Chick business(Hatchery)

[Crc14]

Hi everyone! I'm very interested in starting up a small Hatchery business! I have ducks and chickens and am in a very good area to be able to branch out to local farming stores as potential customers, as well as being in a large farming community. I was wondering about potential starts, things I'll need to do, to buy, and everything involved with a Hatchery. Any help, advice, or resources would be appreciated!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

First, assess your market. Talk to the local farm stores, and any potential outlets to determine if they are willing to carry your chicks.
If you are going to be selling many, you need to ascertain if you have enough incubation and temporary brooder space to accommodate bringing a couple hundred birds at a time to market.
Otherwise, If you are talking 20-50 chicks at a time, it likely won't be worth the effort.
Your breeding pens need special consideration. No cross breeding allowed.
Choose your breeds carefully. If selling to feed stores, you'll need popular breeds for your area - Orps, Aorps, EEs, Rocks, Leghorns, etc..
If selling out of the area, more obscure breeds may bring you more money per chick.
I don't know your experience but if you want to sell good quality birds, you'll need enough housing space to have a minimum of 40 birds of each breed so you could select for characteristics. . Otherwise you may be selling junk which wouldn't get you any future sales.
What kind of acreage are you working with?

 

[Crc14]

Right now i have my chickens on three acres, I have buff orps, leg horns, two breeds of Ameracuana, black australorps, Rhode Island Reds, and cuckoo French marans. I do currently have them mixed but I would separate them out, I wouldn't sell mix breeds as this or that breed. I have Rouen, call, Ancona, Cayuga, and Blue Swedish ducks, and I live in the middle I feel Iowa and am only 45 minutes from our state capital which has multiple small farm stores and we have several theisens nearby. Most of my birds are from Cackle and Murray, I've hatched a few on my own and let my girls sit on some of theirs. All are healthy and big girls for their breed and what I've read online, have the qualities that are wanted in the breeds. We had a gut that had a small Hatchery that doesn't do it anymore but he had about 12 birds for each breed and was very popular around chick time.