Best Place to Get Hatching Eggs?

[Artichoke Lover]

So I’m mulling over the possibility of doing a hatch this summer and I want to add some new breeds. Currently I only have Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Red and crosses between.
I’m not looking for rare or show quality.
What I am looking for is a responsible breeder or hatchery with for a reasonable price. I’ve also considered just getting a dozen from friends who have some chickens but I’m worried I would risk transferring diseases to my flock if I do that. Am I just being paranoid or is this a real concern?

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Depend on what diseases there flock had? Illnesses like mg you wanna stay away from birds/chicks even eggs. Ive ordered eggs from meyer hatchery before and mpc both hatches where 3/9 and 6/12 hatched for me... That was few years ago now i hatch my own as hatching eggs are to expensive for a maybe hatch. If your friends have eggs Id just hatch those unless at some point they where sick

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Depend on what diseases there flock had? Illnesses like mg you wanna stay away from birds/chicks even eggs. Ive ordered eggs from meyer hatchery before and mpc both hatches where 3/9 and 6/12 hatched for me... That was few years ago now i hatch my own as hatching eggs are to expensive for a maybe hatch. If your friends have eggs Id just hatch those unless at some point they where sick

If I knew the history of their flock I would be less hesitant. But I don’t and they fairly recently inherited the flock from other family members who didn’t tell them much about them. It’s possible they are completely disease free but I just don’t know.
It may be what I end up going with in the end though.

 

[NNYchick]

I agree with the above post. If your not looking for a certain breed from a certain person’s lines then find someone local that has a healthy flock. Shipped eggs are a gamble at best. Not only does shipping effect the eggs, you also can’t see how that person cares for their chickens or if they have had illness. I’d ask a chicken friend.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

If I knew the history of their flock I would be less hesitant. But I don’t and they fairly recently inherited the flock from other family members who didn’t tell them much about them. It’s possible they are completely disease free but I just don’t know.

Diseases are so easy to get. You could walk in to get feed and come home and give mareks to your birds or mg unless you change everything and shower before even going to see your birds I personally do but I dont want peoples bird dust floating by my birds. Birds could look healthy as a horse until stress brings out something. Wild birds can give your birds mites and bird flu etc. Even rodents can be a problem if you order eggs from hatchery or breeder they could say their birds are healthy and boom your birds get sick because you hatched eggs that carried mg even if those dont show symptoms your birds could etc. Its a scary chicken world out there lol I know my birds are healthy as I dont buy peoples birds for one and no one goes near my birds

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I wanted to give an update. I ended up remembering another friend who had just gotten certified hatchery chicks last year and lives in the middle of an HOA. They lived there before the HOA so they are the only ones with poultry or livestock for a mile or two. I got hatching eggs from him when I had a hen go broody and Today they hatched. One BR or BR cross and 4 OE.