Wholesale prices for prairie chickens during December started at $4.00 to $4.50, with many dozens of lots being purchased. By mid-month, representative prices were between $4.50 and $5.00 per dozen. Price details for the month indicate a lively market, with many lots sold nearly every day.
The monthly summary indicates the fluctuations in the number sold and prices.
- 12/04: 8 dozen at $4.00; 4 dozen at $4.50
- 12/05: 6 dozen at $4.50; 7 dozen at $4.00; 9 dozen at $4.50
- 12/07: 7 dozen at $4.40; 4 dozen at $4.25; 5 dozen at $4.00
- 12/08: 7 dozen at $4.00; 2 dozen at $4.25; 9 dozen at $4.00
- 12/10: 5 dozen at $4.50
- 12/11: 3 dozen at $4.50
- 12/12: 10 dozen at $4.25; 3 dozen at $4.75
- 12/13: 10 dozen at $4.50; 2 dozen at $4.75; 4 dozen at $5.00
- 12/14: 4 dozen at $4.50; 7 dozen at $4.75; 3 dozen at $5.00
- 12/15: 2 dozen at $5.00
- 12/17: 15 dozen at $4.75; 10 dozen at $5.00
- 12/19: 6 dozen at $5.25; 17 dozen at $5.00
- 12/20: 17 dozen at $5.25; 1 dozen at $5.00
- 12/21: 46 dozen at $5.00; 2 dozen at $5.25
- 12/22: 44 dozen at $5.00; 60 dozen at $4.75
- 12/24: 40 dozen at $4.00; 50 dozen at $4.00
- 12/26: 40 dozen at $4.00
- 12/28: 87 dozen at $3.50; 4 dozen at $3.00; 3 dozen at $2.75; 40 dozen at $3.25
- 12/29: 300 dozen at $3.75 per dozen; 200 dozen at $3.50 per dozen
- 12/31: 49 dozen at $3.00
The month closed with an influx of a large number of salable lots, quotable from a low of $2.75 for poor condition birds to $3.75 for birds in prime to choice condition. Prices in December peaked for the year, with $5.00 per dozen for choice lots, and dozens sold on December 20-21 for $5.25 per dozen. The greatest number sold on a single day was December 29th, when 500 dozen, or 6000 birds, were purchased.
More than 13,000 Greater Prairie Chicken were sold at the Chicago wholesale market in 1866, according to the nearly daily reports given in the Chicago Daily Commercial Report and Market Review, starting on August 16th, and for the remainder of the year. Obviously the number would be greater if there were comparative details for the entire year.