Author Topic: Selling chickens (Read 2931 times)

DeterminedStudent · « **on:** March 30, 2016, 05:01:49 pm »

I currently have 4 chickens and I am thinking about incubating the eggs and then selling the chickens. Do I need a licence to do this?, it would only be to private owners and on a small scale

Steph Hen · « **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2016, 08:13:43 am »

No license needed for small scale rearing.
What breeds do you have or will you be buying in eggs? A broody hen is easier than incubator and brooder with heat lamps. But she'll need her own pen, and once the chicks are on the go and growing up, quite a lot of space.
I use an incubator, but will hope for a broody hen to look after the chicks for me, but still got to have brooder warmed up ready to go in case it doesn't work out.

Plenty of space makes for healthy chicks.

The main negative/question is what will you do with the males?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #2 on:** April 02, 2016, 11:23:31 am »

Is one of the four chickens a cockerel? If you plan to produce your own chicks you'll need an incubator, heat lamp or electric broody, chick crumbs, feeder and drinker, housing under cover for the growers ...... Unless you have a good broody breed you can't rely on hens going broody when it's convenient.

Womble · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2016, 11:48:41 am »

Only the same number of people as think you need a cockerel for the hens to lay eggs.

It takes a crane to build a crane
It takes two floors to make a story
It takes an egg to make a hen
It takes a hen to make an egg
There is no end to what I'm saying

[member=150944]DeterminedStudent[/member], I'm sure you know you'll need a cockerel before you can hatch chicks, and if you don't already have one, they're not difficult or expensive to get hold of. Just beware that random cross-breeds won't sell for very much money (even a point-of-lay commercial hen (ISA brown etc) is only worth about £10). So if you fancy breeding a few, there's nothing to stop you. Just start out with your eyes open, and know that this isn't a road to riches, or we'd all be doing it!

shygirl · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2016, 11:56:40 am »

i had this conversation this week, yes you do need a cockerel, its amazing how many people don't realise yet are parents themselves?

OP - go for it, if anything, you will learn heaps. plenty of hatching eggs around at moment. do your costing too.

DeterminedStudent · « **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2016, 12:18:05 pm »

Thanks for all the helpful replies, Sorry I haven't managed to respond sooner.

Yes one of my chickens is a cockerel. None of my females are broody enough hence why I'm considering an incubator. I'm planning on different pens for different ages of chicks with heat from heat lamps.

Thanks for all the advice, I am fully researching the idea and in response to one of the comments left I am not doing it for the money I'm doing it out of interest and passion for chickens.

Rosemary · « **Reply #6 on:** April 04, 2016, 05:17:28 pm »

I'm sure you will already have thought of this - but have a plan for the males. When we hatched eggs, we always had more males than females.

We regularly have folk asking us to take their surplus cockerels. We say no but offer to kill them for them.

We've also had young cockerels flung over the six foot fence round our poultry pens. Our big stock cocks don't like that very much. And neither do we.

OhLaLa · « **Reply #7 on:** April 04, 2016, 05:27:35 pm »

Quote from: Rosemary on April 04, 2016, 05:17:28 pm

We've also had young cockerels flung over the six foot fence round our poultry pens. Our big stock cocks don't like that very much. And neither do we.

Aye, there's nowt like folk. In the words of Victor Meldrew 'unbelievable'. Bet the young cockerels are none too pleased either.

Good advice here, take heed Mr/Ms D Student (and be prepared to cough up about £200+ ish for the kit you need to incubate/brood said eggs).