Hatching eggs from IDEAL

[IwannaBEaMERMAID]

Sooo I want chicks again . . .and nooo I don't keep them all, but the parentals wont let me get chicks . . .so I have ingeniously thought of hatching eggs for my hen, ya ? Soo last time one of my cochins went broody she succesfully cover 11 trader joes fertile eggs,7 hatched. sooo I was thinking of getting Hatching eggs for her from IDEAL ( 4 self blue cochin bantam,4 self blue silkie, and 4 sultan bantam). But she would have to go broody and IDEAL send the eggs I guess the day after shes broody, and the would have to get here kinda quick, because I dont want my hen to be broody for a long time.

So does anyone know how long It usually take for Ideal to ship their eggs?

and how long can my hen safely be broody ?

 

[Illia]

Why Ideal? When it comes to hatching eggs, there's thousands of breeders here on BYC very willing to get you some hatching eggs, and a lot of us even do mixed orders and for cheap prices.

I would say it is safe to let a broody hen sit on nothing viable for at most 4 days, then she needs some eggs. 21 days already is exhausting enough

Just make sure she's actually on something, otherwise she may quit.

 

[HHandbasket]

I have never ordered eggs from Ideal or any other hatchery, but if that is the route your parents are trying to help you with, then that is what you should do. It's something I've considered myself. Ideal has a pretty good reputation, and from what I've seen, not a lot of hatcheries will sell eggs, only chicks, so that's a good plus in their favor.

Yes, there are a lot of breeders here on BYC, and perhaps you can find some in your area that you can purchase from directly, as eggs that are shipped do not have as high of a hatch rate as eggs which are just driven across town. Also, a lot of times you will find people with "mutt chicken eggs" that come from a mixed flock of various breeds, and they'll sometimes have fertile eggs that they are willing to give away. We have a dozen such eggs cookin' in the bator as I type this, less than 48 hours from lockdown! A friend of mine from BYC with a variety of birds in her yard and no breeding pens gave me these eggs (cannot guarantee the purity of any breeds of these eggs). They are ALL fertile, and at last official candling at 10 days, 100% of the eggs were still viable. We will candle one last time when we go into lockdown, though I did take a "quick peek" in one of the eggs this evening and it is so full of chick, you can't really see anything... you see a big clear air cell, and then dark.

ETA: These are all from eggs that were free. Unless you're looking for specific breeds, consider mutt chicks.