do I have the right to be upset?

[BenAnnaMama]

That was my thought too... Why didn't you at least get breakfast out of the deal? Or a nice frittata? Ugh.. people like that are annoying...

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

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Good Luck! You are doing the right thing.

 

[Pele]

You know, when I first read your first post, I was horrified that someone would do something so nasty to you. But after thinking it over, I actually think a miscommunication might have happened.

At first I was trying to understand why a woman with a flock of her own had enough eggs to send to you for hatching, but not enough eggs of her own for eating. It doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense why she'd want to ask someone else for eating eggs. What's the point of having a flock then?

It is entirely possible that she thought you were doing an equal trade of FERTILE eggs. That would make a whole lot of sense, because she can add genes she's admired in your flock, and you can get genes you want from hers. If you thought she only wanted eating eggs, and gave her unfertile ones, she might have spent all that time trying to incubate them.... ending up with nothing.

Now I personally, in her shoes, would expect my kind and fair-minded neighbor to compensate me for all the duds in some way. A very self-centered person might have demanded all of the chicks, but if what I suspect is happening, she thought the fairest solution is to divide the hatch.

I would be very careful about this conversation you're going to have with her, because if the above is true, you would look deeply petty and mean by sabotaging her with all roosters, or lying about your hatch (which she might find out later just counting your chickens over the fence that look like hers).

I'm sure that just by talking it over, you two will realize it's a miscommunication, and all laugh about it later. Maybe over tea while watching your flocks.


Just a thought!

 

[aarronh]

I have a neighbor who would do EXACTLY the same thing (if she had chickens). There are just folks out there that require a little more "effort". Next time, ask if you could "buy" a dozen of her eggs and keep your hatch rate to yourself

Neighbor harmony is much better than getting into a spat...
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[DelcoChix]

Best of luck in your transaction--here's my 2 cents worth...life's too short. It's a misunderstanding--that's it. Whether this was what she had intended from the start or not..doesn't matter. Take the high road (as you sound like you are), pick the ones you want (so you have some say in the matter), and move on. If she changed her mind once she heard of how successful you were, apparently she had no idea on how to deal with the fact that you had such a successful hatch...her issue, not yours. You are doing the right thing..
Give her half of the chicks and move on. Consider it a life lesson and now you know...if she comes to you with another 'offer' you will be prepared and able to lay your cards on the table right up front.
In the meantime you have some really cute chicks to raise, you've shared some great eating eggs with your neighbor, you've done the best you can to maintain good relations with your neighbor AND set a wonderful example on how to deal with unexpected trials.

Well done and rest easy--you did the right thing.
Again, life's too short. Happy Easter
(PS--I am jealous no matter what--have been fighting the urge to raise chicks this spring...it's really hard, but we are getting a LOT of eggs each day...but I want some more to raise...but we have a lot of hens..but...but...you are blessed

 

[DelcoChix]

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Well said!

 

[nurseshelly]

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Errr how irritating! I hope the talk goes well, and I'm glad you are picking your favorites!!!

 

[heather454ss]

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When I get to many eggs in my fridge from my chickens i usually as a nice neighbor take them over to her for her family to eat since my family is much smaller than hers. When i took the 14 eggs over to her she stated that she just got her eggs out of the coop and why don't i give you these and i will just boil your eggs instead. She new i had just purchased a incubator a few weeks back. There was never a small lil hint or conversation stating she ever wanted half. I really do think she is trying to use me because my family and i just got home from eating out and there was a note on my door stating she stopped by to pick up her chicks and that she now has duck eggs for me to put in the incubator!!!! What??? I don't know anything about ducks. I am really thinking she wants me to be her personal incubator.

I don't know how to tell if they are hens or roosters at this early of an age so NO i would not give her all roos. Like i said i am letting my kids pick out the ones that they want and then the rest she can have.

I am not trying to be an evil person but I think with my time, effort and cash (electric bills, feed, etc). I feel I deserve alot more than half of the chicks.

I think i am a great neighbor. I am always recusing her dogs when they get loose, giving her eggs with never asking anything in return from her and my husband is a mechanic and has fixed her car a couple of times with also never asking to be paid and this is what she does to me.

I know there was no misunderstanding.

Am I wrong???

 

[redhen]

Nope, you're not wrong..
The only thing you would be wrong about is if you keep letting her use you...
THAT would be wrong...

 

[emvickrey]

I wouldn't be happy about it either. I would state that I thought those eggs I gave you to eat where a trade for the eggs to hatch. YOu didn't mention you wanted half of the chicks too. And if there seemed to be hard feelings happening I would just give them half. You could ask which half of one of the chicks do they want to make it an even half. I don't like to have stress inmy life but don't like being taken advantage of either.

Like the others said, I wouldn't have any more dealings with that neighbor again but be nice because you do have to live by them. My remark about cutting a chick in half would be in a joking tone but my true feelings wouldn't be nice. And of course I wouldn't cut one in half. I would take the less amount. I would rather they felt they got a good deal to insure good word of mouth. One bad remark can be devastating to selling eggs or doing furture trades with others.
If they do my chance give you more eggs to hatch I wouldn't tell them they did hatch, for sure.

we must have posted at the same time. I wouldn't hatch those duck eggs. I would tell her where she can get an incubator and say mine was full. You shouldn't put duck eggs in with chicken eggs anyway. Duck eggs have to have a higher humidity.

Sounds like you have a "taker" for a neighbor.