question about shipping hatching eggs and chicks

[dkvart1]

I'm curious about a couple of things (trying to get informed a bit before taking the plunge next spring).

I've noticed posts about purchasing eggs for hatching and they are shipped. I thought eggs had to be kept warm in order to hatch, apparently not right from the outset or else this wouldn't work, right? So how long do you have to get the egg into an incubator from the time it's laid?

Second, I thought a constant supply of water was essential for chicks... so... doesn't this stress them out? And about how old are these chicks they ship?

Ahhhh newbies...

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Once they have started incubating eggs need to be kept warm. Before you start the incubation process they can be kept at room temperature for typically about a week before viability begins to drop off.

Poultry chicks are different from mammals in that they can go for about three days when newly hatched without needing to eat or drink which is what allows them to be shipped vial the mail with a pretty fair chance of being alive when you get them. They do have to be kept warm though which is why most hatcheries require you order at least twenty five at a time or the equivalent in larger chicks of other poultry species.

 

[dkvart1]

Thanks AT, that helped a lot!