how to establish a fair chicken partnership with friend

[fifelakelooper]

Ok....this is something I have been turning over in my mind. My neighbor just started selling eggs at a local farmers market. She also sells, soap, flowers, beef, lamb. They have a established sheep/cattle business. She has about 10 chickens at this time...no real chicken coop (she lost some to predators)...just a sectioned off part of her one barn.
I have been into chickens since 2003 and last year started hatching eggs from good stock of two breeds...with the intention of selling chicks and hatching eggs.

Halfway through the summer (after I purchased 3 addition coops...have 4 now) my husband decided he can't handle winters here anymore and wants to go out of state for Feb, March and April...to sunny Florida. I have one coop from a converted 7X13 travel trailer and my new plan is to transport my 11 to a friends for those 3 months. I'll be back the first week of May and will get back into tending my flock. I live in a "snowbelt" area and have usually confined my flock inside for the worst of winter even when I'm home. Now...being at someone elses...I do not want the flock to go out at all for 3 months due to biosecurity concerns. There are problems and I am worried.... How could I establish a partnership with a friend where I would be gone for 3 months? I am thinking we would have to sell off both of our flocks and start fresh with vaccinated ones...never bring in any new birds and just keep it between our two farms. That would be safe...correct? What would be fair as far as HOW we would do the business? Any ideas...it is over my head and I have not said anything about this to my friend. Just wanting to continue raising and having a flock without biosecurity issues. Any ideas would be appreciated! I don't care if I make lots of money..just want to almost break even and be able to enjoy my hobby.

So far...the only sure thing I have come up with is to sell our farm and move to Florida.

 

[Impress]

I personally would tell my husband to have fun in Florida, and wave to him from the front porch as he drove off. I guess an option could be to hire a house and chicken sitter for those 3 months.

 

[fifelakelooper]

Geez Impress...you must be divorced:/ I don't want to put the chickens before him (he already feels I do)...so can't do that. To hire someone for 3 months would be so expensive that wouldn't work either. I'm trying to think of how with a partner things could be divided up...time wise...money wise to even out. I'll probably just have to end up selling every fall and buying a few 4 month old pullets each spring . I won't worry then but will be very limited in how many and what kind I get. Just hoping to get some input from people who DO have a business partner or some ideas that won't lead to divorce!

 

[mstricer]

I would be going to Florida where its warmer

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'm confused as to the biosecurity issue. Your friend has chickens too? Or are we talking about your neighbor? In which case why move the coop at all? And wouldn't walking through freezing snow sterilize boots?

I don't know, if your friends flock doesn't have disease then there is nothing to contaminate yours. As you see, I'm confused.

 

[SteveBaz]

Drive them to Florida and start your business there. My wife always asked If i left you what would you do? I said sell the house and follow you why do you ask? LOL your place is with your spouse and I am not saying it from a man to women or women to man I am just saying. Chickens or husband? you can get more chickens but you have what you have with your hubby. Partnerships with others never or rarely work out. I have had 2 failed partnerships and they just cant always please everyone all the time but some, some of the time. Right? Good luck and I would think it is a very little decision bc we know what is there right thing here or the next best right thing.

 

[fifelakelooper]

Ok...let me clarify. I LOVE my husband. He is a good man and moved to Michigan FROM Florida for me. I appreciate that and I like Florida too. I'm not asking if I should go or not...I never even questioned if I should go. Of course I'm going for the 3 months to be with my husband. My question is IF there would be a feasible way to start a business with a friend who is also fairly close by where it would be somewhat profitable for both of us...and would be fair...with me being gone for 3 months out of the year. ??? I am taking my chickens this year to a person I know who already said they'd care for them while I was gone and I in return will pay for their chickens food along with mine for 3 months. This sounds perfect to many...I just happen to me a worrier and have fears of disease contamination from the caretakers clothes/boots. As far as I know...their has never been disease issues on that farm but no one cares for your flock as good as yourself...you know what I mean.?? If you have read threads on Mareks, MG, corza....well...they scare me. To be completely safe...you just don't bring in other chickens from swaps, shows, etc. and you hatch your own. Period. That is why I was trying to think of a venture where I could do chicken raising for both of us for 8 months...and she would do for 4 months and split proceeds or something in that order. However...I can see I have confused readers so will just drop it. After this year of going south I will probably just sell my flock and start anew each spring when I come home and thereby save myself some worries. Thanks anyway for the input.....guess I have issues explaining things very well.

 

[fifelakelooper]

I was really hoping to hear from some BYC people who had a chicken business partner on another location or farm. I know there are some on this site and I wondered how there system worked .....

 

[silkiechicken]

You are probably having a hard time finding answers because I want to say the majority of members are just small flock backyarders not into the business half on any serious basis, and the few who are in it for the business aspect... are in it on their own. I know of one person who splits their chicken venture with the neighbor, but they are not members here and they basically live right next door and share the entire lot.

Really, it just might come down to working out (on paper) with your neighbor the business dealings. Paper talks, words can get lost, so just write out and sign an agreement that you guys think is fair.

If you are only selling a few dozen a week, or even a dozen dozen a week... I might ask if it is worth it in the long run, to have more than just pet chickens someone can care for while you are away.

 

[Pokster]

Quote:
I'm so sorry fifelakelooper, i wish we were lived closer. I take care of the farms in my neighborhood for free when they go away. I love animals and am always home! I hope you can work this out so you can have the hubs and the chickens! Good luck to you.