People unwilling to sell hatching eggs!

[Slothinc]

Your state thread maybe?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/utah.24/page-3356

Thanks! It looks like it’s not very active but I may use it in the future!!

Heck, I'd rather just sell eggs personally than worry about hatching chicks to sell. Some people just are protective of their genetics too, but usually people are at least polite about declining

That was my exact thought - Id be willing to pay people a lot of money for their eggs - and selling eggs is the least involvement, least risk option for breeders. I would prefer it if I had a rooster and were selling babies. I just really love to have the experience of hatching myself which is why I always prefer eggs. It’s really just the opposite of how I thought it would be!

 

[Slothinc]

It sounds like you may be looking for show quality Silkies. Some breeders are helpful and are glad to help spread the love for their breed. Some may not think their chickens are of good enough quality to sell. Some may not want the competition. Some will not sell eggs because they don't know what quality will hatch but might pick out a breeding trio of adults for you. Some will only sell if they think you have a passion for their breed. I've seen a lot of different stories on this forum over the years. Anyone selling eggs from decent show quality chickens are not likely to be cheap. It costs a lot of money and effort to breed them. It helps to be passionate about them, which can lead to certain behaviors.

I have no idea what is going in in your specific situation. All I can suggest is to try going to chicken shows and chat with the people showing their Silkies. Or try to find breeders near you to chat with, not all will say no but it may take work. Or maybe risk shipping eggs to hatch. Sometimes you get decent hatches from shipped eggs, sometimes they are horrible.

Thanks for this, I agree, I suppose there are many reasons that people may not want to sell their eggs. I have shipped 7 batches of eggs already this year and spent (or burned) loads of $$$. Hahaha I have had 92 eggs shipped to me and of that I have only 12 live chicks and 8 developing in the incubator (but still early so who knows.) This is why I have been looking for locals that may have what I’m interested in… I figured if I could get local I might have a chance of having a good hatch.