Checking interest on Custom incubating/hatching!!!

[drewssled]

I am new to the forum, but have raised just about everytype of poultry and gamebirds. Recently sold the flocks and still have to itch.... Will haver the capicty of about 700 chicken eggs a week or 4000 quail a week. terested in hatching whatever you have avab. Bigger the eggs the bigger the expense. Looking at around 1.00 an egg for chicken. and 25 cents an egg for quail and such. With return shipping on chicks at your cost. Would like to have a min. of 50-100 eggs. Let mke now if there is a demand for this service and if my prices are within reason. Will give discount for large orders..

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Hi,

!

So many questions I don't know where to start!

Am I correct in assuming that I would send you fertile eggs and you would then hatch them and ship them back to me?

Where are you? That could affect shipping rates.

What is your average hatch rate? What kind of incubators do you use? Auto turners?

Since you would be doing numerous staggered hatches, would you be able to handle daily shipments in and out?

Have you ever shipped day-old chicks before and how do you ship?

Can you provide some references/feedback since you are brand new to the forum?

I have no idea about the pricing, but it seems high to me. The payer would be paying to ship eggs to you and have chicks shipped back. That can be pretty expensive. Your cost would only be the electricity to run the incubator, and that's hardly a dollar each when you have 700 eggs set.

But the customer, hmmmmmmmmmmmm.... say $10.00 to ship a dozen eggs to you, $30.00 to get the chicks back and a dollar for each egg in labor. $ 52.00, so $5.20 per chick, roughly. Just a guesstimate.

I guess not, unless you have a truly stupendous hatch rate and cheap shipping!

 

[pips&peeps]

Not saying you would do this, but what guarantee would people have that you wouldn't be keeping a couple chicks out of each hatch to suit your own needs.........

Also are you NPIP certified?

Would you only be hatching NPIP certified eggs?

Do you clean your hatcher and incubator after every hatch with disinfectant?

 

[PandoraTaylor]

and

from Alaska

Glad I have my own incubators! I could probably do something like this locally.....hmmmmmm

Glad you joined us.

 

[Katy]

Welcome to BYC

Thanks but no thanks on your idea.

I prefer to keep my eggs here at home and hatch them out myself where I get good hatches and I don't have to shell out money for my own chicks.

 

[ranchhand]

Oh! I forgot to add in the cost of buying hatching eggs or raising the chickens to lay the hatching eggs!

Sorry, I really don't see it happening with the shipping involved, but perhaps you could get some business from the locals?

And Jean raised very valid concerns.

 

[lemurchaser]

It seems like it would be more reasonable to charge per chick that hatches. As a consumer I would wonder how much you'd care if they all hatched or not, because you'd already have been paid for the eggs. By paying per chick, I would feel that you'd have the incentive to hatch as many as possible, and get me all my chicks back.

 

[drewssled]

Well thanks for the feedback so quick. I did leave alot out, but just testing the waters so to speak. Im in michigan to start. Hatch rate as everyone knows is up in the air. Fertile eggs or not, shipping times you get the point. I run All GQF sportsmans have 8 brand new avab to use plus a olders jamesway which is huge. All with auto turners. I can handle to shipments in and out. I currently run and powersports used parts company and have over 100 shipments a do going and coming in. I have extensive knowlege of USPS, ie the 100 packages a day. My average hatch rate over the last 3 years or so with chicken eggs has been atleast 97 percent and never below. Gamebirds were around 90 percent. sometimes higher. Yes i have shipped day old chicks and have used priorty mail or express with good results.

Not looking to steal a chick worth a buck or so. All i have there is my word, I dont even want to know what type of chicks im hatching. This is just a way to keep me a little busy and scratch that itch of not having birds anymore. The NPIP is still up in the air... Been thinking it over. Yes after every hatch the incubators are wiped down, santized and i use germicdial solution on them. The same stuff EMS services use.

I hope this helps you out a little bit. Again like i said just testing the water so to speak. I hate to see all these incubators sitting here doing nothing...

So my prices may be high that was just out there price.

send me 100 eggs shipping around 30 bucks so .30 per egg
incubating and hatching cost .75 per egg
Return shipping on 100 chicks 40 bucks .40 per egg

im looking at 1.55 egg. maybe a few cents more. Depending on hatch no more than 2 bucks a bird. Geese and ducks pheasent would be differnet, this is just for a rough idea.
Shipping is over stated by many hatcheries. I can mail a 70 pound package priotry mail half way across to country for 30 bucks. Hatcheries make big money off just shipping...

 

[drewssled]

I understand the per chick, but it would have to be by the fertile egg. you could send me 100 eggs and only have 20 that are fertile the rest could be bad. Please keep the feedback coming and if anyone would be interested

 

[ranchhand]

There are so many variables, it's hard to say. But it does sound like you have the know-how to make it work. I hope you can iron out the details and get started. There is a Michigan thread on BYC,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=233&p=2251 It's a big one!