Need all the basics!

[tiffanya]

So, I listed my chicken and duck eggs on craigslist for the purpose of selling them to eat, but the majority of the email I am getting are from people wanting hatching eggs. I've only had chickens for a year and have never hatched before. If I am going to sell some of my eggs as hatching eggs what do I need to know? How long can they be stored? Store at room temp? Do they usually sell at the same price as eggs to eat? Any other helpful informatin would be great! (And yes I do have a rooster and drake with my flock.)

 

[galanie]

Only way to know if they are fertile other than trying to hatch them is to break them open and look at the yolks. Here is a great thread with pictures: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008
I know, if you break them then you can't hatch, but that will give you a good idea what percentage, if any, are fertile.

Hatching eggs generally go for a little more than eating eggs. $10 a dozen is a pretty common price I see for hatching eggs. Might want to look at eBay egg auctions plus the For Sale threads here.

 

[midget_farms]

Depending on the purity and breed you can ask a ton for hatching eggs.

For example - barnyard mix eggs can be $5 or $10 per dozen.

rare or specialized pure breed eggs can be $30 or $40 per dozen.

If you have a rooster you most likely have firtile eggs. If you have 50 hens & 1 rooster - most will not be as he can't keep up. If you have 1 rooster per 10 hens - you will most likely be just fine.

You can incubate to be sure - but its a safe assumption they are firtile if you have the above.

Store the eggs big end up in cartons - don't wash

turn them - you place a block under one end of the carton to raise it up. Then remove that & place it under the other end of the carton - do this no less than 3 x per day.

You can keep these eggs like this safely for 7 days before incubation.

dont sell small, deformed or overly large eggs for hatching - they have trouble.