Expanding flock - should I do eggs or chicks?

[Tigerjane]

There's still some breeds I want to try to add, and I can't decided if I should order hatching eggs from private breeders, or wait until spring and see if I can finagle some chicks. I've already ordered eggs that I don't think I'll see anything from, so I'm leery of doing that again. On the other hand, it's more economical to order hatching eggs (if you get a hen from them) than to order 15 chicks plus shipping, and I also wouldn't have to wait until spring (cause I want them all yesterday

Let's hear from the masses:

what do you recommend for someone who wants specific, rare breeds and doesn't have a lot of space to raise a bunch of chicks, or a lot of money to put 100's into getting a hen? Hatching eggs, huh?

 

[justbugged]

For me if you really want live chicks, buying them as chicks is more reliable than hatching. Of course if you want to try hatching it is a lot of fun.

 

[CalebtheChicken]

I recomend chicks, shipped eggs usually have a 50% chance of hatching and they aren't sexed, while most of the chicks you order will live and you can order most chicks sexed.
Say you order 4 eggs- 2 hatch- 1 hen 1 roo
4 chicks- 4 live- 4 hens

 

[goldnchocolate]

Although I really, really enjoyed hatching 4 batches of eggs this spring a lot of the mailed eggs didn't hatch. Of the chicks that did hatch a good portion of them are boys

If I do this again, another time, I would still hatch eggs of breeds that are hard to come by but for the average breeds I would go with mail order sexed chicks. If you can get the eggs locally then the cost won't be so bad. It was costly to order eggs (shipping) and then have 2 whole orders that never hatched even one chick. I had eggs from my own hens in the incubator with the mailed eggs and had good results from them so I know it was the shipping that was the problem.

 

[lildinkem]

Depends on IF you want to show or just have nice birds. Either way, I found the best results in buying a breeding pair. Most Exhibition breeders rather sell partially grown out birds. Then you have a good idea of what your getting. I see ALOT on EBAY, folks selling what is pressumed to be top show quality, only to find out a year later you had been duped and was sold eggs on a picture that is not the parents of the hatching eggs you were sold. So, I like to go to the breeders place or see his/her birds in person. Talk to that person and get a feel of what they breed for. ALOT of folks like to sell on someone else's name. I see more people selling on others names then their own. So ask for pics or even better a video IF you can't go and see the person's birds.