Beginner questions regarding choice of whose eggs to hatch...

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Ive built my coop and fencing; the incubator is in the mail; now what?!

My questions:
I have a couple of breed favorites that I would like to give a try.
Should I pay for eggs from "the best lines"? does that REALLY mean alot?
Should I get eggs from a reletively local farm? to negate any handling issues and getting a line that is tolerant of this Alabama heat.
I understand the difference between a chicken raised/kept in mcmurray vs a small scale farm, but are the eggs that different?
Im imagining, like any other husbandry venture, the highest quality breeding stock is essential... am i right? or can you turn a "regular" line of chickens into "high quality" over 5 years of selected breeding.

Who has "the best" naked necks?

many thanks to all who read,
david steinhauer

 

[muddyhorse]

It depends on what you want to do with the birds, are you raising them for show or for eggs ? If you want to show get birds from a show person. It costs a lot more to feed sub par birds for five years then to buy good stock. personally I would start with adult birds. hatching shipped eggs is frustrating for a seasoned breeder. If you get a 50% hatch rate you are doing excellent.

 

[jeremy]

A chicken will lay an egg, no matter how much or how little you pay for them, or how "show quality" or otherwise they are.
Keep that in mind.

Especially if that's all you're looking for.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Hatching is fun- but remember it's a gamble. Especially shipped eggs! I try to get eggs that are "regional" at most, but I've had good and bad luck with ones from near, far, good lines, cheap eggs......

If it was my first time using an incubator- I wouldn't go overoard wth pricey eggs. Get some of a breed you'd like to have, or ones you think you can sell any extras of. Most importantly- have fun!

 

[dsqard]

I agree with HappyMtn, I would find someone local who sells fresh eggs from the breeds you want and see if they are fertile (at least if they have a rooster) before paying a lot for shipped eggs. It seems you can have really good hatch rates with them or really bad. Lots of variables. Start with inexpensive until you get the hang of hatching. If you are just looking for a backyard flock, the breeder doesn't matter really. Have fun! They are very addicting!

 

[josh44]

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Ive built my coop and fencing; the incubator is in the mail; now what?!

My questions:
I have a couple of breed favorites that I would like to give a try.
Should I pay for eggs from "the best lines"? does that REALLY mean alot?
Should I get eggs from a reletively local farm? to negate any handling issues and getting a line that is tolerant of this Alabama heat.
I understand the difference between a chicken raised/kept in mcmurray vs a small scale farm, but are the eggs that different?
Im imagining, like any other husbandry venture, the highest quality breeding stock is essential... am i right? or can you turn a "regular" line of chickens into "high quality" over 5 years of selected breeding.

Who has "the best" naked necks?

many thanks to all who read,
david steinhauer

Buy local test eggs, you don't want to pay a small fortune for eggs, & you don't know if you incubator works the way it's suppose to.

So give you bator a test run.

Find a local who sells hatching eggs.

Thats What I have done in the past with new incubators.

Sell the chicks that hatch form test eggs or give them away...

Once you tested out your bator & it's proven to work, then you can get THE GOOD STUFF !