Tis Time for a March 2020 Hatch-a-long!

[Mosey2003]

That reminds me! Am I just really dumb, or are hatching eggs from the hatcheries not absolutely stupidly expensive??? I've looked at them, and they're like more than double what actual chicks cost. Why would anyone want to do that? I don't get it...

 

[gmjarvi]

That reminds me! Am I just really dumb, or are hatching eggs from the hatcheries not absolutely stupidly expensive??? I've looked at them, and they're like more than double what actual chicks cost. Why would anyone want to do that? I don't get it...

I do have some eggs on order from MH...cream legbars which are nearly $20 each for unsexed chicks versus a couple of bucks per hatching egg. It's also cheaper to ship eggs than it is to ship live birds. My egg order is about half the cost of what my chick order would have been, and I ordered more eggs than I would have ordered chicks.

Of course, I will have to deal with the risk of receiving unfertilized or damaged eggs.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

That reminds me! Am I just really dumb, or are hatching eggs from the hatcheries not absolutely stupidly expensive??? I've looked at them, and they're like more than double what actual chicks cost. Why would anyone want to do that? I don't get it...

Some hatching eggs are just stupid expensive. I just paid $100 for 12 Silver Deathlayer eggs. Maybe depends on what you’re going after. How much is a dozen hatching eggs from a hatchery?

 

[Mosey2003]

I suppose if it's a more expensive chick breed that would make more sense.

With the USPS being as horrid as it is, plus raising rates, I basically plan never to deal with shipping birds, chicks, or eggs again. Which is sad, but not as sad as a box full of dead birds or busted eggs. To me, anyway.

 

[Mosey2003]

Some hatching eggs are just stupid expensive. I just paid $100 for 12 Silver Deathlayer eggs. Maybe depends on what you’re going after. How much is a dozen hatching eggs from a hatchery?

I mean, I understand that kind of egg buying. You want something special from a breeder, you're going to pay more. What has me looking sideways is stuff like standard, common breed eggs sold from a hatchery when you could get a box of real live chicks for the same price.

 

[gmjarvi]

Some hatching eggs are just stupid expensive. I just paid $100 for 12 Silver Deathlayer eggs. Maybe depends on what you’re going after. How much is a dozen hatching eggs from a hatchery?

Why do they call them deathlayers? Every time I see that I'm like "that sounds like a breed for a metal head"

 

[Mosey2003]

Why do they call them deathlayers? Every time I see that I'm like "that sounds like a breed for a metal head"

It's a translation from German I think? I've read that it means they lay until they die. I've also read that it's a mistranslation and it really means something else, but dunno. Cool looking things.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

It's a translation from German I think? I've read that it means they lay until they die. I've also read that it's a mistranslation and it really means something else, but dunno. Cool looking things.

What’s interesting is every time I tried to buy the eggs, none were laying.... wth?! So we shall find out in a bit if they are truly “deathlayers”. What I read was they lay their whole life, not necessarily every day. Which means no down time in winter, etc.

 

[gmjarvi]

What’s interesting is every time I tried to buy the eggs, none were laying.... wth?! So we shall find out in a bit if they are truly “deathlayers”. What I read was they lay their whole life, not necessarily every day. Which means no down time in winter, etc.

Sounds like a great breed for northerners like me whose hens often take a break in the winter. So long as they are cold hardy. I am happy to let my hens take a break, but I do hate it when I have to buy eggs from the store. Only happened once this winter, though!

 

[Mosey2003]

What’s interesting is every time I tried to buy the eggs, none were laying.... wth?! So we shall find out in a bit if they are truly “deathlayers”. What I read was they lay their whole life, not necessarily every day. Which means no down time in winter, etc.

From what I gathered (and I could be wrong, it does happen lol) is that the genetics in this country are really, really close, which is affecting the laying and fertility.