Make money from chickens

[ThePetCemetery]

Hi there

Random ramblings..
Picture one you can see my three bebebebebbes in the brooder box.
Picture two you see one of the three much smaller than the other two. Believe it or not this chick is almost a month old. Tiny but eating. Oh yeah and it has one eye. Long story short I had to help this one out of the egg. But he/she is doing fine. A bit retarded maybe but I still love her/him.

Anyway, my point to this post... Who could suggest an income from chickens even if it requires investment and set up... How could one get a 100k plus income per year from chickens. Ideas? Without selling meat.

Maybe 100k is too adventurous but you get my point.

Best idea I have so far is breed and sell heritage day old chicks of specific and sort after breeds. Scale is a factor though.

This is where my life is going and I want to take it to the next level. I'm sure there are plenty of posts on this topic and I'm unsure of the rules and good like finding me reading through them. Here's my own post

Pet cemetery.

 

[perchie.girl]

I guess I have to aske a couple of questions before I can attempt to answer yours.

How much experience do you have in raising chickens? IE. how long have you been working with chickens.

How much land do you have?

If you are not selling meat you are selling eggs and Chicks and adult birds. Most breeders earn a good reputation for providing strong healthy birds that follow the Standard Of Perfection... Many people here on BYC call that SOP. Which is a breed standard.... which is incredibly presice... which is something I dont know hardly at all except I know it exists.

But as with all breeds specific traits... Horses and many dogs that I know of...
There is a requirement for; Body type, skin color, Comb shape, feather type, feather color, Egg laying characteristics, and temperament. One of the best ways to achieve a good reputation for breeding animals is to show and compete against other farms.

You have to have good stock to begin with... many of the hatcheries that sell heritage breeds use suppliers small farms that produce a specific breed.

You have to get certified for NPIP... and practice biosecurity on your farm.... Depending on which state you live in NPIP standards are different.... I belive here in California if you want your Certification Every bird on the property has to be inspected even if its a Pet.

They take blood from each bird and test for certain diseases.... http://www.poultryimprovement.org

You CAnnot easily ship birds between states without this certification ....


I checked in to getting a Shell Egg liscence in order to sell at farmers Markets.... Its quite a process... and you cannot have an egg business without it. Unless you sell from your own property and you have under a hundred chickens....



So.... Housing... different blood lines need to be kept separated from other bloodlines. That includes colors... This means housing for each... Some people use a single barn with partitions inside if you are in a cold weather climate... With runs or exercise pens to the outside.

Next comes the culling process. IN order to have marketable birds you have to raise them up to a point where you can see whether or not they follow the SOP. Then you have to find a way to remove those birds from your breeding flock. Most farms get pretty good at this and process for their own tables.... Culling means moving the animal from the breeding program. Doesnt mean immediately killing them. you can sell them as pet quality... as well.

To be honest Unless you develop a huge operation you are lucky to break even....

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Ok I just read your other post... I assume by the use of Caravan you are not in the US.... Please substitute NPIP for what ever health agency you use in your country.

and from San Diego.