Renting out my Silkies butt

[Angelic Vampyre]

Not 100% sure where to put this and was wondering what you guys thought about this.

I offered the local kindergarten the use of one of my silkies "if" she goes broody. I would supply a small hutch and the fertile eggs and the hen and let her go for it and then take the lot back when the chicks where say 3 - 5 weeks of age. ( I would be doing daily checks)

One of the parents came up to me today and asked if I would be intrested in renting her my Silkie. Now I am not happy for the hen to go to someone I don't knows place but she does not want that. What she wants is to give me say 1/2 a dozen fertile eggs (she asked if I knew someone who she could purchase them off) then pay me for allowing my hen to sit on them. Once hatched she would like to bring the kids around once a week to see their new chickens and when the chickens are about 7 weeks old they would take them home. She said she was happy to pay me a per week amount for use of my hen and for the care I would give the babies.

I sort of like the idea but see a few issues

1) what is none of the eggs hatch?
2) what is some or more of the chicks die?
3) what if they all turn out to be roosters?

I did mention this, but she wanted her kids to understand where chickens come from, the mother child bond and also last time they raised chickens from a feed store they ended up with all rooster, then they got a bunch from the Melbourne show and again all rooster so they figure this way they run the chance of getting hens and they get to pick the breed they want.

Any thoughts on this idea? Also how much would you charge? To hire an incubator is $200 deposit and then about $150 a week for a small three egg one.

 

[FenDruadin]

Wow--it's amazing the things you can make money doing!

Really, it's quite ingenious!

Anyway, I don't know the answers to any of your questions--I think it sounds like an intriguing option. But a few things I can think of:

She would need to agree (preferably in writing) that she understands the eggs might not hatch and that you would NOT BE LIABLE, in any way shape or form, should that happen--no reimbursement of her egg cost, no reimbursement of your "rental" fee, no nothing. In fact, this would HAVE to be in writing. Likewise, no liability if one of the chicks dies. No liability if the chicks all turn out to be roos. You get the picture. All in writing.

It might be tempting to say you won't charge if something happens to the eggs, but the fact is that even if the eggs don't hatch or the chicks all die or whatever, you've still given up the "use" of your hen for the period when she's been sitting on someone else's eggs.

I think it's despicable when people advertise "straight run" but really are just offering the "leftovers" from the sexed batch. I'm pretty sure it's illegal too, but how can you prove it? It sounds like that's what happened to her.

If she really wants hens and another "all roos" result would be unmanageable for her, she might want to think about ordering sexed chicks.

I have no clue how much you should charge. I'm

in awe at the cost of renting an incubator--really? Why wouldn't you just buy one at that price? I mean, you can buy a pretty nice incubator for $450, which is what a three-week rental would cost you at that price. Very weird.

Anyway--good luck one way or the other. And

on having such a wonderful little broody that everyone want to use her! Don't forget to let her have a break in between!

 

[beckychick]

Personally, I wouldn't charge her, just ask her to buy the food the chicks need and so on. It would be a nice neighborly thing to do without much effort on your part.

Sorry, I am not trying to offend you...just bringing up a different view on the matter.

 

[shelleyd2008]

That is a neat idea! What I would do is ask her what kind of chicks she is wanting, then buy them yourself. Then, once the chicks hatch, you can charge her a per chick buying price, and the weekly 'fees'. That way if none of them hatch, you don't have to reimburse her and are only out the price of the eggs.

Has your silkie successfully hatched eggs before? I know silkies are very broody, but mine don't seem to be all that great at hatching. They are good setters and mamas, they just don't have the hatching part down too good.

 

[pixie74943]

Quote:
I like the idea of fees. Or maybe you could go half in eggs and feed costs, and then she could either buy all the chicks from you, or just the ones she wants.

Although then that leaves the excess roos in your hands.. hmmm...

Genious Idea though, renting a silkie has got to be alot better than renting an incubator.

 

[Angelic Vampyre]

Thanks guys. At the moment my two silkies are 14 weeks old so have no clue what they will be like as mums so this would be something to think about for next spring.

I also would do a test run with my girls before offering this option out.

You have given me alot to think about, might see if anyone else is doing this and if so what rental agreements they get in writing.

 

[Angelic Vampyre]

Quote:
Hi wanted to add no offence at all. I would have thought about doing it for nothing either way but I don't know this lady other then her daughter goes to the same daycare as the boy I look after and she was the one that offered to pay so it got me thinking.

 

[Elite Silkies]

I would purchase the eggs myself and let her buy the chicks after they were about 7 weeks old.

Or let her purchase the eggs and she can buy which chicks she wants.

$150.00 a week for someone else to hatch eggs for me, is too steep for my shallow pockets. You can buy a decent incubator for 130.00 with a turner and hatch 42 chicks. But, if she is willing to pay it, then I'd say go for it.

 

[Angelic Vampyre]

Quote:
Hey the $150 is an incubator quote I got from a rental company.

I was thinking like $10 a week with one weekly visit, that money is for food and car of the chicken and eggs/chicken and chicks and my time for having them in my house once a week.

Also this way I don't end up with any roos as all the chicks go with the family who bought the eggs in the first place.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Quote:
Hey the $150 is an incubator quote I got from a rental company.

I was thinking like $10 a week with one weekly visit, that money is for food and car of the chicken and eggs/chicken and chicks and my time for having them in my house once a week.

Also this way I don't end up with any roos as all the chicks go with the family who bought the eggs in the first place.

Hey, I wasn't meaning that to be rude or out of line in anyway, I do apologize if I offended you.

I would go for $10.00 a week and also have her purchase the eggs that she wants. That way your not responsible if anything happens during shipping.

That might be another good way to make extra cash, rent out incubators? I honestly never thought about it, or even knew that they rented them.