24 Tips to Open Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

Exotic Layers Breeding Farm: Here you are breeding your layer chickens with the major aim of having them lay eggs.

It takes more time and costs a bit more money for this business to mature but here is the good thing.

It gives you two major sources of revenue.

You sell the eggs, which is very lucrative anytime.

And when the layers become weak, you sell them as well.

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1. Get the business background

Exotic chicken breeds like Cochin, Mayan, Polish, and Sumatra appeal to a lot of people because of their distinctiveness.

Whether you’re raising poultry for your own backyard flock or to sell later, careful preparation is the key to success with these exotic breeds.

Most exotics are like regular farm chickens, but each breed has subtle characteristics and needs to take into account.

Choose the right breed for you, then get hens and roosters to begin growing your flock.

2. Choose a breed for meat, eggs, or another goal.

There are many breeds out there for you to own.

And some of them are more suited to specific purposes than others.

Some exotic breeds are very good at producing eggs you can use at home or raise into larger flocks.

Some breeds produce less eggs, leading to smaller flocks or more chickens used for meat.

Have a plan for either selling chickens or dealing with ones you can’t sell.

• Take the price and availability of each breed into account. Breeding expensive chickens is potentially good business, but only if you’re able to find buyers.
• For example, breeds like Deathlayer and Lakenvelder lay lots of eggs each year. Many of these breeds also serve well as broody hens to sit on eggs until they hatch.
• Most breeds are useful as a source of meat, but bigger chickens are better. Breeds like the Dominiques and Dorkings are good sources of both eggs and meat.
• Some breeds are more aggressive than others. If you have children or are breeding chickens for pets, try docile breeds like Cochins or Iowa Blues.

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3. Select chickens that can survive your local climate.

Chickens are not indoor pets, so whatever breed you choose needs to adapt to the weather in your area.

Some breeds are able to tolerate cold weather better than others.

If you’re unsure about what birds to get, find breeds sold locally.

• For example, breeds like Pavlovskayas and Swedish Flower Hens originated in colder regions, so they survive harsh winters well.
• Breeds like Minorcas and Phoenix chickens aren’t suited for harsh winters. Other breeds, like Naked Neck chickens, burn easily in summer due to their lack of feathers.

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4. Research how much room exotic chickens need to stay healthy.

Each breed has different needs, so read guides online and talk with other breeders before making a purchase.

Some breeds do better when they’re allowed to roam freely.

Meaning they aren’t great choices for enclosed coops in cities.

Some breeds even climb upwards when they’re startled, leading to escapees from short yard fences.

• Sicilian Buttercups, Swedish Black Hens, and Swedish Flower Hens are all better as free-range flocks.
• Some chickens get violent and attack one another when they aren’t given enough space, so be mindful of how much room you have available. Make sure you have enough for the number of chickens you wish to keep.

Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

5. Search online or find local sources for breeding stock.

Try to find breeders selling fully-grown adult chickens.

You will need to select a hen and rooster in order to get your flock going.

If you have room for additional chickens, consider getting extra hens so your flock breeds faster.

Finding rare breeds can be difficult, so you may need to start with chicks.

• The animal classified section in your local newspaper may be a good place to find chickens for sale.
• Also, try asking at local feed stores, talking with local breeders, or attending poultry auctions.
• Importing is an option when a breed isn’t common in your region.
• The all-black Ayam Cemani, for instance, is uncommon outside of Indonesia. Dealing with an experienced livestock importer is often the only way to get one.

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Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

6. Choose the strongest, healthiest chickens for breeding.

The healthiest chickens produce the best eggs.

Examine any available chickens to figure out which ones are best for breeding.

Breeding birds are big, have a healthy appetite, and grow quickly.

Their feathers are deeply-colored and they get along well with other chickens.

Avoid chickens with deformities or noticeable health concerns, such as difficulty breathing.

• Always test chickens before buying or breeding them.
• Breeders do this by feeling a chicken’s muscles and bones to make sure they’re strong.
• For a second opinion on chicken health, speak with an exotic veterinarian.

7. Give your chickens plenty of space to roam around.

Chickens leave the coop to roam around during the day.

If your chickens aren’t free-range, keep them enclosed inside a “run.”

To build a run, install chicken wire buried about 2 ft (0.61 m) in the ground.

On average, you need about 18 sq ft (1.7 m²) of run space for every chicken you keep.

• Free-range chickens roam around without boundaries.
• This isn’t possible when you’re trying to keep your exotic breeds safe outside your home in the city.
• You do not need to have a farm to begin breeding chickens, although the extra space allows you to raise a bigger flock.

Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

8. Build the chickens a big coop to protect them from the weather.

Coops are spaces for your chickens to roost during the night.

The average chicken needs about 3 sq ft (0.28 m²) of coop space.

Build bigger coops or multiple coops to keep more chickens.

Line the coop floor with sawdust and straw.

• You can buy coops, get a contractor to build them, or try building your own.
• Keep in mind the needs of your chickens. Some breeds are very sensitive to heat or cold weather, so make sure the coop is well-insulated.
• If you plan on keeping multiple breeds, give each breed a separate coop and yard to avoid problems like interbreeding.

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Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

9. Build roosting spaces or perches for each chicken you keep.

Chickens use roosting perches to get off the cold floor and take naps.

Roosting perches are often branches, wood fences, or wood ladders placed about 1.5 ft (0.46 m) off the floor.

Each chicken needs about 10 in (25 cm) of space on the perch.

Although they often huddle closer together at night for warmth.

• Make sure the chickens are comfortable or else you will have a hard time breeding them.
• Research your breed’s needs in order to determine how big to make the roost.

10. Make nesting boxes for each egg-laying hen you plan to keep.

Individual nesting boxes are a must if you plan on breeding your own chickens.

Each hen needs a square box about 1 ft (0.30 m) long and deep.

Line the box with fresh straw or hay to cushion the eggs.

• The boxes don’t need to be separated by walls.
• Although some breeders prefer doing this to provide more peaceful, private spaces for their chickens.

Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

11. Give your breeding hens and chicks special food.

Breeding hens and chicks have dietary needs that differ from the rest of your flock.

You can simply buy commercial feed blends to give your chickens a full meal.

Keep the food available at all times in chicken feeders.

But make sure other chickens can’t access it.

• Breeding hens often need calcium to replace what they lose in their eggs.
• If you give them regular chicken feed, set out a bowl of ground oyster shells or eggshells.
• They will eat the shells if they need the calcium.
• Calcium is toxic to chicks. In addition, chicks can’t eat adult chicken feed.
• If you plan on keeping chicks with the rest of your flock, get a starter feed for the entire flock.

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12. Keep your rooster and hen together for at least 10 days.

Leaving them together for longer ensures the eggs get fertilized.

Let the chickens roam around together or put them in a separate breeding pen.

Separating them from the flock is important if you have other roosters.

Eventually, your hens will lay eggs in their nest boxes.

• If you have multiple hens, leave up to 5 of them with your best rooster in order to get quality eggs.
• Keep in mind that some chicken breeds lay eggs more frequently than others.
• Also, hens lay the most eggs in the first 3 years of their lives.

Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

13. Collect the eggs in a clean, lined basket.

Search through the coop to uncover the eggs.

They may look a little dirty, but don’t wash if you can avoid it.

Washing the eggs may transfer bacteria to the growing chicken.

Lay the eggs gently in your basket to carry around until you’re able to store them or incubate them.

• Wash your hands before and after handling the eggs.
• Touching eggs with dirty hands may harm the new chickens.
• The eggs may also have dangerous bacteria on them that can harm you.

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14. Select healthy, fertilized eggs to keep for hatching.

Inspect the eggs for cracks and other signs of damage.

The signs of a good egg differ a little depending on the chickens you keep.

Eggs need to have a consistent coloring and be the right size for your breed.

In addition, if you hold a candle or flashlight up to a fertilized egg.

It will look cloudy because of the chick forming inside of it.

• Research your chicken breed to find out what their eggs are supposed to look like.
• Many chickens lay white eggs, but some breeds put out large brown eggs while others lay small blue eggs.
• If you can’t find information about your breed, look for online groups for exotic breeders. These groups are often filled with passionate people who have a lot of knowledge to share.
• Eggs are very delicate. Always wash your hands before touching them.
• Carry a lined basket with you to protect the eggs from cracking.

15.    Store the eggs in a cool area for up to a week.

Make space in a temperature-controlled area like a garage or pantry.

Set the eggs in a storage container with the pointed end down.

Keep them in storage until you’re ready to return them to the hens or move them to an incubator.

• Egg cartons are safe to use as storage containers if the eggs fit.
• You can also purchase plastic egg containers online or from farm supply stores.
• The eggs will not last forever in storage. If you wait too long, the egg will not hatch.

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16. Mark the ends of the eggs to keep track of their positioning.

The eggs need to be turned often to keep the chick inside from sticking to the shell.

To keep track of the positioning, mark each egg with a pencil.

For example, make an X on 1 side, turn the egg over, and make an O on the other.

That way, you always know which way you need to turn the egg.

• You can make any marks you like, but choose symbols that are easy to distinguish.

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Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

17. Turn the eggs twice a day while storing them.

Choose a set time in the morning and evening to turn the eggs each day.

When the time comes, rotate the eggs 90 degrees.

Do this every day in order to keep the chicks healthy as they form.

• If you don’t turn the eggs, the chicks end up sticking to the shells.
• They won’t be able to hatch, so you will end up having to discard the eggs.

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18. Put the eggs in an incubator for an easier time hatching them.

Incubators hold chicken eggs at a consistent temperature and humidity.

Most modern incubators are powered electrically and have adjustable settings.

With an incubator, you don’t need to have your hens hatch and raise new chicks, so they keep producing eggs.

• Incubators are available online or at many farm supply stores.
• You can also make your own out of styrofoam.
• Incubators can be costly and require a lot of maintenance if you breed lots of chickens.

Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

19. Flip the eggs 3 to 5 times a day if you’re using an incubator.

Treat the eggs the same way as you did when storing them.

Mark them and rotate them every single day to keep the growing chicks healthy.

Some modern incubators have the ability to do this automatically according to a timer you set, making your work much easier. After 21 days, your new chicks will hatch.

• When the chicks begin to hatch, they need to be moved to a brooder.
• Watch the incubator closely to get the chicks out before they overheat or knock over eggs.
• Losing power to your home is dangerous. You will need to keep the eggs warm and turn them by hand to keep the growing chicks alive.

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20. Give the egg to a broody hen if you want to hatch eggs naturally.

Hens can hatch eggs on their own without you needing to buy lots of extra equipment.

A broody hen is a hen willing to sit on eggs until they hatch.

To find a broody hen, put a fake egg in the hen’s nest and see if it sits on it for 24 hours.

If it takes care of the egg, it will likely keep a real egg warm until it hatches.

• Having the hens take care of the eggs means less work for you.
• The downside is that the broody hen stops laying eggs for 2 or 3 months until the chicks mature.
• The broody hen does not have to be the same hen that laid the egg.
• Choose a hen you aren’t breeding so your regular hen makes more quality eggs.
• Keep in mind that some breeds aren’t prone to brooding.
• You will need to keep a fertilized egg with its mother or move it to an incubator.

Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

21. Separate broody hens if you’re letting them hatch eggs.

Create a separate nesting box for each hen and its egg.

Line the box with straw before moving the chicken.

Slip the fertilized egg underneath the chicken at night.

Make sure the hen has plenty of food and water.

Also, scoop droppings out of the box daily in order to keep the egg healthy.

• Broody hens can often sit on multiple eggs at the same time.
• This depends on the breed and the size of the eggs they lay.
• Some hens stay broody for weeks at a time.
• When this happens, you can replace the hatched egg with another fertilized egg.
• Some hens will hatch up to 8 eggs before they go back to normal.

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22. Move the chicks to a brooder or warm coop after they hatch.

No matter how you hatch eggs, keep the chicks warm with plenty of food.

Wait about 1 hour after a chick hatches before moving it.

When it looks dry and fluffy, scoop it up and set it in a brooder heated by a light bulb.

Or a coop separate from the rest of your flock.

Hang some water bottles and scatter starter feed on the floor for the chicks.

• Chicks need to be in the brooder for up to 6 weeks.
• Wait longer or provide extra heat if you move them to the coop in cold weather.
• If you use a broody hen, it will raise the chicks if you don’t take them away.
• You can raise the chicks with the rest of the flock or set the hen and chicks in a separate area.

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Exotic Layers Breeding Farm

23. Sell off eggs and chickens you aren’t able to keep.

After you build your facilities, get your chickens, and breed them.

You inevitably have to decide what to do next.

Much of this decision depends on your plan and how much space you have.

Keeping extra hens is a good way to expand your flock.

But come up with ways to get rid of extra roosters or even fresh eggs.

• Fertilized eggs can be sold and transported short distances.
• Keep the eggs cool and positioned correctly during the journey.
• Keep in mind that 50% of your fertilized eggs will be roosters.
• You may not wish to keep extra roosters. Selling them to farms or breeders is an option, or you can raise them for meat.
• When your breeding chickens get older, pick out healthy hens and roosters as replacements to continue breeding.

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24. Exotic Layers Breeding Farm