Breeding 101

How to Prepare

Thinking of breeding? There are several things to consider first.

Cost of set up.

Birds, cages, toys, food, food dishes, water bottles, nest boxes, bedding, brooders, weaning cages, syringes, scale, thermometer, formula, first aid items, vet checks for new birds, and bands for chicks. That is just a small sample of all that you will have to shell out money for.

Time needed to care for chicks.

It takes time to feed/play with/socialize the chicks. Also consider the restraints on your family and your job. Permits and regulations Check with your local government about permits or licenses. Some areas require you to get a business license and pay a fee annually, some areas also do not allow you to run a business out of a residential address.

Taxes and reporting

You must keep very good records, all of your receipts, and be organized so that at the end of the year you can properly fill out a Schedule C. Expect to pay an accountant; there will be many deductions that you will not think of.

Research the species you want to breed. Make sure that you are comfortable with all their needs, know their nutritional needs, know their environmental needs, know the time it will take to properly wean that species. Get weight charts if possible. Speak to other breeders of that species to see if they are an easy species to feed or not. Find out as much as you can about all that goes into socializing your chosen species properly.

Next “apprentice” under another breeder for several months to several years before you have your first clutch. Learn several techniques for hand-feeding a chick. Learn how to use a “needle”(tube) to feed a baby (It may be necessary for a sick or reluctant eater). Learn what signs to look for in a baby that has slow crop, crop burn, or failure to thrive. Talk to your vet to see if they know how to handle any situation that may arise in your venture. Find an emergency vet that may help in the ‘after hours’. Understand that sometimes you may have to learn as you go. But try to find out what you can before you really “need” that knowledge.

Let me tell you – the record keeping can get very tedious. It is so hard sometimes when hubby goes to Lowe’s to buy supplies for our gyms and he also buys stuff for the household. I am constantly asking him to tell me what is what so I can record it correctly for my taxes. Quicken is a Godsend. I can’t imagine managing my business without it.

I happen to work in a job that is construction oriented. So that means the guys are at the job sites, and the office is never busy. Because of this my bosses were agreeable to letting me bring the chicks in when they were being handfed. If I couldn’t bring them in – I wouldn’t be able to breed as they need feedings 5 times a day when they are first pulled so that means 3 feedings within the 8 hours I am at my job.

Foremost – do not consider breeding if you think you will make any sort of money at it. I do this because I love this species, I love the babies, and I love watching them grow and mature. If you go into this thinking it will make lots of money – you will be sorely disappointed. The daily/yearly upkeep of the adults that produce those chicks is more than the chicks bring in. That is why I still have my “day job”.