Fertile Eggs Vs. Chicks??

[Manhen]

So I have a flock, and it seems healthy with birds at 14, 18, and 22 weeks old. In the spring I want to add a few, and some 25-50 Rock Cornish perhaps. More than one batch over the spring is likely so we and our neighbor get 50 each for the freezer(s).

What are the reasons I would want eggs rather than chicks shipped to me? I am not shying away from the process of hatching eggs, rather more interested in cost, flock health, yields (the R.C.s are to be meat birds). I was interested/puzzled to note the hatchery I use had a very similar cost (delivered) for both fertile eggs and chicks both.

 

[Ridgerunner]

More than one batch over the spring is likely so we and our neighbor get 50 each for the freezer(s).

Think about how much freezer space you have? That was a controlling factor in how many I could butcher at a time.

What are the reasons I would want eggs rather than chicks shipped to me?

cost

You said no significant difference in costs to buy. If you already own the incubator I can't think of a difference in cost.

flock health

In my opinion, none whatsoever if you raise them the same. Live chicks from a reputable hatchery should be as safe as you can get.

yields (the R.C.s are to be meat birds)

If the chick and eggs come from the same laying flock their should be no difference in how they grow. I think that is the question. If you hatch you have no idea how many of what sex you will get. If you can and do order males the yield will, on average, be higher. If you only order straight run you don't know how many of what sex you will get.

The only reason I can come up with that you might want to get shipped hatching eggs instead of live chicks would be if there is a ban on live chicks where you are. Maybe someone else can come up with another.

Live chicks have already hatched and usually survive shipping really well. I had a 100% hatch rate on shipped eggs one time, 20% another time from the same source. Even when you collect your fertile eggs yourself you don't know how many will actually hatch. Shipped eggs often don't hatch that well, there are several different bad things that can possibly happen to them. Bad things can also happen when you ship live chicks but they usually don't. You have better control over how many chicks you are likely to get if you order live chicks.

I don't know what kinds of guarantees they give with live chicks or shipped hatching eggs. That's for you to evaluate.

 

[NatJ]

Ridgerunner just said a lot of what I was thinking of saying, especially about the hatchability of shipped eggs.

My own preference would be for buying chicks, if the same kind were available both ways.

If you've never hatched eggs, you might want to do it at least once for the experience, but it will not be the quickest and easiest way to get chicks. And if the eggs initially cost the same as the chicks, then hatching them is more expensive overall (cost of incubator, electricity, your time, the ones that didn't hatch.)

 

[Manhen]

More than one batch over the spring is likely so we and our neighbor get 50 each for the freezer(s).

Think about how much freezer space you have? That was a controlling factor in how many I could butcher at a time.

What are the reasons I would want eggs rather than chicks shipped to me?

cost

You said no significant difference in costs to buy. If you already own the incubator I can't think of a difference in cost.

flock health

In my opinion, none whatsoever if you raise them the same. Live chicks from a reputable hatchery should be as safe as you can get.

yields (the R.C.s are to be meat birds)

If the chick and eggs come from the same laying flock their should be no difference in how they grow. I think that is the question. If you hatch you have no idea how many of what sex you will get. If you can and do order males the yield will, on average, be higher. If you only order straight run you don't know how many of what sex you will get.

The only reason I can come up with that you might want to get shipped hatching eggs instead of live chicks would be if there is a ban on live chicks where you are. Maybe someone else can come up with another.

Live chicks have already hatched and usually survive shipping really well. I had a 100% hatch rate on shipped eggs one time, 20% another time from the same source. Even when you collect your fertile eggs yourself you don't know how many will actually hatch. Shipped eggs often don't hatch that well, there are several different bad things that can possibly happen to them. Bad things can also happen when you ship live chicks but they usually don't. You have better control over how many chicks you are likely to get if you order live chicks.

I don't know what kinds of guarantees they give with live chicks or shipped hatching eggs. That's for you to evaluate.

A lot of info, next post was appreciated also. I think getting chicks is the way to go, hatching I will let my broodies do....

Freezer? Full size standup deep freeze. Its just two of us so it is usually empty. Will need a fridge too, 50 eggs a day minimum is what we are expecting. Elks lodge might take them off our hands.

We were buying hatchery choice rainbow mix with some basic breeds as extras, roos and hens of Leghorns, Wellsummers, and Dominiques. Next spring the extras may be Americaunas. :0