Buying Hatching Eggs VS. Buying Chicks. What is your favorite and why?

[Haley_LinckHillPoultry]

I'm assuming Raising Baby Chicks would be an appropriate place to post this thread.

Ok.
So, I've only ever bought live chicks, always had good quality birds and a very low death rate upon arrival. I have only ever hatched eggs from my birds. I know theres a big hype about hatching eggs, and I want to know you guy's opinions on whether you prefer buying hatching eggs over buying the actual hatched chick, and why? I've always considered buying hatching eggs, but always have had that fear of low hatch rate, eggs broken upon arrival, etc etc.

What do you guys think?

 

[ksalvagno]

I'm very new to chickens so I have to admit that I'm not ready to hatch eggs. Much easier to buy the chicks. I may want to hatch eggs in the future but not right now.

 

[Polish Chickens]

I prefer to buy the chicks since it's quite easier to handle them instead of getting broken eggs and the possibilty of a low hatch rate

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

I have hatched 5 bators of chicks since November. My results have been greater than 50% and the satisfaction and joy is not measureable.

However...

I would personally recommend buying the chicks. When you hatch, it's a crapshoot. At least when you order, you can specify how many chicks you want and that's how many should be delivered (with some kind of money back or replacement guarantee).

My last batch just hatched yesterday - out of 39 eggs to start, I have 22 chicks. 5 died while pipping and failed come come out of the shells, 8 failed to pip at all and the rest were infertile or had blood rings at 11 days.