Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[cochins1088]

Quote:
Thankfully it's about a 3 hour drive so I'll be driving. I don't think I could justify spending that much on shipped eggs.

 

[ozexpat]

Thankfully it's about a 3 hour drive so I'll be driving. I don't think I could justify spending that much on shipped eggs.

no- if you are driving then you should get a good hatch rate. do a batch of local eggs first to get back in game.

 

[cochins1088]

Quote:
I'll probably buy them as it's a one time offer. Even though lots of things can go wrong, the odds are still in my favor.

By the way, that's a good idea using live birds boxes to ship eggs. I've never thought about that before.

 

[ozexpat]

I'll probably buy them as it's a one time offer. Even though lots of things can go wrong, the odds are still in my favor.

By the way, that's a good idea using live birds boxes to ship eggs. I've never thought about that before.

I saw it done recently

just dont tell the post office is live "pre-birds"

 

[chicksooner]

Congrats Doug! Glad you are feeling better just in time to help your wife!

 

[Gardeningmama]

Doug & Family

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[TweetyNPetey]

I had to do it...
I dug the bator out of the closet...
So my neighbor has 2 silkie hens, an EE hen, and a silkie roo. She called me up just 10 minutes ago and said:
"Hi, I was wondering if you'd like to take a few of our fertile eggs to hatch. I don't really have time for the hens anymore, so you can have them, but while you're waiting, I have an EE egg and 2 silkie eggs."
I couldn't resist. I ran on over and took home 3 eggs for the Brinsea...

 

[mstricer]

How good are my incubation skills? That's the question I'm asking myself right now...

I'm very temped to buy some hatching eggs, but it's $150 per dozen. If I were guaranteed a pair to hatch, than I'd buy them in a heart beat, but sadly the world isn't perfect. The number that hatches will depend on fertility, transit, and my incubation skills. I'll most likely get at least a handful to hatch, but then who's to say that they won't all be males or females, and who's to say that they'll be of the quality that I'm searching for.

Questions, questions.... I'm still trying to weigh the benefits versus the cost to figure out an answer.

What kind of eggs you wanting to buy for a 150$ a dozen

 

[cochins1088]

Quote:
They're black cochin bantams from a man that many consider the top black cochin bantam breeder in the country.

He offered to sell me a grown pair of his top notch birds for $200, but he uses certain vaccines that I don't want in my flock. He doesn't sell eggs, but he's making an exception for me.

 

[loveourbirds]

i am just offering advice, here - there is more than one way to think about $150/doz hatching eggs. i have paid more than that for eggs, this is meaning to inform; not to offend.

by spending that on a common breed like black cochin bantams, and knowing the breeder; you will be certain to get some very nice stock. if you are planning on showing, this is an excellent way to get the chickens you need. you have also opened the door to someone who is knowledgeable in the breed and knows your lines. his knowledge is invaluable to you. the down side is not all chicks will be show quality, and breeding a show quality trio is not always the best way to go. you should have enough diversity with your group to be fine.

another way of looking at it is, if you bought $150 in live chicks you can control your cockerel/pullet ratio (through some places). you should be able to find them from a "good" breeder for $5 (or less) each. you wont have as many show quality, but you have alot more to select from. selling the extras at the right times can pay for the ones you decide to keep, and the feed bill for them to that point. of course if your wanting to show, this could put you a generation off. but you will certainly end up with respectable breeding stock.

if your not looking to show, or breed for show it really wont matter where you get them from. you will still enjoy watching them out in your yard and hearing the rooster crow in the morning.

just food for thought, and decisions i have to make all the time.