New idea for a hatchery business

[bigz1983]

Guarantee to refund their purchase price for the return of any chicken that crows. Then sell straight run chicks at the pullet price. You will be getting the best price for those that really are pullets. On the returns, you will be refunding money that you've had use of interest free for five or six months. Plus, you will be taking back a rooster that has been brooded, fed for five or six months and is ready to process for meat. Process said rooster and sell it for a second time.

Everything I sell will be black sex links I won't need to take back any roosters.

 

[bigz1983]

Many people make black senx links how would you know yours from someone elses?

In the rare event that someone tried to scam me this way I would probably take the back.
Keep it away from my flock to prevent disease, butcher it and refuse to sell to that person again because I will know they were dishonest.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Why not just be honest and say you're selling female sexlinks and price them as female sexlinks?

 

[bigz1983]

Why not just be honest and say you're selling female sexlinks and price them as female sexlinks?

I suppose..

 

[Ridgerunner]

The biggest issue is what to do with all the male baby chicks?

If you had any success you cannot raise and eat that many. You would probably overwhelm any zoo or wildlife rehab that could use baby chicks to feed their animals. Since you have to have baby chicks in the mail within 24 hours of hatch you could offer some as guaranteed cockerels at a low cost in case someone wanted to raise them to butcher but with your breed selections the butcher size would not be great. This would not get rid of many.

Probably your best bet if you have much success would be to sell or give the boys to someone making and selling organic compost or maybe to go into pet food. Otherwise you'll have to dispose of them yourself.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If you had any success you cannot raise and eat that many. You would probably overwhelm any zoo or wildlife rehab that could use baby chicks to feed their animals. Since you have to have baby chicks in the mail within 24 hours of hatch you could offer some as guaranteed cockerels at a low cost in case someone wanted to raise them to butcher but with your breed selections the butcher size would not be great. This would not get rid of many.

Probably your best bet if you have much success would be to sell or give the boys to someone making and selling organic compost or maybe to go into pet food. Otherwise you'll have to dispose of them yourself.

I would contact a zoo personally and see if they want any males for larger predators. Mine would take full grown males with everything (feathers, bones, guts) still attached for rhe tigers and bears and wolves. Only requirements were that I kill them, they were healthy and I used the bags they provided. I had to raise them for a few weeks-months, but they weren't too picky so long as I could give death weights on the packaging and some were smaller and some larger.

Rehabs unfortunately at least here, won't take chickens since it's not what birds of prey eat in the wild (yes, I know. That's what they said though). They would take ducks though

 

[Ridgerunner]

Rehabs unfortunately at least here, won't take chickens since it's not what birds of prey eat in the wild (yes, I know. That's what they said though). They would take ducks though

Possibly because they hope to release the birds or critters they are rehabbing and don't want to teach them to hunt chickens. Since ducks can be wild they would be legitimate targets.

A zoo might take baby chicks for snakes but I totally agree, talk to them and see what they might take and how they want them handled.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Possibly because they hope to release the birds or critters they are rehabbing and don't want to teach them to hunt chickens. Since ducks can be wild they would be legitimate targets.

A zoo might take baby chicks for snakes but I totally agree, talk to them and see what they might take and how they want them handled.

Probably. I just kinda chuckled (which did not earn me brownie points) when they said they don't eat chickens in the wild, because I've lost birds to hawks that I can assure you, Weren't pet raptors. I didn't push the issue though with them and just moved onto the zoo. Zoo was far closer anyways (1 hour vs 4 or 5 depending on road conditions)

 

[bigz1983]

If you had any success you cannot raise and eat that many. You would probably overwhelm any zoo or wildlife rehab that could use baby chicks to feed their animals. Since you have to have baby chicks in the mail within 24 hours of hatch you could offer some as guaranteed cockerels at a low cost in case someone wanted to raise them to butcher but with your breed selections the butcher size would not be great. This would not get rid of many.

Probably your best bet if you have much success would be to sell or give the boys to someone making and selling organic compost or maybe to go into pet food. Otherwise you'll have to dispose of them yourself.

I wonder if reptile shops would take them to feed to snakes?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Call and ask.