I'm seriously considering starting a hatchery business(My game plan, critiques, advice, encouragemen

[heritagehabitatfarms]

i would imagine you would pro have a waiting list for some breeds and then you could offer assortments like the big hatcheries do...

you really needto consider the "leftover" chicks.... you cant possibly give away that many birds and make a profit....


say someone orders 25 chicks, so u get 50 eggs,, say you get 35 hatch, thats 10 leftover... youd havr to find a buyer for 10 specific birds... or same senerio, you only have 22 hatch them youd have to tell your customer you couldnt fill an order ..... or aay you actually got all 50 eggs to hatch....


youll need alot of spare coops/brooders ready to go to hold leftovers

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

almost all big hatcheries ship there eggs at least some distance... the thing is most do not use the USPS they use special delivery trucks... there is a Big broiler breeding farm in NW AR that does not hatch any chicks but will deliver eggs to other hatcheries in about 30 states... about 25Mil a year... it is not the shipping it self that is the problem with the USPS but the rough ride and temperature swings...

if it was me i would see if you could find at least a few local ppl to work with you on it... u provide them with the breeding stock and they sell u the eggs at a discount... within driving distance so u could inspect there flocks and help them cull for the following years breeders... even ppl with just a few backyard birds might be willing to do this... after the 1st year this could be one way to use up extra chicks as well...

 

[Narragansett]

I agree with NYREDS and Oregon Blues. Plus, you're going to have to hatch a heck of a lot more than 300 per cycle, to be able to get anywhere. Take some business classes and understand what is meant by the economies of scale. If it were that easy, everyone with a 300 egg incubator would be doing it. There are thousands of exhibitor breeders who probably would much rather be working full time in poultry, who have much more experience and contacts than you. Ask yourself, if they haven't done it, how will you be successful?

 

[Sumatra503]

My plan is to start with 300 and build from there. I will probably be able to purchase more bators and brooding space, too after the first year.

At least, that's my hope.

I have taken a full year of business courses and have 10 years of poultry experience under my belt.

My minimum order will be 3 birds. I may also set a maximum order, too. My price per chick will be a bit higher than a regular hatchery, strictly due to the lack of bulk prices.

I have based my pricing on the price of the eggs and the shipping of the eggs for each chick. even if I end up with extra chicks and ship the extras free of charge I am not out any money for the eggs and shipping them.

Say a person orders 3 chicks. When they order they have to pay upfront. This price covers the price and shipping costs for 6 eggs, as well as the electricity for hatching them. Even if 6 chicks hatch, I'm still not out money, since they paid for the full price for 6 eggs. If I had no buyer for the 3 extra chicks, then shipping them out is the same as not having a buyer for them and not getting paid for them anyway.

I am counting the extra chicks as zero. If I'm selling 150/300 and end up with 300/300, the extra 150 wouldn't actually exist in my profit margins.

I do, however have lots of extra space and lots of oregon buyers for my extras.

 

[Sumatra503]

I still thank you all for your questions and inquiries.

 

[Pages Poultry]

I would like to know if you've done anything with this idea yet? Have you gotten started? How was the recruitment process? What were your starting costs? How long did it take you to get up and running? Also, do you have a website? Thanks

 

[Chicken Gizzard]

You want to cover your business bases. A business license is a good idea. Check on insurance, liability etc. Just be careful to cover your assets.

 

[sgps]

Hi, I know in some places you do not need a permit if you have under 2000 birds and no need for a business licence. Also If you get a website and have a small amount of breeding stock then you will not be able to keep up with it. I suggests building up slowly and start with kijiji for your website and make the customers come to you for the first bit. If you get ducks and geese keep them separate from your chickens because they make a huge MESS, and I went to a breeder who had his drakes bottom beak missing from the rooster! Also the ducks water habits create mold and make diseases that chickens can die from! here's a list of breeds that might be options for when you start. Australorps, orpinton, bard rock, rhode island red, whyadottes, turkens and silkie / bantoms.
Sorry for the spelling.

What makes a good quality hertrige bird other than dark eyes?

 

[sgps]

Hi, Instead of hatching orders ect. you could make customers come to you and you could sell what you have that day rather than having extras and the stress of filling orders exact, just incubator a variety and tell public on kijiji / website what you have in stock and that you can come by every Friday and then you could hatch eggs for Thursdays.
I know you building an incubator but the store bot ones you know have been proven to work and if it don't work you can take it back.

 

[LaSwampChickens]

I've been considering selling/shipping eggs for hatching and I'd like to know if you had any luck with your brooding business proposal? I have 100+ acres of empty farmland in Alabama and could manage quit a few breeds of chickens. Right now it's just an idea but I'd like to know how your thing turned out considering it has been a few years. Thanks!