Where to get fertile eggs?

[ivyboo]

I would like to try and hatch a couple baby chicks. We currently have 4 hens. 3 Isa Brown and 1 Barred Rock. I would like 2 more and would love my kids to experience hatching their own. Where can I get fertile eggs without buying a bunch? And what breed is suggested? Our Isa Browns are super friendly. I would like something different but yet something that will be as friendly as them. We live in Ohio.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Ohio's cold right now. Shipped eggs don't do very well below 40 degrees or so. If you do this, I'd do it next year.

There are plenty of people on BYC who will ship you hatching eggs--some at only the price of shipping. Try the buy~sell~trade egg forum this spring.You have to have at least twenty posts to participate. They have all sorts of breeds, and I personally recommend Australorps or Easter Eggers. Australorps are nice, calm ladies, EEs are pretty and interesting. And they should lay green eggs.

But that's assuming you actually want to go this route.

You want to add two laying birds, right? So a 50% hatch rate is considered about average for shipped eggs. And then there's the male/female ratio to consider. Assuming you go exactly by law of averages, you'd want eight eggs--four not to hatch, two boys, two girls. Then you'd have to get rid of your roosters.

Just to point out how risky this can be; this summer, I had a hen hatch out eight eggs. Seven were boys. I also had another hen hatch out nine. Again, seven were boys. I also had a m:f 4:4 ratio, a 3:4 ratio, a 2:3 ratio and a 6:3 ratio. Currently, my little cochin girl (Sylvie) is brooding four chicks, three of which look to be cockerels.

I love hatching eggs. I think it's educational, and it's great being able to track development by candling. But it's also kind of risky if you're depending on it as a method of expanding a small flock.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[ivyboo]

Ohio's cold right now. Shipped eggs don't do very well below 40 degrees or so. If you do this, I'd do it next year.

There are plenty of people on BYC who will ship you hatching eggs--some at only the price of shipping. Try the buy~sell~trade egg forum this spring.You have to have at least twenty posts to participate. They have all sorts of breeds, and I personally recommend Australorps or Easter Eggers. Australorps are nice, calm ladies, EEs are pretty and interesting. And they should lay green eggs.

But that's assuming you actually want to go this route.

You want to add two laying birds, right? So a 50% hatch rate is considered about average for shipped eggs. And then there's the male/female ratio to consider. Assuming you go exactly by law of averages, you'd want eight eggs--four not to hatch, two boys, two girls. Then you'd have to get rid of your roosters.

Just to point out how risky this can be; this summer, I had a hen hatch out eight eggs. Seven were boys. I also had another hen hatch out nine. Again, seven were boys. I also had a m:f 4:4 ratio, a 3:4 ratio, a 2:3 ratio and a 6:3 ratio. Currently, my little cochin girl (Sylvie) is brooding four chicks, three of which look to be cockerels.

I love hatching eggs. I think it's educational, and it's great being able to track development by candling. But it's also kind of risky if you're depending on it as a method of expanding a small flock.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Thank you for all the info! I will definitely wait a little while unless I find someone that lives close. When can you find out the sex? That is one other thing I will need to think about. What to do with the roosters!
Also where can I find out how many posts I've made? I don't believe I've posted that many times yet.

 

[Altfrizzle]

Another factor is that chicks need company. I had two pretty bad hatches over the summer and out of one, got 2 chicks. They cried ALL THE TIME for 2 weeks until the other hatch hatched out 3 chicks. I put them in a (divided) brooder and the 3 chicks cried ALL THE TIME until I put all 5 together. Then they were happy chicks.

 

[lazy gardener]

Do you have a place to brood your chicks? Can you brood them in your coop? (of course with a heat source, and separation from your adult birds) Do you have enough room in your coop/run to integrate new birds? Minimum recommended space for back yard flock is 4 s.f. in coop, 10 s.f. in run per bird. When integrating, it's wise to have even more space. What is your general location?

I can think of very little that would be more difficult for me than to try to brood chicks in my home in the winter. Their dander, smell, noise is more than I can manage. I have reactive airway disease, but even if that were not so, the mess of having chicks in the home is IMO a horror show. That is why I now brood all my chicks in an outdoor coop, using a MHP cave system.

Back to incubation: I am a confirmed incubation addict! I'm too cheap to spend money on an incubator, so Hubby and I have made two. They function very well, with light bulbs as heat source, thermostats, and computer fans. The process of making an incubator can be a fun family activity. Shipped eggs can result in dismal hatch rates. Not recommended for a newbie! If you can find local fertile eggs, that would be best for your hatching experience. I'd set a dozen eggs: Plan on at least 60% cockerels. (If your pullet rate is higher, consider yourself blessed!) Plan on a 75% hatch rate. (maybe) If you hatch more than that, be assured that you are a fast learner! Plan on some of those eggs being infertile. So, 12 eggs - 2 infertile = 10 eggs. 7 eggs hatch. 4 are cockerels. Therefore, in theory, out of 12 eggs, you may get 3 pullets.

If you can get some white eggs in your incubator, those are absolutely awesome to candle. I swear that when I candle a white egg, I can see the chick's feathers! Holding a warm egg in your hands to candle it, and watching the little chick be-bopping and dancing around in that egg is an incredible experience!

BTW, IMO before anyone plugs in an incubator, they should read ALL of "Hatching Eggs 101" in the learning center. They should also have an exit plan for all of the cockerels, AND, be willing to cull any deformed or failure to thrive chicks that hatch.

But, I'd wait till spring, if I were you!

 

[Acre4Me]

My family is considering chickens for next year. Currently have some quail and in my quest to get some higher protein feed (turkey feed), I went into a "country store" that I happened to drive by, about 30 min from my home while on my way somewhere else. So glad I did - I found the feed I was looking for (even the brand I was looking for), and found out they have a "Chick Day" in the spring. Sometime in Jan/Feb you place your order for live chicks and come in when it is Chick Day - sometime in April/May. Live chicks ready to go (1 day old, I think). So, this is likely an option for you. I live in Ohio as well - so you may want to see if the is an option in your area for the spring - just call up some country stores/ag stores in your area. I know its not hatching eggs, but you can still raise the chicks. Good Luck.

 

[song of joy]

Thank you for all the info! I will definitely wait a little while unless I find someone that lives close. When can you find out the sex? That is one other thing I will need to think about. What to do with the roosters!
Also where can I find out how many posts I've made? I don't believe I've posted that many times yet.

The sex can be difficult to determine for several weeks. It really depends on the breed, how fast they mature, and your own expertise in looking for sometimes subtle differences in plumage and comb development. I've been able to confidently identify male and female dominique chicks between 2 and 3 weeks of age, but it really helps that I usually have 6 to 10 at one time, so I'm able to compare and contrast. With this breed, the males have wider white barring and their combs develop earlier. With other breeds, I've had to wait as long as 8 to 10 weeks before I'm fairly certain of the gender.

What to do with roosters . . . that's the age-old question when it comes to flock management. I've raised them for meat, which takes about 4 to 5 months for heritage breeds. I've also tried advertising them on Craigslist, BYC and other venues . . . with no success . . . even when they were offered for free. I was successful in giving a couple cockerels to a teen that shows chickens for 4-H, but they were a rare breed so she was interested. At this point, I now cull (kill) males as soon as I can determine the sex unless I'm keeping some to evaluate for breeding purposes. It's the sometimes harsh reality of flock management.

With regard to the number of posts you've made, the number will appear in the bottom left corner of the info box that contains your avatar (picture), off to the left of your latest post.