Incubation Service?

[Katy]

Quote:
You need to look at it as a small business and not a hobby or it won't pay for you to do it.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I hatch for local people who bring me their own hatching eggs during the Spring. Usually around 200 chicks or guineas. Just depends on how many people want to replenish their flock of older hens. It's certainly not a business and I do not make any overhead on it. I have never advertised it's just word of mouth.

 

[Davaroo]

I agree that it is either a business or a hobby; you need to decide.
At bargain, "nice guy" rates, it will take you forever to recoup your costs. You will likely get bored or frustrated with it before you do.
Nothing encourages success and feeling good about what you do like a positive bank balance.

The ancient Egyptians were experts at contract hatching, and they took one chick out of four as payment. That is 25%.
If chicks cost $3 or so after shipping from a hatchery, then you need to get at least $.75 per chick hatched.

I would probably charge a flat fee, though, around $10-$20.

 

[Katy]

I guess my major issue with what the OP wants to do is if I'm not mistaken she's only had chickens since late last summer and I'm not sure has even incubated eggs at all, let alone on a large scale. I'm not saying it can't work with local eggs, but personally I think it's probably a recipe for failure trying to do it with shipped eggs.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
What we are concerned with here is, of course, a guarantee of success. Experience aside, if he is incubating just any old stock, he cannot possibly know about the source of the eggs. Good rearing, bad rearing… who knows?

Success with incubation is a matter of proper equipment, experience and the proper rearing of the parent stock. Most people do not associate this last one, as they hurry to get the technology figured out. They believe, in fact, that the technology is the key - or is the source of their failure if things go wrong. But that is a mistake.

The ancient Egyptians I mentioned above had no technology to speak of, yet they managed to achieve what are astounding hatch rates, even by today's standards. It is also thought that they had a say-so in the rearing of the stock birds. In essence they had a collective, even cooperative effort with their suppliers.

So first, you ought to have your equipment sorted out and a level of confidence with it borne of experience. Then, you must charge a price that pays you well, or it becomes little more than a glorified science experiment. Finally, you should make a disclaimer about the hatch rate being unpredictable, since the rearing of the parent stock is out of your control.

I would suggest keeping it simple and just let customers tell you what they are willing to pay.
After you tell them what they need to know about YOU, The Hatcherist, just ask them, “What’ll you pay me to do it?”

 

[Shadowgrass]

Just to clarify, I am a he, not a she, hahaha. My wife and I use the same account to post. I am country through and through, she is a city girl. I have been working on converting her and it is going very well. I have been around the farm my whole life growing up and have worked, hatched, raised many many chicks/chickens. I supposed credibility can be an issue online. As far as guarantees go, there is no guarantee in hatching as most of us know. It may be too much trust involved of most people until I were to get this off the ground locally and build a reputation for it. I was just thinking out loud, maybe there is need, maybe there is not. However, if someone wanted to hatch 50 eggs out and didn't have the equipment or know how, they might be interested in having someone doing it for them. I think the premise of the idea is sound, but there may be too many variables to make it work.

J

 

[HHandbasket]

I have seen an ad on a local craigslist for a lady up in Auburn who incubates for a price, and I think she does pretty well & that it's a great idea. If I didn't have my own setup, I'd use a service like that, esp. if I just wanted to hatch out a few.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Noted, and corrections made. Thanks for that!

I supposed credibility can be an issue online. As far as guarantees go, there is no guarantee in hatching as most of us know. It may be too much trust involved of most people until I were to get this off the ground locally and build a reputation for it. I was just thinking out loud, maybe there is need, maybe there is not. However, if someone wanted to hatch 50 eggs out and didn't have the equipment or know how, they might be interested in having someone doing it for them. I think the premise of the idea is sound, but there may be too many variables to make it work.

- Credibility will always be an issue. People's basic question about you is, "Can I trust you?" It is the fundamental question, isn't it?
The way to handle it is to live up to it. Be trusted and be trust worthy.

- Most people bringing you their eggs will probably know the risk of failure, too, but you should still remind them. They can have amnesia, sometimes.

- And Im guessing that there probably are some folks who would want you to do what they won't, or cannot. Its why we have roofers, electricians and plumbers, after all.
So, you have to find them and the best way to do that is to ask. Put out some flyers, Craiglist adds, etc. and ask your neighbors if they, or someone they know, might be interested. ALWAYS ask if they know someone who might.... nothing beats a personal referral!

See what responses you get.

- I would not discourage you from it just because there are obstacles, or "variables," as you put it. If that stopped us from doing things, we would still be living in caves and throwing spears.
What I am saying is decide to be a success at it. Set yourself up to do well and profit from the outset. Nothing ensures success like achieving it.
So plan ahead, do the research and get it right going in, to the greatest degree that you can. Let people know that is what you are doing and let them know where you see possible pitfalls. DO this confidently and openly and people will respond. Most won't expect you to be perfect, and can accept that.

Then as you gain experience and a bit of acumen in the hatching business, you can modify or change your approach.

But one thing is certain - if you approach it half heartedly, then you will probably get lackluster results. You sound like a good guy and smart enough to do anything. So don't think small.​

 

[HHandbasket]

Quote:
Just because someone has not incubated eggs previously does not mean they cannot be successful with their hatch, but I think it would be advisable for the OP to hatch out a couple of clutches of eggs for himself and try his hand at hatching before attempting to add hatching services to his home-based chicken business. It's just a good idea to try something on for size before going into it as a business venture, but I think if done properly after you've done a few of your own hatches, I think you can at least make some pocket change outta the deal. I think you should pursue it, but take the proper steps and hatch for yourself first.

I agree with Katy, though, that it can be a losing proposition if you try this venture with shipped eggs. Those alone can be prohibitively expensive, even when hatching for one's self. In fact, as much as I love my fellow BYCers and am sure their eggs are all good, I would never buy eggs and have them shipped. Have heard too many stories of people paying $50 and up for a dozen eggs only to have maybe at BEST a 50% hatch. I'd be about 3 kinds of mad, so instead of put myself in that position, I get my eggs locally and get better hatch rates. In fact, right now, 100% of our eggs are viable as of candling this morning (we go into lockdown later this afternoon). I think I stand a good possibility of a 100% hatch this time 'round (well, except for the egg I dropped yesterday and killed the fully formed chick inside... I felt like doodoo all night for that one).

I think a hatching service can be a good seasonal venture if you go about it the right way. I wish you ALL the best!

Good luck and keep us posted.

Edited to correct misspelled words.

 

[Lotsapaints]

I never advertised and I'm hatching for people who found out I incubated eggs for me....they can't candle but have had bad luck hatching anything because of work so asked if I would and offered to pay 2.00 an egg.....I don't think they want to vaccinate the chicks but I could do that too. This time I'm using their incubators but if this works out I want to buy a nicer one so I just have one incubator running.....