Would anyone have a need or think anyone would be interested in an incubation service? I am looking at a top of the line cabinet incubator for myself, and to help offset the cost, I was wondering if anyone thinks there to be value in that? I would be able to incubate around 400 at a time. I am just wondering, I know a lot of people offer eggs, and many people would like chicks instead. If someone bought the eggs and shipped them to me I could hatch them out and send the baby chicks for a small fee, like $1 an egg + shipping or maybe less. Please send your input.
I am not going to say that this is a bad idea but I would think that you might want to check into local interest first. See if people in your area would be willing to pay for those kind of services before buying the big incubator. Maybe put an ad on Craigs List and see if you get replies. You could also check with your local feed stores to see if they would be interested in buying chicks from you. I would want to know that you will have clientelle before thinking about the additional expense of shipping live chicks and possibly needing to get NPIP certified before doing any venture. Good luck!
This is a question that everyone asks when they are trying to justify the purchase of an expensive incubator. I wont say that it never works, or that it can't work, but it is a bit of wishful thinking. No one is going to pay for incubation on any level when their birds can do it naturally for them.
Shadow grass....Where are you located? I know I would probably be interested if you were local. Shipping can get dicey especially in cold weather and sometimes pretty expensive, but if you were near enough to me, I would probably use your services on occasion.
If you can't sell incubation services, I bet you can sell chicks! My Mom just started incubating her own eggs and can hardly keep enough chicks for herself, what with all the 4H-ers and other chicken-keepers around.
If you can do it with your own eggs or find a good local supplier of eggs it could work to sell chicks, but trying to do it with shipped eggs and then turning around and shipping the chicks I don't think would work too well. Shipped eggs are a gamble and some people aren't going to understand that it may not be your fault that only 1 or 2 of their shipped eggs hatched.
Quote:I am actually taking the NPIP training next month to be a tester myself, so that part is not an issue. I wasn't really looking to start hatching out my own chicks to sell, I was thinking more of getting with local breeders, or even those online. I know I hear a lot that "my bator is full" or what have you. Good idea on checking Craig's list, but I would have to purchase it first before I offered the service, which is why I was throwing it out here. Thanks for valuable input.
Quote:I'm in Michigan. The distance is not really an issue, it would be no different than people buying chicks instead of eggs. Let's say for example that you wanted to buy some chicks, and not deal with the eggs or your bator is full, or you don't have one, or what have you. Someone is selling 12+ hatching eggs for sale. Instead of having the eggs shipped to you, they would ship them to me instead. I would hatch them out and send them to you. Yes, that would make me responsible for the hatch result, but I would be using a computer controlled incubator, basically the best there is. I also have generator backup in case of power outages. Yes, cold could be an issue, I would only be able to do it early spring to late fall most likely.
This year I am doing kind of the same thing only there will be NO SHIPPING INVOLVED! I have mainly hatched Heritage Turkeys and a few Duck & Geese in the past on a small scale operation. However some of the people that I have sold turkeys to in the past few years have asked me to incubate some of their eggs for them. It started out that if I incubate some eggs from their turkeys they would give me additional eggs to incubate that I can sell. Then I started getting requests from people that wanted chicken eggs incubated then guineas and now even peafowl. I now have five incubators and two Hatchers so I can pretty much custom incubate anything anyone wants. I also have access to many different varieties of eggs mostly from people that I will be incubating for. This has allowed me to get eggs from them and incubate for other people that want a certain breed. To date I have access to about 24 different breeds of chickens and 12 different Heritage Turkeys three color of Peafowl and some guineas. This is only for locals. I have advertised through Craigs List and put a few posters up in feed stores and local bulletin boards. Basically if someone wants it I try to find it for them! Like I said this is the first year Im doing this so its still a wait and see but I have already got people lined up for the service! When they furnish the eggs I charge $.25 per egg set fee and $.75 per hatchling (for 21 days incubation), $.50 Set Fee Plus $1.50 Per Hatchling (for 28 days incubation), $.60 Set Fee Plus $1.80 Per Hatchling (for Water Fowl)! If someone wants to buy shipped eggs and have me incubate them for them thats fine but they have to get the eggs to me and they have to pick up the hatchlings within 48 hours of hatching! If I furnish the eggs the price depends on what the eggs cost me and the breed involved. Right now I have 3 dozen Blue & Lavender Orpington eggs and Blue Laced Red Wyandotte eggs in the incubator for one person, 3 dozen Red Sex Linked eggs for another person, plus 2 dozen of my Gold Lace Wyandotte which I have an order for when they hatch. I say go for it but Id question the shipping involved with your idea! Try it locally first!
Kekko, Thank you very much for information. In the area I am in, in order to get ANY kind of chickens, I have to drive 30 minutes to feed store. Even then they offer the basics, mostly ISA Browns or meat birds. The shipping thing was a shot in the dark, I don't think it is a bad idea, but there are added risks and costs. I may be able to find enough locally to subsidize and justify my purchase of a larger incubator. I am not really looking to do a large scale operation, however it didn't sound like you were either, just kind of turned out that way. I will definitely start with my local Craig's List and feed store folks which dsqard also suggested. I just don't want to spent that kind of money and have it empty most of the time. I'm obviously not looking to turn a big profit here, just re-coop my costs. I think it would be a great hobby for me and the kids to do. Thanks all for the input.
