Cheap hatching eggs to fill out my flock?

[Kris5902]

Talk to Weird Wayne and ask about hatching his eggs. At $6 a dozen even if it only half hatched you would still be at a good price.

If you have roosters yourself why not hatch your own mixes? I have several cross breed girls and they seem to be the healthiest and best layers.

Everyone (of mine that is) is about 4 months old or less... and I’m in “discussions” with the Farm Owner/manager about the chicken management. I’m going to borrow the 7 healthy hens that don’t have severe SLM and have been kept outside, at my insistence, all winter to protect them from the nasty chewing monsters. I have chicken-napped three sick non-laying hens already...

 

[Ribh]

Have you made a decision?

 

[Kris5902]

My guess is that somebody else on the island has already gone this route. I would ask around but if you want to hatch is he so unapproachable that you can't ask? If he's not [& I have no way of knowing that] I would explain what you want. Our weirdos are mostly for show & approached the right way will generally give you the information you're after. At $6 a doz I don't think you can lose & I would probably try.

I’m 90% sure we would actually get along great, I’m as much an anti social person as he is, I think... We live on opposite sides of the island, and never really have the opportunity to interact much though. There was some sort of issue with my husband’s second cousins step mother and him a while back, he used to walk her dog... now he doesn’t, details unclear. We only have 300 permanent residents, it’s a small island.

Also... I’m actually the only person on the island with incubators, and the first person to attempt any hatching, short of letting their own chickens go broody, in a long time. Husband’s Grandma used a kerosene incubator back before they had electricity or a road to this side of the island... yes it was a two hour hike up the mountain trail to the store, or you needed to own a boat to get to the other side of the island then!

 

[Kris5902]

Have you made a decision?

Going to get a couple dozen once I get the incubators up and running again a bit later this month. I’m hoping the temperature swings will stabilize a bit so I can run them in my trailer from my solar. I don’t want to put them in shared space again... kidlet broke some viable eggs candeling and I think people may have been opening the Bators when I wasn’t there.

 

[Ribh]

I’m 90% sure we would actually get along great, I’m as much an anti social person as he is, I think... We live on opposite sides of the island, and never really have the opportunity to interact much though. There was some sort of issue with my husband’s second cousins step mother and him a while back, he used to walk her dog... now he doesn’t, details unclear. We only have 300 permanent residents, it’s a small island.

Also... I’m actually the only person on the island with incubators, and the first person to attempt any hatching, short of letting their own chickens go broody, in a long time. Husband’s Grandma used a kerosene incubator back before they had electricity or a road to this side of the island... yes it was a two hour hike up the mountain trail to the store, or you needed to own a boat to get to the other side of the island then!

lol Sounds like here. The minister used to row across from the mainland on Sundays. Service was @ the top of the tide... & ended when the tide turned so he had it with him going home! My daughter was always getting caught out driving without her lights on on the mainland. We don't have many street lights here. Nights are dark. You know if you haven't turned your lights on. Over there...

 

[Ribh]

Going to get a couple dozen once I get the incubators up and running again a bit later this month. I’m hoping the temperature swings will stabilize a bit so I can run them in my trailer from my solar. I don’t want to put them in shared space again... kidlet broke some viable eggs candeling and I think people may have been opening the Bators when I wasn’t there.

Keep us informed. I'm really curious to know how this pans out.

 

[lissalischicks]

Sounds like you made your decision but just in case you need a push towards the yes side.... I'm a BIG yes. I got 6 mutts when my girl went broody last year and they are the cutest little things. Unfortunately 1 didn't make it (mom sat on it when it was hatching) and I turned out to be a rooster so I rehomed him. I am left with 4 beautiful funny girls. Okay, they drive me crazy just a little bit... they are flighty, awesome at ripping out all the roots of plants, jump on and have ruined all our little topiary, loud, eat all our roses and the leaves on the plants.... etc you get the picture. It's like they got the bad of all the mix characteristics but they are a cute bunch.

Good luck on the incubating!

 

[123RedBeard]

Why not buy a dozen eggs for $6 ... make breakfast ... crack each egg individually in a clear bowl first, and look for the "bullseye" ... record how many are fertilized ... then make a decision ... because then you will have a better idea if they will hatch ...

If a couple are "dirty" you will know if he cleans them or not ... I'd rather see a few "natural" eggs, than "perfect" ones ...

 

[Kris5902]

Why not buy a dozen eggs for $6 ... make breakfast ... crack each egg individually in a clear bowl first, and look for the "bullseye" ... record how many are fertilized ... then make a decision ... because then you will have a better idea if they will hatch ...

If a couple are "dirty" you will know if he cleans them or not ... I'd rather see a few "natural" eggs, than "perfect" ones ...

That’s a great idea! But I know once I see a bullseye (even just one!) I’m going to end up starting the incubation... I’m not great with patience and get easily excited about things! And why eat them if they do look like they are fertile? That would be a waste so...I know myself too well when it comes to that sort of thing!

I might try talking to the other farmer as well, see if I can grab a couple dozen before they hit the store shelves... she has some nice Marans, a whole lot of hyline, and some leghorns... we were going to collaborate and I was going to hatch some of her Icelandic’s eggs for her, then a mink happened. I would stud out my beautiful Maran guy to her, except for the security/mink thing.

Wayne has mostly barnyard mixes that are heavier bodied, and I also have to consider the 50% boys I’ll hatch being somewhat useful... right now I’d have to cook up two of my Sapphires to make a meal (so tiny!)

 

[123RedBeard]

That’s a great idea! But I know once I see a bullseye (even just one!) I’m going to end up starting the incubation... I’m not great with patience and get easily excited about things! And why eat them if they do look like they are fertile? That would be a waste so...I know myself too well when it comes to that sort of thing!

Either I'm confused ... or you are ... once you see the bullseye ... it is too late to hatch that egg!

Only two ways that I know to figure out if an egg is fertilized ... either crack it open, or incubate it and see if it develops veins ...

The idea of cracking 12 eggs open ... is to record how many are fertilized ... now you have a percentage ... maybe his cock(s) don't like a few of the hens, or maybe they are not doing their job, or too old ...

Let's say you crack open the first egg, and see the bullseye ... then you take the remaining 11 eggs and put them in the incubator and they end up ... all clears ...

So by cracking open all 12, you get a better idea of what percentage of Weird Waynes eggs are fertilized ... so ... you have an idea whether you want to invest 21 days of incubation ...

Enjoy your breakfast ... then go buy a dozen or more if your convinced it is worth your time and electric ...