Jonnyboy
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Grow your own chickensChez and I have come up with a (very) small business idea which might bring in a small amount of income and be a service to downsizers.
We would loan you a full incubation kit, and send you up to approx 20 eggs (depending on your needs) to enable you to raise your own chicks and eventually hens and cockerals.
The benefit is that you do not need to buy the equipment, you get everything you need, and you get access to plenty of free advice and support. Your birds will be free of the risks you get from buying adult birds, they will be cheaper and you get the joy of creating your own flock.
When you have finished with the equipment after a month you can either send it back or pass it on to our next customer.
Comments and suggestions appreciated, including an idea of how much you would be willing to pay. Thanks in advance
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toggle
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I'd possibly be interested eventually, like this time next year. I'd only be looking at growing myself 3-5 birds though.
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Snowball
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We are not in a position to grow chicks yet, but the idea seems good to me. I can see people setting out on the chick adventure finding this very useful.
No idea how much to charge though. How much do they cost to buy?
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Mrs Fiddlesticks
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might well be interested in this but don't have room for 20! 
edited to add - just chickens or what about quail? That would be fun!
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Jamanda
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OH is funny about chickens  so we won't be in the market, but it is a very good idea.
How would it work logistically? An incubator is a pretty big thing isn't it? (remembering the ones the local gamekeeper used to use for his pheasants thirty years ago - things may have changed  )
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toggle
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oh, my oh is funny about chickens.
he told me this morning that his objections were based on a belief that he won't budge from, that a few backyard hens will smell like a battery henhouse being cleaned out.
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Jamanda
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| toggle wrote: | oh, my oh is funny about chickens.
he told me this morning that his objections were based on a belief that he won't budge from, that a few backyard hens will smell like a battery henhouse being cleaned out. |
Sean's is less rational than that.
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Jonnyboy
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The incubator is roughly the same size as a microwave, it will take a maximum of 24 eggs but less if required. You don't have to fill it to capacity.
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toggle
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| Jamanda wrote: | | toggle wrote: | oh, my oh is funny about chickens.
he told me this morning that his objections were based on a belief that he won't budge from, that a few backyard hens will smell like a battery henhouse being cleaned out. |
Sean's is less rational than that. |
I did tell him that if backyard hens smelt like that, their keeper would recieve a well deserved visit from the RSPCA. In the end, I will win
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VSS
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what sort of prices are you looking at to loan an incubator and to provide hatching eggs?
would need to be competitive when compared to buying day olds.
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RichardW
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Also consider the cost of two lots of postage (to & from the user) compared to buying a small incubator / day olds / broody. What is the likely cost of the complete kit inc delivery? What about damage to the incubator in transit (its bound to happen eventualy). Sounds like a fun idea just not sure that downsizers are your best target market (they know some one who can lend an incubator / broody / supply day olds etc). Better targeting chicken newby type city dewelers that have no contacts.
Justme
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Chez
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I think it will work well with people who actually want to have the 'hatching experience' (see, marketing talk already  ). It's not going to make us millions, but every little helps.
I have sold a few lots of hatching eggs on eBay, pure-breeds go from about a pound an egg. Day olds, as hatched, usually start at about three quid a bird (not on eBay, obviously).
I've just worked out the p&p on 2 dozen eggs and it would be £10.45, first class recorded, in those special poly-boxes.
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Jamanda
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| Justme wrote: | Also consider the cost of two lots of postage (to & from the user) compared to buying a small incubator / day olds / broody. What is the likely cost of the complete kit inc delivery? What about damage to the incubator in transit (its bound to happen eventualy). Sounds like a fun idea just not sure that downsizers are your best target market (they know some one who can lend an incubator / broody / supply day olds etc). Better targeting chicken newby type city dewelers that have no contacts.
Justme |
I think quite a few people fit your last demograqphic, and we are each other's contacts.
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RichardW
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| Chez wrote: | I think it will work well with people who actually want to have the 'hatching experience' (see, marketing talk already ). It's not going to make us millions, but every little helps.
I have sold a few lots of hatching eggs on eBay, pure-breeds go from about a pound an egg. Day olds, as hatched, usually start at about three quid a bird (not on eBay, obviously).
I've just worked out the p&p on 2 dozen eggs and it would be £10.45, first class recorded, in those special poly-boxes. |
I ment the incubator delivery (eggs would be inside so no extra costs) costs. I estimated it would be about £12 each way. Using pure breeds will help keep prices up compared to day olds (hybrid day olds egg layers £1.30 meat chicks 80p ish).
How long a "season" do you think you will be able to offer the service or for how long would people want chicks to look after?
During that time how many times could each incubator be lent out?
(21 days incubation double delivery times, cleaning before re renting [so must come back to you], so about a full month per rental)
How long will the incubator last with all the delivery risks.
Then you need to calc the cost of the incubator over the number of rentals over the life time of the incubator. That will set you min price to cover cost of incubator & replacment.
Sounds like a fun idea. Would be good to do localy so no delivery costs, Say through the school, clubs etc.
Justme
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Barefoot Andrew
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Yes, I'm interested, although I have two areas of concern:
1. My garden: I'm not really convinced I have the room to do chickens as well as grow produce as per my plans. Plus, I'd be concerned about possible problems with the louts that play football behind my house and occasionally stray into people's gardens to recover lost balls.
2. The right thing: I wonder whether I ought to be doing the right thing for neglected old girls and provide a loving home for ex battery girls instead of raising chicks anew.
Price-wise - I have no idea.
A.
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Chez
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| Barefoot Andrew wrote: | | 2. The right thing: I wonder whether I ought to be doing the right thing for neglected old girls and provide a loving home for ex battery girls instead of raising chicks anew. |
I'm a bit hard-arsed about this aspect of it, although I didn't pitch in to the 'battery or not' debate a few weeks ago (as far as my baby-brain can remember ). Although it's good for the battery hens as individual ladies, I don't think it does the egg industry as a whole any favours - it just gives the battery people an easy way to dispose of their chooks and perhaps salves their collective conscience a bit.
Clearly I *would* say that, though .
Bantams with feathery feet do the least damage to the garden. And take up least space.
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Tay
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I like the idea. Unfortunately, we're not able to grow any chickens, unless one can keep 'house hens'? I've had house rabbits, but this is a different kettle of fish.
Jamanda and Toggle - can't you knock any sense into your OH's? Chickens are wonderful creatures - meat, eggs, manure and plenty of entertainment!
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JB
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Re: Grow your own chickens | Jonnyboy wrote: | | ... Your birds will be free of the risks you get from buying adult birds ... |
What are the risks in buying adult birds?
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Jonnyboy
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Re: Grow your own chickens | JB wrote: | | Jonnyboy wrote: | | ... Your birds will be free of the risks you get from buying adult birds ... |
What are the risks in buying adult birds? |
Diseases for one, not knowing the exact age unless it is POL, people can be mis-sold types of breed (getting an isa brown instead of a RIR)
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judith
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What about post-hatch? Will you include a brooder in the price?
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