Hatching vs. buying chicks - Some Questions

[chickmanna]

I'm thinking about getting an incubator and purchasing some eggs to hatch. Have done some reading up on it, but still have questions.

First, I see posts where people have gotten a new incubator and then refer to using the new one to incubate and the old one to hatch. Don't the eggs hatch in the incubator then the chicks get moved to the brooder? Maybe someone can explain it to me.

Second, I'm concerned about bringing disease into my flock. Are chicken diseases carried in the egg? Chicks I have purchased previously have been vaccinated for Marek's disease. So if you hatch eggs do you need to vaccinate the chicks yourself? Any thing else you need to provide for the chicks you hatch as opposed to purchased chicks?

 

[dickhorstman]

Many people move their eggs to a seperate incubator or hatcher on the 18th day. This is especially helpful if you have staggered egg settings.

 

[billiejo21]

I move my eggs on day 18 to different incubator to hatch, cause I almost always have eggs set on different days!! I think if I had all eggs due at the same time, I wouldn't bother, but people might also do that to keep their new incubator clean of hatching debris.

As far as disease goes, I personally feel that just like with chicks and adult birds, you need to buy from peopole who have clean flocks. If you buy locally, make sure you take a look at the laying flock and where the chickens are kept. Unfortunatly, I don't have local breeders to buy from, so most of my eggs are shipped...therefore, I rely on pictures and feedback from other buyers. You can vaccinate your chicks that you hatch, but I don't know all the details.

Good luck!

 

[eggdd]

i have a rule: no live birds are allowed on my property. there are just too many diseases. it doesn't matter how "clean" you think someone is - - browse around these forums and read the horror stories. and it doesn't even have to be something deadly, but simply non-existant to your flock and now, due to the new birds, your flock has it. of course, there are other reason i don't bring live birds here - - disease just being one of them (an important one!).

also, i happen to like hatching eggs. so it's a win.

the biggest downside (maybe): you cannot control your roo to hen ratio. you could hatch one roo, or ten. you never know - - and i'm not even sure that's a downside. it's kind of part of the fun.

 

[foxypoproxy]

If you want to purchase eggs and hatch them, i recommend you read this thread: http://albertachickensetc.punbb-hosting.com/viewtopic.php?id=18095
This thread will tell you how to prevent diseases in eggs by using a tylan egg dip method.
You never know what other peoples flocks could have, even if they are well known breeders, i'd rather be safe then sorry.

After losing my flock to disease, i feel hatching eggs out is safer.
I'm super paranoid about bringing disease in, so i am going to be doing this procedure, which should kill any diseases that a hen could transmit to the egg/baby chick.
I'll be purchasing hatching eggs and doing this method during the spring.

 

[chickmanna]

Thanks Eggdd. I too had a horrible experience with bringing in a live bird (other than day old from the local Wilco). That's one reason I want to go with eggs. Dick and BillieJo - I will be setting only one or two batches, so no need for a hatcher and and incubator, but thanks for the explanation.

 

[chickmanna]

I've seen the vaccine available for Marek's. Is this necessary with a closed flock? Also wondering how many of you use the tylan dip or something like it? I've read not to wash the eggs.

 

[foxypoproxy]

Quote:
Normally people say not to wash eggs because of the coating called the "bloom" which protects the egg from bacteria.
But it all comes down to personal preference. I have heard a few people wash their eggs and still have the same hatch rate as un-washed eggs.
If you decide to wash your eggs (without doing the tylan dip method) do it under hot water, not cold.
My reasoning of why i think it would be ok to wash the bloom off with the tylan dip method is because, when you wash the bloom off with water, you will be dipping it in tylan, which absorbs into the egg and kills bacteria.
So you don't really have to worry about the bacteria problem that much, since your using tylan to kill it anyway.

Here are also some important facts:
If you wash an egg under warm/hot water, it makes the membrane expand and pushes against the walls, so pushing bacteria out/away.
When you wash an egg under cold water, the membrane will shrink and absorb, more likely to bring bacteria in.
So thats why when you use the tylan dip, you want them to be in cold water (so it sucks the tylan in and doesn't push it away).

In no way am i saying you have to do this or that.
Or that one way is better then the other.
Just sharing some information

P.S i also agree bringing in live birds is not good.
I have even heard some hatcheries are not totally clean of diseases like mycoplasma, etc.
Not saying they "will" have them, but their is a slim possibility of obtaining sick chicks.
So it makes it a difficult decision.
Also when buying hatching eggs you don't know how healthy the parents of the eggs are.
They could have diseases that are passed down, that we or the owner weren't aware of.
Because of this, thats why i choose to use the egg dipping method (the method was actually recommend by veterinarians).

 

[eggdd]

i do not wash the eggs. i do not dip the eggs. i also do not vaccinate the chicks when they hatch.

it's really hard for folks to advise other folks - - it really depends on your situation/history. have you had chickens before? (you said yes) - - have you had diseases before? (you said yes) what kind of disease(s)? was it deadly? how long ago was it? do you still have chickens from that infected flock? how much property do you have?

you don't have to answer those, i'm just suggesting you do research and make the best, most informed decision for your situation and that you are comfortable with. which, obviously, you're doing hence this thread.

 

[Dead Rabbit]

ive had chickens all my life. probably hundreds and hundreds of them all told. been around thousands more at others places. even been on a few commercial chicken farms with god knows how many thousands. brought many different chickens many diffrerent times to my yard, and rarely even quarrentined them. i have bought chicks from hatcheries a few different times with no problems.

ive only had one disease that was actually spread from bringing in different fowl. all i did was cull half a dz young sick individuals as soon as they showed signs (it was cocci) and no more problems.

have i been just lucky?

as for vaccinating............i one time vacc. for mareks and for pox. it was a waste of time and money....that was 14 yrs ago. i had no real problem before and none since. take all this for what its worth.