What would you charge

[sheila3935]

My neighbor has a friend that wants me to incubate her eggs for her this spring. Does anyone on here do this? And what should I charge?

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
If you are not using the incubator ... 10-20% of the chicks.

 

[Flashy2003]

I have seen people charge $1 an egg. If its allot of eggs you will make out good. If its only a hand full. Up the price.

 

[HEChicken]

You would want to take into account success/failure as the outcome of such a venture. If you charge, the "customer" may have an expectation of ending up with a certain number of chicks and end up disappointed when that doesn't happen. I think I would charge a flat rate (for your time and electricity costs in running the 'bator), plus a fee per live chick. If it is set up that way prior to the hatch, she understands that she may or may not end up with any live chicks. Her eggs may not be as fertile as she would like, or may get too chilled to develop prior to her collecting them (or a whole slew of other possibilities outside of your control). I don't know what to suggest for the incubation charge but for the live chick charge, I would keep it pretty low - maybe 25c per chick. That is far cheaper than if she goes to her feed store in Spring and buys chicks but she will be happier knowing she is not paying for the eggs that were duds, while your costs are covered even if nothing hatches. Win-win.

 

[dbcooper02]

I usually ask for and get a dollar per egg going into the incubator up front, plus a dollar a chick coming out. Of course you have to explain to them that a 100% hatch is quite unlikely. I like to mark, and return, or at least show the owner any dud eggs. You also have to think about whether you are willing to brood the chicks or make arrangements to have them picked up as soon as they come out of the hatcher.
db

 

[mamawolf544]

I personally dont do it but most people I know that do take 1/2 the hatch.
Others charge $1.00 a day to incubate and then a $1.00 for each chick everyday after they hatch until they are picked up.
I always like the 1/2 the hatch thing myself.

 

[Baralak]

Same.. Dollar an egg.. Regardless if ratio.

 

[HEChicken]

Quote:
Seriously? That would be a $21 chick even if picked up the day it hatches. Wow. And if more than one chick hatches, we're talking some serious bucks. I guess I way underestimated what people would be willing to pay for such a service....

 

[mamawolf544]

Quote:
Seriously? That would be a $21 chick even if picked up the day it hatches. Wow. And if more than one chick hatches, we're talking some serious bucks. I guess I way underestimated what people would be willing to pay for such a service....

I am in Texas and they always charge quite a bit for any services.

We have ads on our CL during hatching season and after a week they keep the chicks.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I do it for free, assuming there noncommercial. It does not cost me more to add eggs to a incubator that is already running. Then when they bring me there eggs to hatch for free they learn about the breeds I sell that are new to them an the learn about the other things I offer. Then when hatch time comes around they get to watch there eggs hatch on my live video feed on my website which becomes viral threw there family giving me many more locals that know about me. But the main reason to do it for free is building a good relationship with other chicken people. By doing it for free people know Im not out looking for my next buck so they come back an buy things. An most force money in my hand when they pick up the chicks anyway. So in reality I make money by doing it for free.

Now if someone wanted to do mass hatches I would set a price of around $.50 a hatched chick. That would cover my cost to scale up plus a profit. It would also give them enough of a savings to be worth hatching over buying hatchery chicks and/or for them to undercut the prices of people reselling hatchery chicks.