Hatching eggs and business advice

[Rcornerranch]

What are many of your hatching egg policies? Do you ever give free eggs if someone claims none were fertile? What if you knew the eggs had a great fertility rate?

I am having issues with people claiming no eggs were fertile/no eggs hatched. I am trying to ask people which it was. Not hatching does not mean they were not fertile. It's...difficult. I know some people are not dishonest--they really just don't know. For example: one person did not put eggs in their incubator for two weeks. I need to continue running my farm as a business, though, and not a charity or science experiments for other people. I realize I could have hatched those birds and sold them instead, but people want another dozen for free. That puts me at losing potential birds and lost income to pay for management and improvement of my set up. I feel I need to raise prices on my birds to try to compensate for not having as many to sell because I feel pressured to give another dozen here and there away. If I do this, though, dishonest people are likely selling chicks from my eggs for cheaper to my potential customers.

Should I have people agree (in a trackable way in messages or contracts) fertility is not guaranteed? I am feeling discouraged lately. I recently had someone short me on chicks...and the situation got weird...I know it seems to be a hard year for people with livestock businesses. I have a waitlist of people wanting birds and can't give away certain breeds, like my Lavender Ameraucana, Royal Palm turkey, and Welsh Harlequin duck eggs. I also have people questioning my prices, but I research hatchery prices, other sellers in my state, Craigslist, and the farms I got my birds from to make my pricing decisions. I also factor in breed standards. I have multiple people telling me I should be charging less than $3 a bird, and I am struggling to find a good professional response to their remarks. I believe it is time for me to type out policies to have on hand to keep people from getting to me. Business advice, anyone?

 

[Saveria]

I would definitely set up a structure of some kind. Even if it is a website you throw up or a handout with policies, I think it would save you time in the long run, and make you seem more legitimate to them (which it sounds like you are). Just make it clear how and when people can get refunds, etc. and way more people won't bother you because they know they are in the wrong.

There is a hatchery in VT that charges astronomical prices just because of the work that they put into breeding carefully. If you are doing that work as well you should be able to name your price, too. Folks should know that small breeders can't sell at giant hatchery prices.

 

[Urb sustain]

What are many of your hatching egg policies? Do you ever give free eggs if someone claims none were fertile? What if you knew the eggs had a great fertility rate?

I am having issues with people claiming no eggs were fertile/no eggs hatched. I am trying to ask people which it was. Not hatching does not mean they were not fertile. It's...difficult. I know some people are not dishonest--they really just don't know. For example: one person did not put eggs in their incubator for two weeks. I need to continue running my farm as a business, though, and not a charity or science experiments for other people. I realize I could have hatched those birds and sold them instead, but people want another dozen for free. That puts me at losing potential birds and lost income to pay for management and improvement of my set up. I feel I need to raise prices on my birds to try to compensate for not having as many to sell because I feel pressured to give another dozen here and there away. If I do this, though, dishonest people are likely selling chicks from my eggs for cheaper to my potential customers.

Should I have people agree (in a trackable way in messages or contracts) fertility is not guaranteed? I am feeling discouraged lately. I recently had someone short me on chicks...and the situation got weird...I know it seems to be a hard year for people with livestock businesses. I have a waitlist of people wanting birds and can't give away certain breeds, like my Lavender Ameraucana, Royal Palm turkey, and Welsh Harlequin duck eggs. I also have people questioning my prices, but I research hatchery prices, other sellers in my state, Craigslist, and the farms I got my birds from to make my pricing decisions. I also factor in breed standards. I have multiple people telling me I should be charging less than $3 a bird, and I am struggling to find a good professional response to their remarks. I believe it is time for me to type out policies to have on hand to keep people from getting to me. Business advice, anyone?

Man that hits home! So I sell hatching eggs locally only, and once they leave here, my policy is its your problem! 12 roos your problem, didn't hatch the exact bird from the pictures on the internet, your problem, only one hatched, agian your problem! I hatch my eggs each month, so I know my eggs are good. Next 1-4 week old chicks. 5 out 10 people kill at least half if not all. Not my problem! I lose 1 out of a 100, you killed 5 out 10? Not my problem.
I dont advertise any chicken under 12 wks anymore. I raise out all my birds, shooting for 300+ this year. Roosters separated early by at least week 6. Best roos held back shitty roos go to free range and will become food for something or someone. Snake and reptile weirdos feed whole chickens all sizes. There is a market there, also people will raise out good roosters for a couple more months to eat. It takes a while to build clientele.
This is how I break even or ish by 2054. Pullets and laying hens.
I sell them like this to make it easy!
Pet quality (it is a ______ but its flaws mean it should not be bred forward) 55$ laying hen 35$ 12 week pullet
Breed quality (full on ____ not SOP but headed the right direction 70-100$)
Show quality (never for sale) I spent to much time and money to give away my genetics for any money.
If I had a 1000 hens today, I would have them gone in a month.
Next yr my prices are going up in order to slow down demand. We sold our whole spring stock in less than 2 wks on Craigslist and regulars only.

 

[Sally PB]

Maybe write up a short statement they have to sign upon payment that states something along the lines of 'Due to matters outside of my control, once these eggs leave my possession, I cannot guarantee hatchrate' or something like that. Cause for all you know, people pop them in the oven for incubating or drive over the potholes on the way home

I agree. If you have a quality product, charge appropriately.

I used to hand dye and spin yarn, then knit one-of-a-kind sweaters. I had a woman ask me why I charged so much, since "you like what you do." I had no answer then; I sure would now!

@Urb sustain, good for you.

 

[Rcornerranch]

I would definitely set up a structure of some kind. Even if it is a website you throw up or a handout with policies, I think it would save you time in the long run, and make you seem more legitimate to them (which it sounds like you are). Just make it clear how and when people can get refunds, etc. and way more people won't bother you because they know they are in the wrong.

There is a hatchery in VT that charges astronomical prices just because of the work that they put into breeding carefully. If you are doing that work as well you should be able to name your price, too. Folks should know that small breeders can sell at giant hatchery prices.

I have been told multiple times my prices should be less than hatchery prices to be more economical for local buyers who can't afford hatchery prices, but I think purebreds should not be sold for barn mix prices. If they have their budget, they should get birds for that budget and not get upset with me. I try to maintain a busness attitude with them, but it gets challenging. I also have to maintain separate areas for each breed.

I remember when I first got chickens four years ago I expected local breeders to be charging more for their birds because breeders choose to breed better birds of their breeds. I thought that was well known, like adopting a mixed rescue dog versus buying from a line of show dogs. I am seeing many people think all chickens are the same, but they can go elsewhere then.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Maybe write up a short statement they have to sign upon payment that states something along the lines of 'Due to matters outside of my control, once these eggs leave my possession, I cannot guarantee hatchrate' or something like that. Cause for all you know, people pop them in the oven for incubating or drive over the potholes on the way home

 

[Rcornerranch]

As others have said, if you have a quality product, stand your ground on what you price them. The clientele who will appreciate quality, will have the $ to buy them and likely pass the word on to other people who are truly looking for quality poultry. If someone doesn't have the money to purchase your critters up front, what kind of care and quality of feed are they likely to get? Ok, I'm making a lot of assumptions and fully flying my opinion here... Unless you are way out of range on price, know your worth! I agree as others said on having a notice about no guarantees on hatching.

I used to have a small leather shop where I repaired and sold used tack and did custom work on weekends and evenings. I was making $4 to $5 dollars an hour and often heard comments about how expensive my stuff was, one person even asked me why they should pay me so much when they could go to Tractor Supply and get it for $20, yup, and they were literally there with a broken bridle from a local farm store that was low quality. I'm not doing leatherwork anymore because my time is worth way more than $5/hr. I've also had a few people give me free rein (get it, lol) to create custom pieces no matter the price because they did want custom and one of a kind.

Long story shorter, you are right, don't sell yourself short, haters gonna hate, quality is worth something to the right people.

I am asking $18 for Lavender Ameraucana pullets. $12 straight run. $8 for cockerels.

Barnevelders are $12 pullets. $8 straight run. Cockerels are $4.

Silver Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhaubens are $8 straight run.

The Welsh Harlequin female ducks are $18. Drakes are $9.

Saxony ducks are $25 for female ducklings. Straight run is $18. Drakes are $12.

I will figure out the Blue Swedish when they hatch.

The Ameraucana chicks (and eggs) and Harlequin ducklings (and eggs) seem to bring in the theatrics about price. I think I have nice birds. Hatcheries charging crazy numbers for Lavender Ameraucanas are sold out. I would rather just keep all the pullets if people expect under $8 for those. They could get easter eggers instead. I need to keep repeating this to myself! It's hard when you are actually speaking to a person to stay true to your own rules. I feel so pressured to go with the flow.

 

[Rcornerranch]

Well, a person who bought 6 Ameraucanas is reselling them for higher today, so that answers my gut feeling that raising my prices from $8 to $12 is the right call. I had someone do this with eggs for eating as well. She was selling them as hatching eggs, reselling them for higher as eating eggs, and hatching them herself and guessing the breeds. She even asked me to lower the prices so she could make more money! As though what she was doing was ok. My reaction to these situations is that I must need to raise prices to deter people like that who will undermine my business and take customers away with my own products.

I am reminding myself if I lower prices, people are probably going to resell for higher for anything I am selling.

 

[Sally PB]

That's just plain crazy! So, if you don't like what you do, then you should have been charging more?

Yeah, I didn't have any answer for her. I'm glad; I might have said mean, nasty things.

When it comes to hands-on, custom made things, people should expect to pay for what they're getting. Quality animals of any kind are nothing different.

Some people give away their time on the beautiful things they make. I would never expect that, or quibble with their price.

 

[GardenDmpls]

When I taught in a high school vet science program, I ordered hatching eggs every year. If you look on e-Bay, you will see that most sellers have a clearly stated policy that they are not responsible for the hatch rate and why. You might want to look there and see what they wrote. You might also include a website where they can get a "how to hatch" tutorial.

Not all of us customers are bad people. One time I got eggs shipped to me that were in an egg carton loose in a box. Most were broken. I politely suggested several better ways to pack and sent pictures of how to do them right. They replaced the eggs (packed properly) and thanked me- they were new to the whole thing. I have had great hatches and poor ones. The only time I felt it wasn't my fault or an act of God was when I got a bunch of rotten eggs and the seller had a lot of similar complaints. You may have to grow a thick skin and be grateful you were raised better than the nasty customer was.