should i buy eggs or day old chicks?

[unclejohn]

So there is a farm here that sells chicks and eggs. I want to get some orpingtons. They sell day old chicks and fertalized eggs. i've set up an incubator but have never done this before. the thing is the chicks are 5$ each, and the eggs are only 1$ each. I am not working at this time and money is very tight.

Any advice? thoughts?

 

[Kelsie2290]

Well, it would depend on how good the incubator is. What do you know about the one you have, have you checked how well it holds temperature etc? Even a 50% hatch, which would be low for local eggs (assuming the eggs are in decent shape since they are the same ones the people are hatching) would put you ahead of the game if you get eggs. On the other hand if you have incubator problems you could wind up with nothing. With buying chicks, at least you have chicks.

 

[Heiko27]

Ya incubators can be complicated. Don't count on them working. My first time right now is a disaster

 

[unclejohn]

okay so I have just went ahead and told them to incubate the eggs for me. They will be ready in 3 weeks she said. So I ordered 10 blue/black/splash orpington chicks. It was $50 for 10 chicks, seems a little expensive to me but hey they will have more chicks anyways right?

 

[jenneverett]

i believe i would have gotten 50 eggs and incubated them... my chicks at orchlens were just 3-4 bucks each. and i did not have access to eggs.

 

[unclejohn]

Well now it's too late. I ordered the chicks already. I should have bought eggs! Oh well. Too late I guess

 

[jenneverett]

I am raising my first chickens ever and so far it has been enjoyable. I have purchased live meal worms to farm instead of buying over and over. And am already thinking about buying more chickens! We bought 6 chicks thinking 6 eggs a day average. ...now I see that getting 1from each bird every day is not average.

 

[unclejohn]

what types of birds did you buy? I'm going to get 25 Orpington eggs. They are supposed to be docile and friendly birds, good for meat and eggs. They also go broody a lot so I'll have a chicken factory and won't have to buy again!

 

[jenneverett]

We bought 2 Rhode Island Reds...2 barred rocks. ..and 2 Easter Eggers labled as Americana chicks. They are at about 7 weeks old and have just fully feathered out.

 

[unclejohn]

very nice. is it true that chicks wont lay the first year?