Ordering eggs online for the first time!

[LadyinRed]

I just sent in payment for eggs that will have to be shipped to me. Oh boy.. What have I gotten myself into? I have two hens that have gone broody within the past week, my best girls at that so the eggs have the perfect incubators ready for them. This is going to be a looooong wait! I plan to take pictures of the entire process, from arrival, through incubation, and of chicks if they hatch. While we wait that long wait will any of you who have bought eggs share your stories and possible pictures?

 

[gryeyes]

This forum is FULL of such stories. Especially the ones that are along the line of "Anybody in for October hatching?" or any other month. All of us post to those threads.

You could start with the October thread....

But let me say that I've ordered and won auctions for several sets of shipped eggs and MINE have been artificially incubated. When my two hens that went broody hatched eggs, they were "our" eggs, not shipped ones. I have a rooster or few, so when the gals go broody, I don't have to order eggs for 'em.

I order eggs for ME to hatch in incubators, to get breeds not already in my flock.

Right now my second broody hen, Shirley Welsummer, is raising her 3 chicks. (There were four, but one fell into the ducks' kiddie pool and drowned. I have drained that pool until the chicks are bigger.)

I did post the whole 3 weeks of my first broody's incubation and hatch, so I am excited to watch yours unfold.

 

[Mrsfoote]

Oh gosh I got a hair up my butt and ordered a hova-bator incubator last week then won some Blue laced Red wyandotte eggs then while I was betting on those someone else put some up for auction so i figured I better bet on those in case I didn't win the others well guess what won them both So i have 18 eggs in the incubator now and decided I wanted more silkies so I won 7 of those that shipped today...so after much advice I purchased another hovabator to use as a hatcher....

Also have to mention I'm getting another 24 silkie eggs in Nov...my poor tolerant parents...my moms all In on it...she wanted me to bid on some bantam brahma eggs mind you I have 3 chicks in a brooder...and 3 full sized hens and a questionable silkie luckily someone else bid higher than me on the brahma eggs even though i still have time to bet I wont don't even know what I'm going to do with all the chicks depending on how many hatches.

 

[pgpoultry]

Don't get carried away ordering eggs it's unwise at this time of year. (I'm just waiting to be 'taken away' for ordering eggs for my broody

)

Good luck to anybody who is as foolish as me.My broody is outside, protected only by old ground sheet, sheep hurdles and plastic fencing....refuses to budge, and it's currently only just about 40 degrees and pouring with rain.

Buying eggs gets sort of.....addictive,

Sandie

 

[geebs]

Get your bator running now... that way it can stabilize... When they arrive unwrap them and put them air cell side up and let them rest for 24 hours.... Then Candle them with a good flashlight... If the aircells are intact then set them normally... If the aircells are loose set them in sterile egg cartons inside the bator air cell up.. and you will need to rock them side to side 3 times a day as if they were in a turner... This will help stabilize the air cells and keep the hatchies from drowning...

Good luck.. my favorite birds are from shipped eggs... Oh and after LOCKDOWN... do no let babies out until all pips have hatched....No cheating here... Your hatch rate goes down dramatically if you open the bator.

 

[bigdawg]

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what breed of eggs are you getting.

 

[LadyinRed]

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what breed of eggs are you getting.

Six buff silkie eggs.

 

[LadyinRed]

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I don't own an incubator I'm using broody hens.. don't know what I should do for loose air cells with broodies, these two would probably sit on egg cartons though.


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I cant get carried away. I have a $30 limit on each order of eggs and I will only use my silkie hens that are currently broody so that's whats kept me from ordering so far. Hmm.. but.. I do have TWO broody hens and I ordered 6 eggs.. I could order six more right?

 

[drumstick diva]

I don't know if chicken math applies to eggs heading toward winter. Do you have a back up incubator in case your hens decide to un=broody? It's always good to plan for the worst, and hope for the best.

 

[LadyinRed]

My eggs arrived today, they were all ok save for two, one that had a tiny hairline crack when candled but the air cell was fine and another that the air cell was floating around inside of. So all but those two are going under the hen. The cracked one got repaired with wax and the one with the floating air cell will sit over night and both will go upright in a carton to a friends incubator tomorrow to give them the best chance. I figure I'll just rock the carton side to side to see how they do and candle each day.