Would you do it?

[Reauxman]

Not your typical farm, but....

I have a chance to get into breeding small animals for pet stores. Most are things I've bred in the past, enjoyed most, but have just a few of them still.

I've been selling rabbits to a very large supplier for a few months now. I went to their office over the weekend to make a delivery and once we got to talking the owner asked if I had any experience breeding specific things. I've done a lot of small animals, so most I had at one time. He cannot get enough stock to add new stores to his list of about 1200 stores, and I see big potential there.

Basically what I am toying with is going from just rabbits into the mass production of guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, parakeet, finches, lovebirds and cockatiels. I've bred all but hamsters and gerbils in the past, but I've done some research and it doesn't seem too bad. Basically I'd be producing between 8 and 12 thousand animals a week.

With that large number also comes a large amount of liability. I'd have to hire employees, many who would have no clue as to the care these animals need. I'd need to add large barns, many air conditioned to handle the rodents. I'd have the worry of ARA's coming in and "freeing" everyone. Then there is always the chance someone gets sick from something that I'd produce and the lawsuit would come.

All in all, would you peruse this? As for profit, it is very enticing, 7 figures a year easily with good management. The market in small animals is largely untapped, as it isn't that people don't want to raise them, it's that they can't get in with these large buyers.

[Rockin'B]

If you like, go for it. One step at a time.

What kind of finches did you breed. I've tried a few but wasn't terribly successful. I never could get my strawberry finches to breed successfully and never could get the Zebra's to stop. LOL

[Reauxman]

I've done zebra and society in the past, and likely what I'll do in the future. I just like them. Had over 10 different society varieties.

[nikkers]

I have bred rats, mice and parakeets for local pet stores, but on a small scale. I don't like mice; the rats were my favorites. Parakeets were incredibly messy, not to mention noisy. I made a few dollars, but not enough to make a difference.
If you do it on a alrge scale, It may be worth it. I wish you luck. I hope you make lots of $$$$.
Jo

[TedH71]

Hamsters have a 15 day pregnancy and do not touch the babies for 6 weeks or else she will eat or partially eat the babies and feed the remaining survivors minus limbs...it happened to me. You also have to make sure the babies are hand tame before selling them.....

[Reauxman]

They wean at 25 days anyhow, so not sure why you don't touch them for 6 weeks.

Thanks for the ideas. I've done parakeets in the past, inside they don't do well, barns are best for them.

[CraftyDiva]

Any thoughts on canaries? My grandfather raised/breed them as a hobby. I think he also sold to a local pet shop. What he did with all the females, besides keeping a few for breeding, I don't know. Althought I have seen females for sale in pet shops as well. He just had them in the basement in long homemade flight cages. Each mated pair had a divided section.

I remember buying a canary years back for under $10, now they sell for close to, if not, $100 or more.



.

[chris30523]

A fellow in our area tried this (the rodents) Used an old chicken house and a new metal building. Ever smelled a rats nest?? Well the whole area smelled like that.I thought chicken houses smelled. He was also selling white mice.The smell gave him away and the neighbors complained and basically forced him out of buisness. Make sure you have the correct permits for this kind of enterprise that is what got him. He had buisness permits and such but not the correct zoning for the area.

[turtlehead]

Is it possible for you to just do a couple of the animals at first, to keep your start up expenses (barn, employee(s)) down and then put your profits back into the business and expand to other animals?

If the potential for that much money is really there, you should be able to expand to whatever the buyer wants in 18 months, no problem.

And if you're being sold a pig in a poke, then you'll figure it out before you lose too much on the enterprise.

[Reauxman]

I have no intention of producing 12K animals a week. Start small and add on. The buyer will not be able to take 12 K a week to start, as he will need to get the breeders who breed the things I won't(ferrets, mice, rats, chinchillas, etc) to add on or find breeders for those things.

I'd like to start at about 1,000 a week and add another thousand a week every quarter.

[tnokie]

Most of the rodents are a snap to raise,guniea pigs are slow producers but the rest are fast. The birds are a little more intensive and costly to get started with. Wish I was close I'd be a willing employee!

[Reauxman]

I won't be doing mice and rats as they have a single breeder who handles all of that. Guinea pigs are easy breeders if they have the right conditions. I've never had a problem with them not breeding.

I have done birds in the past, and most people who can't breed small birds successfully are up north. Never have heard of someone with a problem raising them in the south. They thrive on heat.