Want to buy more eggs but scared to

[OldChurchEggery1]

I think the scale of operation has an impact, too. The first time I tried to hatch shipped eggs, they came from a rather large online dealer of hatching eggs. Of the few eggs that did hatch (just 6 out of 2 dozen), one had been mislabeled and was obviously not what I had ordered. No wheaten bird starts out with black down! The next time I tried, I ordered from someone who only raised one breed of chicken. I got 14 eggs, 13 developed, and 11 hatched. Perhaps the folks who are a one or two person operation can better keep tabs on the health of the breeding flock, the freshness of the eggs, and the packaging.

Like someone else mentioned, try hatching some locally obtained eggs. Better yet, try hatching some of your own. If you haven't paid $3-$4 per egg, you may feel you don't have as much at stake and the temptation to "help" during the hatch won't be as intense. A lot of the helping does more harm than good anyway as it allows weaker chicks to enter your flock.

 

[galanie]

I have the best luck with shipped eggs by hatching them upright in cartons. That said, my last hatch was 22 eggs and got ZERO hatches. If they're packed well enough, I can get up to 60% but that's the best I've ever done. Those boxes do get dropped at least twice from a distance of around 6 feet. And the farther they go, the more drops they get. The largest post offices probably drop them the highest because of the size of the sorting machinery. I used to work in the main office in Houston.

 

[Mandymooligan]

Quote:
I am hatching my own and they do good but my only viable roosters are a black silkie and a splash silkie (the black one is the dominate one) and most of my laying hens are are different breeds. I have some funny looking black chicks. LOL!! Right now I have a brown leghornXsilkie. an EExsilkie and a silkieXblue andalusian going into lockdown. HAHA they should be interesting. I have 2 young roosters about 4 months old maturing, an EE and a cuckoo moran. it will be better then. I do have a silkieXdelaware that is like a sweet little puppy. I would like to get some regular sized cochins and some seramas and a few more BLRWs.

 

[critterrun]

I want to try but I am chicken

my family got me a incubator and tuner for my birthday in Oct

but I got cold feet

I really want to try

any advice ?
I dont have anybody local to get eggs from right now

can you mix he types of eggs you put in at the same time?

read so much I think I lost it all

Thanks
Deb in NJ

how long would the chicks have to stay in the house
I am in NJ

 

[cielo]

Quote:
I've tried shipped hatching eggs from 4 sellers.

I got 18 Turken eggs from "Soggy Bottom Farm" here on BYC. She always seems to have auctions going. Great price/packaging and quick shippment. I have 7 healthy chicks in the brooder from my first ever hatch. I know another person who ordered from her who also has a good number developing. I would recommend her and order from her again. I am on the opposite coast from her so pretty much as far as can be and still... great hatch I think for shipped eggs and my first hatch.

Out of 12 California Grey eggs from Cedar Creek Hatchery I have in the incubator now... Just candled at 10 days and have 6 developing and 3... eh... maybe...

I did have one order from a seller where I received 12 White Leghorn eggs, 3 were cracked and only 1 ever developed. Maybe not their fault but the packaging was definitely not what I would consider adequate.

I got 3 Wheaten Ameraucana eggs from a seller, shipped from in state... none developed. Granted they had stopped laying and I had ordered more so she refunded my money and sent me the 3 she had for free. I will likely but eggs from her again but I will pick them up or just pick up chicks. Her birds are amazing.

So yeah. It can be an expensive pursuit but for hard to find breeds, amazing birds, the fun/stress of doing it yourself? No substitute. Most of the hatching I do in the future will be from my own birds but I've been using shipped eggs to learn about the process.

Hang in there. I'd recommend checking out what Soggy has going right now under eggs for sale. Like I said, I'm very happy with my order from her.

Oh, and did you say what kind of incubator you are using? Have you calibrated/double checked your gauges for temp and humidity?
I have a Hovabator 2362n w/auto turner and a Brinsea Eco 20 w/auto turn cradle. Both seem great though right now I'm favoring the Hovabator as my favorite as far as ease of use and stability of humidity.
Best wishes!!
-Cielo

 

[CYGChickies]

Ok so I have a Little Giant incubator with a fan, temp control and the pour-water-in-there humidity control. I want to test it for when I have fertile eggs to hatch and fill my chick orders. I don't know anyone with fertile eggs but what would be a good way to find someone? I don't know if this incubator even works--bought it used and don't have a turner. Is there a way to test without placing eggs or do I just need to find some and toss em in?

CYG

 

[Mandymooligan]

Quote:
I've tried shipped hatching eggs from 4 sellers.

I got 18 Turken eggs from "Soggy Bottom Farm" here on BYC. She always seems to have auctions going. Great price/packaging and quick shippment. I have 7 healthy chicks in the brooder from my first ever hatch. I know another person who ordered from her who also has a good number developing. I would recommend her and order from her again. I am on the opposite coast from her so pretty much as far as can be and still... great hatch I think for shipped eggs and my first hatch.

Out of 12 California Grey eggs from Cedar Creek Hatchery I have in the incubator now... Just candled at 10 days and have 6 developing and 3... eh... maybe...

I did have one order from a seller where I received 12 White Leghorn eggs, 3 were cracked and only 1 ever developed. Maybe not their fault but the packaging was definitely not what I would consider adequate.

I got 3 Wheaten Ameraucana eggs from a seller, shipped from in state... none developed. Granted they had stopped laying and I had ordered more so she refunded my money and sent me the 3 she had for free. I will likely but eggs from her again but I will pick them up or just pick up chicks. Her birds are amazing.

So yeah. It can be an expensive pursuit but for hard to find breeds, amazing birds, the fun/stress of doing it yourself? No substitute. Most of the hatching I do in the future will be from my own birds but I've been using shipped eggs to learn about the process.

Hang in there. I'd recommend checking out what Soggy has going right now under eggs for sale. Like I said, I'm very happy with my order from her.

Oh, and did you say what kind of incubator you are using? Have you calibrated/double checked your gauges for temp and humidity?
I have a Hovabator 2362n w/auto turner and a Brinsea Eco 20 w/auto turn cradle. Both seem great though right now I'm favoring the Hovabator as my favorite as far as ease of use and stability of humidity.
Best wishes!!
-Cielo

I have two Hova-bator 1588's with turners. They hatch my own eggs really good, and they have all hatched on day 21 so they are spot on. It is the ruptured air cells that are the problem. And I have hatched a few with this problem and I give them all a chance.

 

[texaschickmom]

OK...so what does a ruptured air cell look like when you're candling?

 

[Oregon Blues]

I suggest that you change your desires into something that is available locally. Close enough that you can hand carry the eggs. That will let you know how well you are hatching. Your own skills, the quality of your incubator. Then, once you are sure of what you are doing, try for the shipped eggs again.

There can't be any place where someone isn't raising poultry of some sort. There are show breeders all over the country. Maybe not the birds you have your heart set on, but good practice.

I don't have to get birds from next door. I'll drive for livestock. I drove 150 miles each way to get the right rabbits. Now, I had other errands I could do in that area, and I made a huge shopping trip out of it, not just buying rabbits.

I would drive that far to get the right birds. Surely, there is someone raising birds within 20-30 miles of you? Put the cost of shipping into your gas tank instead of into postage.

 

[mstricer]

I have ruptured air cells. I let them set over night, some are trying to right themselves, but that's alright what ever I get I will be happy, I just like to hatch and really trying to improve what I'm doing. I also have 10 of my own, testing fertility.