trying to decide - should I buy chicks or hatch eggs?

[juleedis]

Hi Jerry, the $10/chick price is exactly what I was thinking, too. Thanks for your feedback!

 

[juleedis]

Thank you for your considerate response. Everyone's responses have been very helpful. I think I'm going to go for it and invest in hatching my own chicks!

 

[Barbedwirecat]

WOOHOOO!!! Awesome! I'm sure you'll be so happy with them! Keep us posted !!!

 

[jerryb]

buy a quality incubator, plan to do a few hatches to get it figured out, that is what i have been doing.

I hope it goes well, and post some pictures of your success.

good luck,
Jerry

 

[Cattitude]

For small quantity/tabletop incubators, Brinsea is considered tops, followed closely by R-com & then HovaBator. The most widely available tabletop model is the Little Giant, which can be daunting for a first-timer but is used as a hatcher by lots of folks. Repti Pro makes an incubator which looks like a small silver refrigerator with a glass door. Other incubators that are mentioned rarely are the Brower (Top Hatch comes to mind) and the Lyon incubators. Hope you find one that fits your needs. Good luck and great hatching!

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

I think you'll find hatching far more rewarding than purchasing chicks. It can be a little nerve racking in the beginning when you're trying to get the hang of it, but there is nothing more exciting than hatch day. Just get an incubator that holds a steady temp and you'll be fine. Make sure you test it for a few days before you set your eggs. You don't need to be home all day. I work full time, and hatch using a hovabator with great results. It's addictive. I've become a hatching egg hoarder. My boyfriend thinks I have a problem.

 

[skunknchatter]

Depends on what you want overall. If you just want a small backyard flock of hobby laying hens then I would just by chicks. You can buy 10 of the same breed or 1 each of 10 different breeds if you want. However, if you want to breed and raise chickens to show or sell stock from then I would say hatch your own because hatchery quality chicks aren't going to be what you want. The down side would be if you have to have the eggs you want shipped to you. I've heard it's hit or miss with shipped eggs. I've bought all of my chicks from the feed stores around here cuz I just wanted a few laying hens. Hubby built me and incubator and I'm incubating my first 2 eggs right now. They are just mixes from my roo and hens. I just wanted the experience of hatching a few and my 2 year old son thinks it's pretty neat. I haven't found incubating to be super stressful. Exciting would be a better word. I am not at home all day but I know that my 'bator is going to hold a steady temp. I do have to add water to it and turn my eggs by hand during the day but it's not a big deal. Biggest thing is to do what you think you will enjoy the most.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

There is nothing hard about hatching chickens, I'm mean gosh, a chicken can do it.

Turning eggs is as simple as keeping them in egg carton with one side elevated 40-45% on a small block of wood. Go to work, gone all day to turn it the other way that evening. There ya go, you just turned your eggs twice in a day and didn't have to be home all day or invest in an auto turner. An inexpensive incubator that gets good reviews is Hovabator still air. The thermostat adjustment isn't super finicky like the little giant and once temp is maintained in steady temperature room then you should not have to touch it again. Hatching is only as hard as some make it to be.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[jerryb]

There is nothing hard about hatching chickens, I'm mean gosh, a chicken can do it.

yeah a chicken can, thanks to ~160 million years of evolutionary pressure.

cheers
Jerry