Starting new hatchery - Need shipping materials and more!

[bargain]

I hope you don't debeak the chickens. I have bought a few debeaked ones and they are "last to rashions" and unable to peck at the ground. I think it's inhumane myself. I know I'm opinionated but I will never debeak my hens.

There are other ways to manage fights among hens and "eating" of their own eggs ...

Please please don't start this practice.

 

[The Chickinn]

I would buy the debeaker, but only debeak the birds when the customer says like I want to buy 15 debeaked Golden Comets, or something like that. So that the customer decides if the poultry he buys is debeaked or not.

 

[Funky Feathers]

Cutler's Supply has the best prices on shipping boxes for chicks. They are in Michigan. They also have the best prices on incubator parts & supplies. Them or McMurray Hatchery should have the vaccines and debeakers. You'll want to get NPIP Certified clean status and maybe join the APA and/or ABA. You'll want to do up a nice website for your hatchery. Good luck.

 

[campbellhatchery]

I will only de-beak birds apon request - most of my breeds won't ever be in the situation to need it tho 8) I've already gotten some orders for local pet stores!

Thanks for all the responses! I just got back from a 16 hour drive to PA to pickup my incubator. Wednesday construction of my new breeding house will start.

Since International Paper is just 30 minutes from here I am thinking about getting a press dye made to stamp out my own shipping cartons, but right now I appreciate the responses and the help finding the cheapest boxes! I can't believe how much shipping is for cardboard boxes! Everywhere I go with decent prices they charge as much for shipping as the actual boxes.. >.<

I'll post pictures of my incubator and my starter birds when I get this huge thing off my truck! the bator weighs like 500lbs.

I need to get a new hygrometer for this incubator and then I might need a few test eggs~ so if you want to get your eggs incubated for free (would appreciate pure bred chick donations for incubating some tho!)

I'm 6 minutes off exit 19 of I-20 in Georgia just shoot me a personal message!


Since I'm a small startup I'd like to also ask everyone, What is your favorite breed?

RIR, Black Australorps, Pearl-White leghorn, Silkies(blue, black, white), Silver Laced Wyandottes, Cornish game, O.E. game, Dominiker seem to be the most popular in the bulletins around here.

 

[bargain]

Great luck on your venture. Come see us in Bowdon. We are a very small farm and diversified with hatching and eating eggs, milk goats, chickens, turkeys, guineas, geese and more bunnies etc etc and most of all fresh locally grown chemical free produce. I'll be glad to sell some hatching eggs. I just got my first cabinet incubator and am hatching a small hatch out - but large for me - just got 48 from the hatcher and more are coming out.

My fav breed ---- hard to say .....I love my bcm's....wellsummer, speckled sussex, rir, barred rocks, cuckoo marans, easter eggers, etc.

Like I say, let me know when I can help you with eggs and if you happen to make some low cost boxes, please let me know ....I might want to ship some of my chicks ...Thanks!

Also let's talk about a large bulk food order!!!

 

[campbellhatchery]

I am also trying to start out from a customer's point of view rather a businessman's view.

Please also reply with your grievances from other hatcheries!

Some policies I will be instituting and challenges I'd face:

Minimum orders - minimum orders are to ensure that the babies have enough heat during shipping... Was thinking maybe I could develop a special box using the iron based heating pads (little beanies) they stay hot for over 24 hours so maybe i could ship smaller quantities overnight to nearby states? Unless there is a government mandate I'll see if I can make this work.

Bird quality- I am only breeding my best birds, the rest will not be killed, but used as egg layers or offered for sale as laying hens with the understanding that they were sold as pets, not breeding quality birds.

Faithful customers - Will always receive extras!

Customer service - Didn't have much luck with the last order of birds? (darn hawks and coons!) Let us know what happened and we will do what we can to cheer you up 8)

Sexing: I'm not a professional sexer.. and probably won't get large enough scale to afford one. So until I figure it out I can only offer straight run or my best guesses 8(. Some reading material would be appreciated!

 

[campbellhatchery]

I'd love to come by and see your farm some time, shoot me a PM with directions! My incubator has about a 1000 brown egg capacity if your cabinet incubator is full.

 

[bargain]

I'm at 169 reavesville rd, bowdon, ga....It's 166 out of carrollton toward bowdon, right on Wedowee st, which is 100S and then left on reavesville rd

Please call before you're coming. I'm doing a lot of goat sales lately and I might have another customer.

My incubator will presently hold 82 each tray and 3 trays. I think I'm good, but I may need help soon if I keep getting BCM orders.

THanks.

 

[bargain]

Phone is 404 4092352 - cell...Also expecting a few milk goats to birth out and during the last 12 hours, I don't leave their side, but given al that do drop by we are neighbors! N

 

[lowcountrypoultry]

Sounds great! If you have a great website, you will get lots of customers!