Better to buy from hatchery or incubate my own?

[yanks26]

I thought about buying 1 day-old chicks from a hatchery but then I thought of hatching my own since it would be cheaper.

Which would you guys recommend?

I do realize that if I buy them from a typical hatchery that they will be vaccinated where I probably won't put any chemicals in them if I hatch them.

Opinions please.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Is there someone near you with eggs of the breed you want to raise? I have found that BYC breeders are FAR more particular about their chickens than a hatchery. I love incubating and hatching chicks....and based upon my aquaintenances made thru BYC, my vote is "grow your own".

 

[yanks26]

I would just get a rooster and mix it into my bunch. That way my eggs will be fertile.

Is it safe to not throw chemicals over them at birth like the hatcheries do?

 

[thomas h]

Buy some older chickens that make the grade or some that suit you and then breed them together and let them hatch themselves .

chicks from a hatchery are incubated correctly and if its your first time incubating mmmmmmmmmmmm with the equipment cost ..


MTC

thomas

 

[ChickyLaura]

I would buy from the hatchery, and then let them reproduce when they are ready. Hatching your own chicks takes time and diligence, and it's definitely a science (which I am NOT good at...) It is heartbreaking to buy eggs and have none hatch.

Also, I think having your chicks vaccinated is important. Marek's is scary.

On the other hand, it is awesome to see chicks hatch out of eggs that you are incubating! It is definitely educational, and if you have kids they'll really get a kick out of it!

Good luck with your decision, whatever you choose - have fun!!!

 

[walkswithdog]

The first time you hatch you want to be using free or nearly free eggs. Because it's not a science - plug and play. It's an art, requiring skill, thought, a learning curve and practice and an application of figuring out what works for your individual environment.

It's good for you, it's helpful knowledge because broodies mess up and leave you with eggs that still need incubation - only they now refuse.

The whole hatchery (chemical/vaccination) hoorah isn't that big a deal either way.

But hatchery quality birds.... are hatchery quality birds, they're not likely to meet the breed standard, one in a million is actually ever show quality - maybe not even then because hatcheries do WHATEVER it takes to make more birds, even if that's crossing to another breed and not admitting it. They also BREED for birds that LAY eggs but rarely or NEVER go broody - because broodies don't LAY aka no profit in it.

If you're going to learn to hatch start with cheap or free, local, unshipped eggs and work up to buying eggs from a GOOD BREEDER who is breeding quality birds, hopefully birds that are also broody if you fancy that. Some breeds just don't.

Buying expensive, shipped (more fragile and harder to hatch eggs) and doing an incubation the first time is usually a bad combination.

Get a bator, learn ALLL you can about hatching, practice with cheap or free eggs. While you're learning it's not bad to have a set of hatchery chicks in. If you feed them properly and keep them well from the moment you get them at two days old - that whole "chemical" exposure thing REALLY doesn't amount to much. It's how you feed, water and rear them, after you get them or hatch them, for their lifetime's matters much more.

If you have chicks and an incubator you won't freak out at a failed hatch, because you'll have fuzzies to care for, and while fuzzies become chickens you'll be learning an incredibly useful skill, that you will then already have when it becomes desperately necessary because you have eggs that need saving and no willing hen.

Do both. I did chicks, then incubation. Don't depend on hatchery birds to be high quality, or great examples of a breed but hens will lay and roosters will fertilize eggs. Once you get things down, you can bring in high quality stock.

 

[MagsC]

Incubating eggs is an interesting business..but you never have a guarantee they are going to hatch. I enjoy it more though. If you want more of a for sure thing, I would get from a hatchery or private party that has chicks.

 

[Rockportcrpntr]

I just want to say I agree with the learning curve thing. An incubator is investment for the future. Get the best you can afford I like the one with preset temp and turbofan. I have a hatchrate of 75% with ebay eggs from Gabbard farms and great quality birds too. However there are local people with fertile eggs in your hometown that will probably have a greater hatch rate. Eggs take a beating in the mail even though not broken.

 

[Rockportcrpntr]

theres a fellow in connecticut that has barnevelder chickens they are super birds. Hidden meadow farms I think he has a website too, I can get you his website address if you need it he sells fertile eggs and may have chicks at times

 

[Wifezilla]

I would try hatching some of your own at least once for the experience. I did it with minimal cost by making an incubator out of an old cooler. I only got one duck out of it, but she is awesome

Uno