Just to share some research on cost. We recently hooked up a watt meter to our incubators just to get a feel for how much power we use and the total electrical cost. What we found that it didnt make any difference whether the incubator was full or only had a few eggs in it, the electrical cost is pretty much the same. Based on our power rate of $0.13kwh the total cost to run the incubator was $5.80 for 21 days. Your power rates might be different and you incubator more or less efficient than the one tested. If you divide this number by the number of chicks that actually hatch you will have a close number as to how much the electricity cost. Our incubator holds 144eggs. If all of them hatch the cost per chick would be $0.04 per chick. Now if we only filled one tray, the cost per chick would be $0.12 per chick. Of course, if you only hatched out one chick then the cost to hatch out one would be $5.80. One or 144, the cost to incubate is the same, but the more you hatch, the more you can spread your cost out.
Only you can price the time you spend careing for the eggs while in the incubator, but this must also be included in your cost of doing business. All incubators, even the home made ones, have a upfront cost to purchase or build, this cost can be spread over the expected life of the incubator and the number of hatches you expect to incubate. To get all the way to that expected lifespan of the incubator, it is going to require some maintainance, fans, heat strip, thermostats, they all go bad over time and must be replaced. Something has to be priced in to take care of that maintanace.
Many times I have seen people in business price their services to cheap, they think they have low overhead because their equipment was given to them, or they already own the equipment. If you dont figure in the replacement cost of your equipment, sooner or later that piece of equipment is going to wear out and need to be replaced. At that point in your buisness, you will discover that you havent priced into your cost of doing business enough profit to replace your worn out equipment and either you stop doing business, or you spend money out of your pocket to replace your worn out equipment. Once you take the money out of your pocket, you have lost your previous profits and are now right back to the point where you first started your business, broke and trying to make money based on prices that wont allow you to make enough money to cover expenses.
One hard rule in business, its easier to lower prices than it is to raise them. Second, its easier to lay on the couch and watch tv, than it is to work your tail off for nothing. If the job is worth doing, its worth getting paid for. If they aint willing to pay, let someone else do the work.
Hatcheries sell all kinds of chicks everyday for pennies, if you are incubating run of the mill common chicks, dont expect to charge much more than a hatchery will sell similar chicks for. On rare breeds, you can and should charge more for the service.
