Anyone Here with Home-Based Hatcheries?

[XxKiki_Bantam_BreederxX]

Over the next five years or so, I want to convert my new home into a small hatchery. As my name suggests, I already breed bantams, but more for fun than anything else.

So is there anyone out there who has a home based hatchery?

Basically I want to know the job outlook/income for such a job. I may even add meat birds and egg layers to my breeding flock. Also, should I sell eggs or chicks, or both? And what about adults?

Basically, any info you have on the business aspect of breeding would be highly, Highly, HIGHLY appreciated!

 

[mamawolf544]

I wouldn't consider myself a hatchery but I sell 100's of guineas, poults, chicks and ducks every year. And allot of eggs to eat and to hatch. I sell most my layers once they are 18 months old, and my extra Tom's.
And there are months I make good money

But I never make more than I spend on feed. I just love to raise healthy birds.

 

[WallTenters]

I wouldn't call us a hatchery, per se, but we do fill small orders for a couple of local feed stores. Unfortunately, the main concern is what to do with the cockerels. Everyone only wants pullets, so we are hatching and hatching and hatching trying to fill orders for pullets, meanwhile we have no pullets and tons of cockerels!

The big benefit for us is that selling those pullets pays for the electricity incubating eggs for ourselves. It costs just as much to run the incubator full as it does to run it half full.

 

[purelypoultry]

I ran a hatchery out of my parents basement while in high school. Then I left for college and started Purely Poultry from my college dorm room. I can't wait until I can have the large poultry farm to go with Purely Poultry.

Check out my history on our about us page to learn more about me running a Home Based Hatchery.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

same here. More less you want to be a breeder, a hatchery is a poor name for a small scale farm.
That's what I am. I breed and sell chicks from a few main focus bantam breeds, as well as turkeys, few ducks and some peafowl.
For your best out come. Focus on a few breeds, work hard on them, keep only the best as breeders, breeder to show quality is prefered. dont waste you time with production birds, meat birds and all that mess if you plan to turn a profit. They are a dime a dozen and cost a fortune to feed, you will break even at best if not be in the hole a little.
Stay with bantams is my advice. They are small, eat little, dont need a ton of space, sell 10-20 times higher than layers or meat birds, are in high demand for high quality and rare colors. I make about what I make from my job on them threw the year. bare in mind I have over 400 breeder too in very rare breeds and even rarer colors though.
But with time and patients, you can make a little money out of your home.

They only way to do the others with out loosing your rear is to just out source them to private breeders. Let them do the work, sell orders for them, and just mark them up a little for your time. Doing it yourself, you have to stick with what sells, sells, quick and sell high.
Good luck with it.
PM me if you'd like some private tips on the best way to get started in good selling bantams. I've been doing it for years. will be glad to point out some pluses, negatives, and good breeds of choice that are in demand

 

[XxKiki_Bantam_BreederxX]

Thank you so much! I was only considering laying hens because I didn't know how much bantams are in demand.
I will definatlly love to learn more from you and will take you up on that offer.

 

[purelypoultry]

I know in our area there is a highly unmet need of Ready to lay pullets and you might be successful selling ready to lay pullets depending on your local market.