new breed of chicken

[tobychicks]

i am looking for a new type of chicken so that i can breed them somthing that is not a silkie and that is easy to care for

i am wanting to make a business

 

[nuthatched]

You're looking for breed recommendations? What type of space do you have? Are you allowed to have a rooster where you live? I'd say most chicken breeds are easy to care for but all living things take work.

 

[Mrs. K]

Do you plan on selling eggs? - egg laying breeds - leghorns
Do you plan on raising meat? - meat birds
Do you plan on selling chicks? Lots of choices.

Very difficult to break even... most of us loose money on this hobby whether we like to admit it or not.

Predators can destroy any profit over night.

MRs K

 

[Silexian]

It is next to impossible to make a profit with just a few chickens. If you have the space to raise enough chickens to make a worthwhile effort at selling some. It is best in my experience to stay clear of breeds easily obtainable from hatcheries and farm & home stores. They will always out price you. Most people don’t really care about the quality of common breeds. Close enough is good enough. For the average person just getting a few hens to wander around their backyard. So again from my experience. It is a losing battle on that front. You will need something that people want and have better quality and/or varieties than they can easily get somewhere else. You will need to figure out what people are seeking in your market area. Also you have to spend money to make money. Rare and well bred birds do not come cheap. Either does safe housing and equipment, to start and grow a poultry business. So you will have to find a way to obtain some start up money. Just like with any other business. I am not trying to discourage you. Just letting you know there is a lot more to it than just selecting a breed and selling a couple of chicks from them. I hope you are one of the rare people that can make it happen and have a good go at forming a business. Good luck to you.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

i am looking for a way to make some money while i am young

You will be lucky to break even

 

[nuthatched]

i am looking for a way to make some money while i am young

Chicken raising, especially chick selling doesn't make much profit, trust me. A large reliable incubator (not a generic one from amazon) capable of hatching enough chicks to make a hatch worthwhile will cost anywhere from $100 -$200 on up, good breeding stock, just a trio or quartet, of a good quality, rarish breed, is easily $150, you might even have to raise them from eggs to get a worthwhile breed, materials for predator proof breeding pens $300, feed $17 a bag, every 2 weeks, water, time- 2 hours a day, etc. Some places require a permits for selling live chicks, have you looked into that? What are your plans for extra chicks or returned cockerels? Will you get npip certified? I wouldn't buy from a backyard breeder that's not npip. You're looking at at least $800 to start, and you might be able to get $3 a chick. Selling Fertile eggs or just eating eggs are much less risky but still has many details involved. I don't have any fancybreeds and I just sell extra eggs to eat, at $3 a dozen, minus feed costs, it will take approximately 3 years to make back the cost of of coop and run. Not including the price of the chickens themselves!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

@tobychicks I have a side business selling eggs and chicks. I'm licensed to do so by the State of FL, which is both cheap and relatively permissive compared to many States, and I'm voluntarily participating in the NPIP program ( which is free in FL, not free many other places). I buy feed from a local family feed store cheaper than I can get it at the mill, and much cheaper than can be had at TSC, Rural King, or the like. Oh yeah, and I have acres.

You can see my flock in my signature, below.

In spite of numerous financial advantages over Joe Average, most days my side business breaks even, and a handful of months each year, i lose lots of money. With licensing, taxes, equipment replacement, coop maintenances, and the like I spent about $2,000 of my "entertainment budget" the first year, in addition to start up costs (chicks, coop, run, etc), and another $800* in the hole each year thereafter.

As business opportunities go, the poultry business is NOT lucrative. Recommend rethinking your plans in favor of something with greater financial potential.

*this includes costs associated with starting up business in goats and rabbits, otherwise, I might break even this year. Maybe.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

It cost more then its worth it to make a business

 

[tobychicks]

You're looking for breed recommendations? What type of space do you have? Are you allowed to have a rooster where you live? I'd say most chicken breeds are easy to care for but all living things take work.

i have plenty of space

 

[tobychicks]

It is next to impossible to make a profit with just a few chickens. If you have the space to raise enough chickens to make a worthwhile effort at selling some. It is best in my experience to stay clear of breeds easily obtainable from hatcheries and farm & home stores. They will always out price you. Most people don’t really care about the quality of common breeds. Close enough is good enough. For the average person just getting a few hens to wander around their backyard. So again from my experience. It is a losing battle on that front. You will need something that people want and have better quality and/or varieties than they can easily get somewhere else. You will need to figure out what people are seeking in your market area. Also you have to spend money to make money. Rare and well bred birds do not come cheap. Either does safe housing and equipment, to start and grow a poultry business. So you will have to find a way to obtain some start up money. Just like with any other business. I am not trying to discourage you. Just letting you know there is a lot more to it than just selecting a breed and selling a couple of chicks from them. I hope you are one of the rare people that can make it happen and have a good go at forming a business. Good luck to you.

i am looking for a way to make some money while i am young