Hatching vs purchasing chicks

[CaffeinatedRN]

Y’all have had it rough lately!

 

[Kates Chooks]

You may have to deal with cockerels no matter which route you go. Even sexed birds don't have a 100% guarantee they are pullets unless it's a sex ink and they can tell by color. I have a speckled sussex rooster that was supposed to be a pullet! Tomorrow is pick up day for my 15 chicks from Cackle Hatchery, and it's always exciting to bring new babies home. I have never incubated eggs so I can't advise you there, but lots of people have probably answered those questions already. if you do incubate, I hope the chicks don't hatch out while the kids are in school! They'd miss the fun.

 

[jolenesdad]

Exciting!

You should follow along with the Easter hatch a long and joint the next one with your hatch! It’s been incredibly informative and we are just a couple days in.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

My first several chickens I bought from a feed store and from Meyers. It was nice, I got what I wanted. But since then, Ive discovered other breeds that I can't get a from a feed store or from most hatcheries... things like my araucana. If I want them I have to go to a breeder. Here soon, I'm hoping for my brahma to go broody again so I can get some araucana eggs and get more of those beautiful birds, and another rooster.

 

[Sprayanimal]

Hey y’all.
I’m new to chickens, though my husband is not. He has incubated eggs as a child, as well as raising chickens. This will be a family activity, but primarily my “project”

I’m looking for opinions on hatching vs buying chicks. To get the breeds I’m really looking for, odds are I’ll have to order online. I’d love to incubate/hatch primarily for the kids to experience it. (They are 13 and a very well behaved 6) Any advice? I’m completely on woth you telling me I’m nuts for starting off with hatching and I should get chicks instead. But if I do hatch I have these questions:

Anyone have recommendations for where to order the eggs?
Taking into consideration the survival rate and the fact that I really don’t want roosters, how many of each breed (I want 2 different breeds) should I order if I’m aiming towards 3 females of each breed? (I’m flexible on that though)

I’m open to any other advice, and I’ll be pouring through the thread to see what I find

Thanks!

Oh, and I’m in SC if that makes a difference

Try a feed store like tractor supply. Especially if you dont want rooster. Quick and easy no dissatisfaction. Have fun

 

[CJONESFAY]

I have gone both ways ... but everytime we hatch at home we end up with too many roos and then have to cut back give away or they kill each other

 

[Justy59]

I think that you could do both but going the egg route you might just get a better bred chicken. That being said the 7th graders in our school love to incubate chicks and it is a very good learning experience.

 

[gimmie birdies]

My first hatching experience, I knew nothing, and we didn't have computers where I could ask friendly people what to do. I had a glass fish tank, and a lamp, and put eggs under it. It hatched 2 chicks and the rest were stuck in the shell. Really gross. My son at 27 still really doesn't like to eat eggs.