hatch my own eggs or order chicks?

[notducky]

We have fertile eggs and were hoping for more babies than we got this year. We only got 2 :-( I'd like to have more chickens before winter sets in. Should I hatch my own eggs (never done that before) or order chicks from a hatchery? And if I do order chicks can you recommend a good hatchery?

 

[junebuggena]

If you hatch your own eggs, you need to have a plan for dealing with the cockerels that hatch. If you order from a hatchery, they may send some extra male chicks in the order for warmth.
Either way, the young chicks will need to be kept separate from the adults until they are big enough and fast enough to handle pecking order fights.

 

[song of joy]

If you only want pullets, I'd definitely order from a hatchery so you don't have to deal with the cockerels. It's very hard to find homes for them. You can raise them for meat, but it's not cost effective.

I've had success ordering from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio. They will include a heat pack, and I've never gotten any "males for warmth" added when using this hatchery (thank goodness!).

Read up on integration, as the chicks will have to be kept separate from the older chickens for several weeks.

 

[mobe_45]

Murray McMurray hatchery. Never had any issues with them.

 

[Bridebeliever]

I just ordered from My Pet Chicken and am very happy. I ordered 10, they are all healthy and I got all the breeds I requested. I liked them because of the variety I could get and that I didn't have to order 25.