New Member needs lots of advice

[SueTriesHerBest]

I'm a kindergarten teacher in Southern California. Last year a mom in my class helped us hatch chicks. None actually hatched so I ended up sneaking in chicks from the feed store. Luckily my students didn't ask any questions. It was a great experience for all of us.
This year I want to try again but hopefully with better results. Here's most important question, where do I find local fertilized eggs to hatch? I live in Redlands Ca. Anyone out there know where I can get eggs?

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, SueTriesHerBest, and

! Great to have you aboard! A great place to inquire would be of fellow Californians in your state thread in this link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread
You can also post in this forum to see if there are any local hatcheries that have hatching eggs for sale: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/16/chicken-breeders-hatcheries
Local is important when it comes to hatching eggs as getting them though the mail results in a great drop in hatch rate.
Finally, there is this forum as well: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/36/chicken-hatching-eggs
Hope you find what you are looking for - I know this is a project kids love! Good luck and thanks for joining BYC!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - you have some great advice and links already so I'll just say hello!

All the best
CT

 

[Circle W Farms]

Welcome to BYC.

 

[N F C]

You've received some great links so I'll just say hello and wish you best of luck with this year's hatch!

 

[Three chickens]

Hello and welcome. I live in Riverside Ca. I just looked on Craigslist and saw some fertile hatching eggs. Hope that helps.

 

[Jiffyrocks]

What happens to the chicks after the class has hatched them?

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under SueTriesHerBest

Welcome!

Good thinking on sneaking in the chicks .. I can imagine the little ones would have been bitterly disappointed if there were no babies.

Sorry, living in Aus, I am not able to help with your search but I do wish you all the best.

I also hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

If you would like to share pictures and stories of the hatch, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard chickens Sue, it's nice to meet you. School kids have all the fun. We never got to see chickens hatch when I was a kid. The best we got was a walk to a grocery store and a red balloon with the store name on it.

 

[SueTriesHerBest]

The mom that started the project brought half of the chicks to her own mom's coop and the rest went to another family starting a backyard coop. Unfortunately both families lost 2 of the chicks, but the rest are thriving. Because they were handled since born, both families say the hens are more like pets. They still enjoy being held and cuddled. I already have one family lined up to take some chicks for this year. My neighbor is a jerk and I have 3 cats or I would continue raising them at my house. Luckily I have enough other families wanting to raise chickens.