Is this an OK price for hatching eggs?

[Scottyhorse]

I want to buy some different chicken breed eggs. Hatch them, and then sell some of their eggs for people to hatch. Here is what I would get:

12 Orpington Eggs (all types)
3 Blue Ameraucana
2 Blue Andalusian
2 Golden Lakenvelder

After shipping, total would come to $110... Yikes. Seems like a lot to me. Egg prices are okay but shipping is a little over $40!!

Is this a good price? Where else should I look? I at least want the orpington assortment and blue ameraucanas. The orp. assortment has Buff, Blue, Black, Lavender, and Splash.

Thanks!

 

[RhodeRunner]

Price would come out at around $3.70/egg, and $40.00 shipping. That seems normal enough, but the shipping is high. But, everything depends on the shipping method. Which, I would ask them about?

Also, if you are getting these to raise for people to hatch eggs from, I question your assortment. These are shipped egg, you are lucky if 50% hatch, then 50% of the ones that do will be male, and then not all of them will be breeders quality.

If you are only getting 2 - 3 eggs I wouldn't bother, unless you are looking to add to a flock that you already own. Because, 2 - 3 isn't enough to get anything to work with.

 

[Scottyhorse]

We already have a flock. A large one I might add! I would probably take these ones to the fair and show them.
I am ordering them from www.mypetchicken.com

You make some good points though.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

If you're getting these eggs from MPC, don't expect any of them to do well in shows. You'd be better off shopping locally or getting your eggs from BYC. Just my opinion though. Good luck!
Nikki

 

[donrae]

I would look at the byc folks who sell hatching eggs. You'll get a lot better quality than mpc, you can see pics of the parent stock and check the seller's feedback, see how they pack eggs and how other folk's hatch rates have been. If you're most interested in Orpingtons, I'd also go hang out on the orpington thread and see who had quality birds there, get an eye for what you want.

Do you have this many seperate breeding pens? You're looking at a LOT of different pens for keeping all the colors of all the breeds seperate for purity.

I agree on the ordering just a few eggs........you're quite likely to wind up with two of the same gender, or have a bad hatch and only one bird, etc. I'd narrow down the breeds you want, focus on one or two and work on quality of those birds, not quantity of a lot of mediocre birds.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

That's a lot for hatching eggs. You would probably get a better deal buying chicks of those breeds, or established breeding pairs. You figure, with the shipping rate and possibility of less than perfect hatch rate, it could cost as much as $5 or more per chick/egg!

 

[Scottyhorse]

So, I found someone on here where I can get 12 eggs for $35 and $16 shipping! Much better price IMO I decided I will keep the Orpingtons in with the goats, that way I can collect eggs for hatching, and our flock for laying can do their thing LOL Going to get them in mid March. Yippeee! Now I might as well put an add on for other eggs.. My brother wants red silkies and araucanas, and I want cochins/frizles, and Americanas.. How many do you think we should get each? If we can get them of course! If we have any extra chicks we can give some to the neighbor.. I love spring!

 

[mandelyn]

I try to buy by the dozen, and expect a 30% hatch rate. Usually I get a higher percentage to hatch, it just depends. Sometimes I get nothing. There are a lot of factors, from what the parents were fed, how the eggs were stored, how they're packed, if anyone throws or drops the box, if it's xrayed, and then the incubation as well.

Thought I was little miss hatching queen until I started fooling with shipped eggs. It can be incredibly disappointing.

 

[Mattemma]

On craigs I saw hatching eggs of your kind for $2 each. Our feed tore sells spring chicks for $2-$3 each. I would lok for local first,then chicks,then consider paying for shipped eggs.