs @ $1.55 a pound. I'm going to breed them in about a year to my Angus bull.


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2014)

lindamarie said:


> Was in tractor supply on Friday and they had very few left and they were straight run.





elkhound said:


> very few chicks yesterday at my local feed store.


When I went into Atwoods a couple weeks ago, I was very surprised that they had so few chicks. 

They have about 10 big feed troughs in a double row, and those are always packed with baby poultry all spring and for several weeks in the fall.

The troughs were there with the litter, heat bulbs, feeders, waterers and price cards, but there were only 2 troughs that each had just a few chicks each - pullets in one and straight run in one.

All the other troughs were completely empty.

It's not a case of being too early in the season to have very many, because Atwoods had already been advertising for at least two weeks that they had a full line of baby poultry in stock.


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2014)

Mutti said:


> Just spent over $300 for 2-3# lbs bees with queens plus horrendous shipping as only shipped priority UPS.


How many queens?


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

Bought ours at Theisens. Grabbed the last few turkeys and some Cornish chicks. They won't even take pre-orders this year as they said they are having a hard time getting chicks in and keeping them stocked. Its' not even warm yet here. Snowed last night.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Sumatra said:


> Going to the TSC is a last resort for me due to their limited stock.


Check with your TSC to see if they do chick orders. Ours had an order form with many different breeds. You pick the ones you want, and they get mailed directly to your house. No shipping, and the price of the chicks was better than many online hatcheries.


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

Well, cool for me! I've got ducks, turkeys and chickens in the incubators and a line on goose eggs too. The turkeys are laying daily, so will have the one incubator (84 spaces) full in less than a month. I'd be just thrilled if people are interested in picking them up as day-olds!
And yes, I'll be in a real panic if they don't sell. Partially for the cost of the feed, but mostly for the pens to put them in.
There are mutt-chicks in craigslist here going for $3 or $4 each. That seems awfully high to me.
Kit


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## archaeodani (Feb 20, 2012)

My 2 theories - 1. People are ordering chicks online rather than going to a feedstore, for "easter presents for the kids" ( plenty of chicks available at the humane society within a few weeks after easter)....... 2. People are just getting 2-5 or so to try their hand at raising chickens for the eggs....... my city allows up to 25 hens, in city limits, as long as they are kept at least 15 feet from a neighbors fence


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

surplus due to cold weather here in maine.....at least at Waterville TSC

my 6 are now in 40 degree sunroom in a 28 gallon tote(covered) with only a 60w bulb and doing very well....they were 10 days old when I got them!


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

We've known for a long time that this was coming. It's why we prep. Sounds like the slow slide is gaining momentum. I won't be surprised if chicks will be impossible to buy in a few short years. 

Remember a few years ago when there was a problem with shipping chicks. The hatcheries had to fight to be able to continue shipping. IIRC a few hatcheries closed their doors back then. 

Remember the hubbub about animals having to stay on the property where they were born/hatched? If an animal happens to cross the line then there was to be a ton of paperwork to fill out for the government on why/how the animal was off the property.

I think we came very close to losing our freedom to buy/sell animals of any type including chicks. 

It won't surprise me if we will be unable to buy chicks thru the mail in the near future. 

I'm so very glad to have a good flock that reproduces itself.


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## Wendy (May 10, 2002)

Rural King & Tractor Supply both had a lot of chicks. I bought 25 & will probably get some more in a week or so. Need to get an incubator & fill it with duck eggs. Also hope the guineas start laying soon so i can hatch some of them out.


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

Local Agway says they aren't coming until Easter...they know me and will call when they get in.

Matt


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## snowcap (Jul 1, 2011)

We have hens, but we are not allowed a roo. So we got Quails.
they are easy to raise, and lay a lot of eggs. The incubation is 17 days. Last year n of our banties set one batch for us. But they will not set their own.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I see that many citys have changed there rules to allow residents to keep a few hens . it has become a popular fad among yuppies ect . perhaps this has caused a spike in demand


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I picked up some cheap chicken legs and thighs at the grocery store today and the butcher told me that I can expect chicken to be on sale pretty much all year. It seems that with the drop in corn costs, the suppliers ramped up and there's some sort of price war going on with chickens.

I am wondering if the hatcheries are having to meet that demand. I would think that would only cover the meat breeds but it might spill into other areas. Don't know enough about the commercial chicken market to say.


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## snowcap (Jul 1, 2011)

Last week Safeway had whole body chickens for .79 a pound. We bought 5 large ones.


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## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

Guess I know what I am doing later today. I have waited to do my order because the weather doesn't quit. Probably won't go above freezing today. I will just have to see what is available on a date that is hopefully warmer. I remember another year when it was tough to get chicks. Back to keeping multiple roos, sigh, when they meet an untimely end it can wreck the best breeding plans  . Maybe this is the year bantams get tried.......There is a commercial hatchery close by where I can get meat bird chicks reasonable but they have not been consistent in quality by any means. But, better than none.


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## Patchouli (Aug 3, 2011)

Backyard chickens are the hot new thing. They will sell like hotcakes for a year or 2 and then people will move on to the next fad.


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## sandc (Apr 26, 2010)

Placed my order last week for speckled Sussex because they are the new breed I have decided to raise so that I have something not very prevalent in the area. My chicks will be here the 1st or 2nd of June.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

sandc said:


> Placed my order last week for speckled Sussex because they are the new breed I have decided to raise so that I have something not very prevalent in the area. My chicks will be here the 1st or 2nd of June.


I have a wait list for lavender orps this spring, breeds that are a bit different and combine beauty and practicality are hot stuff.


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## claytonpiano (Feb 3, 2005)

Visited my local feed store this morning. They had planned to have free chick day but received no chicks and do not know when they will have more. They were really puzzled by it all. Odd.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Our TSC had plenty of chicks today. Maybe they just got a shipment, I remember them being low a few weeks back. 

I try not to look at the chicks.....I want to do chicken, but we aren't ready yet.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

i'v hatched my own replacements for lot of years now though I have a wide array of colors in my hens I have all RIR roosters now,last year I had a Americana rooster n the mix and a couple years ago I had a brown legorn rooster (a mistake on my part as it was bad on the size of my extra frying roosters were scrauny that year)


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## Wren - TN (Dec 22, 2013)

arnie said:


> i'v hatched my own replacements for lot of years now though I have a wide array of colors in my hens I have all RIR roosters now,last year I had a Americana rooster n the mix and a couple years ago I had a brown legorn rooster (a mistake on my part as it was bad on the size of my extra frying roosters were scrauny that year)



Love the variety of colors in your hatch!


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## gweny (Feb 10, 2014)

archaeodani said:


> My 2 theories - 1. People are ordering chicks online rather than going to a feedstore, for "easter presents for the kids" ( plenty of chicks available at the humane society within a few weeks after easter)....... 2. People are just getting 2-5 or so to try their hand at raising chickens for the eggs....... my city allows up to 25 hens, in city limits, as long as they are kept at least 15 feet from a neighbors fence


Thats pretty much what we've done but laws here are strange. Can't buy less than six in this state and can't own more than six in town. It's a bit silly really. It's causing people just outside of town to go buy up all the chicks, mark them up high, and sell them illegally on Craig's list for less than 6 at a time! 
The 6 chicken limit law was already in place (has been for close to a century) but the state wanted to stop the Easter basket sales... So now you must buy atleast six. That law just went into effect last year. Good luck enforcing it! In the end it will just be another earmarker of government ineptitude.


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

Went to the farm store Monday, they were supposed to get ducks in then. They had 7 large tubs and several small cages set up and only about 12 chicks. Hubby went today to get ducks they had some ducks and turkeys but no chicks. :bash:

Has anyone heard anything about hatcheryâs have problems or what?


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## Ruff Times (Feb 6, 2013)

"Demand for baby chicks unexpectedly doubled this spring
And I'm wondering if it has to do with more people trying to produce their own food due to uneasiness with the economy, crop shortages, etc.

After finding both Meyer and Ideal's websites periodically going offline this past week, I've been going to the facebook pages of various hatcheries and reading dialogues between users and the hatchery owners/employees.

The hatcheries have been totally caught by surprise and are already sold out of many breeds for months to come. Due to increased website traffic, the sites keep going down and some of the hatcheries are upgrading their servers to handle the unprecedented demand.

I find this very interesting, but also disturbing in that there will be increased demand for animal feed, which will lead to higher prices, and possibly even shortages."




Do you by chance have the link to this information? I cannot find anywhere a news piece that would indicate a doubling of demand? Thank you


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## Guest (May 7, 2014)

Ruff Times said:


> Do you by chance have the link to this information? I cannot find anywhere a news piece that would indicate a doubling of demand? Thank you


 There is no news piece that I'm aware of. It was what the hatcheries posted on their facebook pages in answer to customer inquiries & complaints.


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## Ruff Times (Feb 6, 2013)

I see a bit of that here where I'm at in NW WA. I see a lot of residential folks walking out of the farmer's coop with a coop kit and birds. It's been steady for a while. I've also seen some retailers sell out of birds fast. At the same time, I just bought 4 six week old layers for $4 each. They couldn't get rid of them. 

What will be interesting to see from all of the backyard enthusiasts is what they end up doing in 18 months or so when the birds stop or slow down production. My gut tells me that butchering for most is out of the question. I also think most folks underestimate the mess chickens make in confined spaces. I bet we see a flood of older birds on Craigslist for sale in the coming years. 

All in all, I think it's great that people are trying to break the mold of retail food. Even if it's a small step, it's nice to see folks thinking about it!


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## fffarmergirl (Oct 9, 2008)

Backyard chickens got popular in a nearby city, when people learned they could use the Right to Farm Act to get around zoning ordinances. Now they made it so the act doesn't cover people living in areas that aren't zoned for agriculture, so I don't know what all those people are going to do with their chickens.


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

Our local farm store allowed me to put up a Turkeys For Sale sign, as they're not getting any turkey poults to sell this year at all. No explanation from the checkers, and they have had some chickens for sale, which have turned over pretty quickly.
Kit


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## Ruff Times (Feb 6, 2013)

Turkeys go pretty quick here too, but there are plenty. I did order 15 early in the year (a mix of BR and Nar) and hand no problem. I guess it's hit and miss.


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## PrincessFerf (Apr 25, 2008)

I order from a local hatchery and pick them up in person on "hatch day". I order my chicks 3 - 4 months in advance (sometimes even earlier) just so I get what I want. 

I've never had issues with the supply, but every year I consider breeding my own.


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