Hatching egg seller Belinda Burgess

Belinda Burgess tried having a regular job. She tried retiring. Neither stuck.  Despite 12 hour days, 7 days a week, she says running a commercial poultry farm is a good job, a passion. Therapy, even. She sells 30-40+ dozen eggs per week at the height of the season, and hatches hundreds of chicks per week. She sells year-round.  Ask her how many breeds she keeps and she'll have to check.  In this conversation, Belinda is beautifully candid. She shares what it’s really like selling hatching eggs as a business — the ups and downs and some of her major learnings along the way. Whether it’s leg banding baby chicks at midnight or packing eggs at dawn…this chat will give you a feel for what it takes to build a successful operation. Topics discussed include:  How much Belinda pays per week in feed The problem with hatching pullet eggs Her most popular breeds Why she's phasing out her chicken tractors How she ended up with silken Araucanas How to breed stronger chickens How she accidentally killed 2 of her best hens with scratch mix  ILT (infectious laryngotracheitis) and how her birds tested positive for it without having the disease Marek’s disease Quarantining birds Challenges in dealing with egg customers Her advice to someone considering starting an egg business