buy or hatch?

[ChickFila]

Once I was considering buying chicks from Mcmurray hatchery for long time. Then I found BYC and learned about hatching eggs and bought bators & eggs and now I am addicted!!
Hatching eggs is great experience both for me and my children, but like others said, if you are a beginner, you can be ended with not-good hatching rate.
If you want only hens, you can buy them from a reputable breeders here on BYC market or eggbid.com. I saw beautiful birds with great bloodlines are for sale from time to time.

 

[TubbyChicken]

OK...I made up my mind. I will do both!

I've been "chickening" for about 2 yrs now. My first experience was BAD...very very bad. My friend and I were so excited. We researched until our heads were full of chicken info. We found a breeder who had "quality, show winning, inspected and certified" stock. He sold us over priced, misrepresented, mutt chickens that had serious illnesses that wiped out a few of mine and nearly all of my friends chooks. So I started over. I ordered all of my chicks from a hatchery and had them vaccinated, we also broke down and bought some from TSC on a whim (after much fear that they would be contaminated from handeling).

I lost a few of my favorite hens this winter (Salmon Faverolles) and I would really like to explore buying some from a quality breeder, so I may as well pony up and incubate some SF eggs.

I wonder if they weren't as hardy because of poor breeding. They were my absolute favorite birds so I would love to have the best quality I am able to find, and since they are easy to sex fairly early on, I can rehome roos before I am endlessly stuck with awkward looking, ready-to-crow cockerels.

However, I'm not looking for the BEST quality in other breeds...just healthy, pretty chickens to enjoy and collect eggs from.

Am I addicted? Sadly, yes.

 

[SilkieTime]

What kind of chickens do you want? Do you have a good home for them? Can perdators get to them? Is there a good breeder near you that has chicks of your liking? Do you want to start off with a incubator or a coop? Do you want chicks or hens now? Do you know where our auction is? Do you know what CL is? Do you know what you need to have chicks or hens?
What ever you decide we are here for you.

 

[Woods_Woman]

I'm a hatcher..I've bought a few from the feed store, but it was when I first started, an also impulse. I prefer to hatch because I like the experience, and I also like to know where my stock is coming from. Plus I worry about the shipping of chicks and what can happen along the way, how stressful for the babies.