Which one is cheaper? Chicks or Eggs?

[andischickenfarm]

I was wandering which one is a "better deal"? Buying eggs from Ebay, Eggbid, BYC people, ect. and hatching them yourself? Or buying chicks from a hatchery? Let me know which one you thing is cheaper.

Thanks,
Andi

 

[lurky]

Ya know.......you can probably find eggs for free. Most people that have a rooster would be happy to share some eggs with you. I mentioned to a few people i would like to get an incubator someday and hatch out a few eggs and before ya know it they were bringing me fertile eggs. It forced me to by an incubator. Unless you want something hard to find.

 

[sara]

It probably depends how much success you have with your bator if it is cheaper than buying the chicks.

 

[JFL1950]

buying chick's is cheaper and a lot quicker getting them on e-bay you never know how they are handled in shipping and waiting 21 days to find out you only have 2 hatch out of a dozen not very good. If you do get some on e-bay make sure they are in your state or as clos to you as possible to help with the hatch. maybe ask them to line the box with tinfoil to help with the x-ray's I had two hatches where we didn't get anything and think it was X-rays.

 

[mamading]

I think the price of chicks vs. eggs just depends on where you're purchasing from. The stress is about the same for me. I stressed waiting for the call that my chicks were finally here. Now I'm stressing while waiting for hatch day (July 12). I agree with JFL1950 it is a bummer when you've waited 21 days to only have a few hatch out of 12. I have 11 silkie eggs in the incubator right now and based on candling only two have moving chicks inside. When I ordered my 12 chicks all 12 arrived alive and are still doing great at 5 weeks old.

 

[brooster]

If you hatch eggs i wouldnt get eggs from a hatchery, they charge way too much, heck they charge more for 1 egg than they do 1 sexed chick.

 

[fowlweatherfriends]

OK. 24 eggs-$30 total w/shipping
12 hatched that equals...
$2.50 each?

That is what it cost me for silkies from "top lines" (I know that doesn't mean my babies will be show quality).

A feedstore in the next town carried mixed bantams for 2.50 each, but no silkies.

With ordering online I was able to see the pics of the parents and pick out the color birds I wanted (she had separate pens).