Cost of hatching VS mail order

[gimmie birdies]

I would say if you are thinking about hatching for the first time, try with inexpensive local eggs instead of hatchery eggs! Once you feel you have a talent for hatching. You are ready to order more expensive eggs.

I just compared the cost of the the eggs I bought from a hatchery, to the chicks I could have bought shipped from the same hatchery. I looked at Straight run only because when you hatch they come out straight run. Shipped eggs are risky so you have to order more than you think you need.
That being said you only save money on eggs VS shipped chicks on the more expensive chicks. If you are ordering eggs at $4 an egg, and straight run chicks shipped from the same hatchery are selling for $3.58 a chick you are not saving money.
My pros to ordering eggs, I think I do a good job hatching and I like to hatch. In egg shipping if an egg gets damaged you can call it in and get your money back, or a replacement/credit. No chicks would be hurt in shipping. If the order comes to you a couple days late, no big deal. They may still hatch.

So I recently bought 2 doz for $140, buying the same birds as chicks shipped it would have been $204. that is $64 dollars savings. But, I would have not even bought some of the birds as chicks at the higher prices.
Shipped chicks don't have to be expensive, you can also order assortments, where you don't know what breeds you get but you can request all females.
I hope this has been helpful. Feel free to ask questions, I have hatched shipped eggs and ordered from hatcheries.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Here's my question. You say you ordered two dozen eggs. Given your previous experience hatching, how many chicks do you anticipate hatching out of those two dozen eggs? And what will be your anticipated cost per live chick at that point? I ask because I have not done any hatching yet and am considering the cost. I know better than to expect a 100% hatch rate. Thank you.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Every hatch is different. I can't say how good of a hatcher, you are, or anyone else. That is why I suggest until you have hatching down to use in expensive local eggs. I have been hatching for about 20 years. Local eggs I have hatched (Not mine) this year... I got 34/36, My last hatch in Dec. I got 11/14 that were shipped eggs.
But you are right it is not 100% hatch rate hatching egg wise, but that is why you have to factor in setting more eggs than you need-want.

Helping people get basic cost ideas.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Here are the eggs I got today

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I would say if you are thinking about hatching for the first time, try with inexpensive local eggs instead of hatchery eggs! Once you feel you have a talent for hatching. You are ready to order more expensive eggs.

I just compared the cost of the the eggs I bought from a hatchery, to the chicks I could have bought shipped from the same hatchery. I looked at Straight run only because when you hatch they come out straight run. Shipped eggs are risky so you have to order more than you think you need.
That being said you only save money on eggs VS shipped chicks on the more expensive chicks. If you are ordering eggs at $4 an egg, and straight run chicks shipped from the same hatchery are selling for $3.58 a chick you are not saving money.
My pros to ordering eggs, I think I do a good job hatching and I like to hatch. In egg shipping if an egg gets damaged you can call it in and get your money back, or a replacement/credit. No chicks would be hurt in shipping. If the order comes to you a couple days late, no big deal. They may still hatch.

So I recently bought 2 doz for $140, buying the same birds as chicks shipped it would have been $204. that is $64 dollars savings. But, I would have not even bought some of the birds as chicks at the higher prices.
Shipped chicks don't have to be expensive, you can also order assortments, where you don't know what breeds you get but you can request all females.
I hope this has been helpful. Feel free to ask questions, I have hatched shipped eggs and ordered from hatcheries.

This is very helpful. I just hatched for the first time, but I can’t take all the credit. Mama hen sat on the eggs 20 days, then left. I tossed them in the incubator and got 100% hatched over the next few days. So now I’ve been thinking about getting more eggs but am torn between getting the breeds I want, or getting just whatever inexpensive eggs are available (or even continuing to hatch my own).

I do have a question for you- when you order that variety of hatching eggs, how can you tell the chicks apart if they hatch around the same time? 3 of our 5 chicks hatched on the same day while we were at work and we still aren’t 100% confident about which chicken from which egg (to know who mama is).

 

[JacinLarkwell]

how can you tell the chicks apart if they hatch around the same time

You can buy hatching bags or divider sections to move the eggs into at lockdown

 

[Iluveggers]

Here are the eggs I got today
View attachment 3379863
View attachment 3379864

Meyer does a great job with their shipped eggs. The only disappointment I had last year was not getting an extra egg. Reviews made it sound standard. I had one with a miniscule crack I didn’t see until 2 days later, so I didn’t bother calling for a refund, but an extra egg would help with any issues like that. If you do a hatch-a-long, let me know! That looks like a fun group of potential chicks!

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have had all these breeds, I can tell the difference , and most will have different colors.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have never gotten an extra egg. Plus this last time they were sold out. I was also told I could not have 2 that I had bought because they were short. I did get a refund on the 2 I was not given.