You need a business license to sell a casual sale (chickens)?

[Moochie]

Okay if you have a hatchery or something that makes a business yes ofcourse you do. What I mean is....
Your hen has chicks of her own for the first time! Yay! But you can't keep them all, uh oh. You have a flock of 28 already and you don't have room or can't afford anymore. Hmm, hey I know, how about a casual sale? Just like selling puppies or baby goldfish. It won't happen all the time so you don't need a license, right?
Well my dad says that you do and if it's a casual sale I don't see the difference from selling one time chicks to one time baby goldfish. Well maybe not chicks, more like pullets and cockerells.
I want my nice mutt to have babies with either the barred rock, cochin, or new hampshire. I don't like breeding purebreds all that much, I like different things.
So do we need to aquire a business license just for selling a batch of pullets/cockerells for one time? Probably only like twice a year I'll let a random girl have her own, maybe only once.

 

[saladin]

No you don't need a license.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

In the state of NC, you will only need a license to sell birds if you:

(1) Operate as a hatchery
(2) Sell birds off of your property (ie meeting somebody at the Wal-mart)

Check with your state dept of agriculture just in case.

 

[saladin]

I've sold birds in NC and I'm from SC. Sold them at the Unifour Show. All I needed was to show my NPIP card.

 

[gmendoza]

I just sell mine in me backyard.No licence in SC.

 

[midget_farms]

In Illinois you wouldnt' need a license to sell any livestock. Birds, cows or whatever. However - you need a license to sell eggs! But only if you sell them OFF your property. The assumption is that if people come to your house to buy your eggs they know what they are getting. If you sell them at the farmers market or deliver them to work etc. there are strict rules on temperature & handling. Eggs must be washed & in new cartons, candled etc.

The license is cheap - But you have to have an inspection & you have to keep records of the temps you store your eggs.

Also - if you are a business that does significant egg work you need an egg breakers license. For instance - you sell pre-mix scrambled eggs or you are a bakery & use 500 dozen a week. You need a license to ensure you are handling the eggs in the proper way to prevent contamination.

But this is all Illinois not NC

 

[cubalaya]

not for agricultural sales in va. if you have more than 1000 birds i think its different

 

[sourland]

Don't ask, don't tell!

 

[bakerjw]

I don't sell chickens but it got me wondering since I sell eggs to people I work with. So I looked it up egg selling exceptions for Tennessee.

http://www.lawserver.com/law/state/tennessee/tn-code/tennessee_code_53-2-107

I don't think that you have anything to worry about.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

No, in such small quantities you probably don't need any sort of license.

"Business license" is an oft misused term by those that assume you have to have a license to be in business, but that is not so. "Business licensing" is a term used by states and municipalities to describe the various permits and licenses that are are particular to various industries, i.e, to broker real estate deals you need a realtor's license, to haul hazardous waste you probably need to be licensed to do so and have a particular hauling permits, to sell eggs for consumption you may need an egg processing permit and/or a vendor's permit. These are all examples of "business licensing". Some municipalities may require small businesses to pay for a "business license" which generates revenues for various purposes, but that license does not say "You Are Now A Business", but is merely a formality of doing business.

So, unless your state or municipality has specific rules, license, or permits, that would pertain to your sale of small quantities of chicks there is no generic "Business License" that is required just because you doing business.


I sell $100,000 of organic eggs each year. I produce these eggs as a member an organic producers' cooperative. Our cooperative has trucks that pick up the eggs, deliver them to an egg processing plant where they are contracted to process and pack the eggs for us. Sales and distribution are handled by cooperative employees. I also sell quite a number of eggs directly from our farm.

Am I in the egg business? I obviously am. Our company name is registered with the county clerk as required by our state. I keep books on my business and pay the appropriate federal and state income taxes.

How many business licenses or permits do I have? NONE. The scope of my business is such that I am not directly involved in any activities or processes that would require any licenses or permits, nor is there any generic "Business License" required just because I am in business.