Why are hatching eggs so expensive?

[Proverb31mama]

I don't mean that in any type of snarky way. I genuinely want to know what goes into the price. I have a barnyard flock with no rooster (just got a rooster who is in quarantine with some other new ladies). When I add the rooster in gathering the fertile eggs will not take any extra work than gathering the infertile eggs was. Around here farm eggs go for $2-3/ doz. but hatching eggs are $10-20. And on BYC BST forum the ones I have seen are upwards of $20. I think I have even seen barnyard mix in various places for $10 or more.

Also the chicks are going for $1.50-$2 for the standard chicks (more for the more rare breeds, but I'm not looking for those). It seems to me that the same work and care and money goes into the parent stock for both eggs and chicks. When you sell eggs you don't have the electricity for the incubator, or the waiting time, or the loss of income from eggs that don't hatch or die while hatching (the buyer assumes that risk). So in my mind mathmatically the eggs should be at least 1/2 that cost. Which I suppose if I can get a dozen for $10 that would be 1/2 the cost, but that is hard to find too.

So I guess I am wondering why labeling them as hatching eggs vs. fertile eggs raises the cost by at least $7 a dozen. And what work goes into getting purebred eggs that allows them to be priced so high. And how people calculate their chick vs. egg prices for the exact same breed.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I don't mean that in any type of snarky way. I genuinely want to know what goes into the price. I have a barnyard flock with no rooster (just got a rooster who is in quarantine with some other new ladies). When I add the rooster in gathering the fertile eggs will not take any extra work than gathering the infertile eggs was. Around here farm eggs go for $2-3/ doz. but hatching eggs are $10-20. And on BYC BST forum the ones I have seen are upwards of $20. I think I have even seen barnyard mix in various places for $10 or more.

Also the chicks are going for $1.50-$2 for the standard chicks (more for the more rare breeds, but I'm not looking for those). It seems to me that the same work and care and money goes into the parent stock for both eggs and chicks. When you sell eggs you don't have the electricity for the incubator, or the waiting time, or the loss of income from eggs that don't hatch or die while hatching (the buyer assumes that risk). So in my mind mathmatically the eggs should be at least 1/2 that cost. Which I suppose if I can get a dozen for $10 that would be 1/2 the cost, but that is hard to find too.

So I guess I am wondering why labeling them as hatching eggs vs. fertile eggs raises the cost by at least $7 a dozen. And what work goes into getting purebred eggs that allows them to be priced so high. And how people calculate their chick vs. egg prices for the exact same breed.

The eggs bought and sold for eating are "one time use" - the hatching eggs are potential entire birds being bought and sold. With hatching eggs you aren't buying eggs, you are buying (with a little luck) birds. They are "worth" what someone is willing to pay.

 

[cppeace]

Well I generally price any I have at 1/2 price I'd charge for a chick, duckling, gosling, whatever. I plan on selling my goslings at $10 a piece as week olds so I sell the fertile eggs for $3-$5 depending on how many is being bought. A lot of the price depends on the rarity and value of parent stock. If you have show quality parents the odds are good the possible offspring will be show quality as well. People who want to charge as much as a live bird perplex me as well. I can buy new born poults of the breed I want for $15-$20 but I saw someone selling hatching eggs on ebay 6 for $50. The odds of hatching even 3 is ridiculously low so not worth the value to me.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I don't mean that in any type of snarky way. I genuinely want to know what goes into the price. I have a barnyard flock with no rooster (just got a rooster who is in quarantine with some other new ladies). When I add the rooster in gathering the fertile eggs will not take any extra work than gathering the infertile eggs was. Around here farm eggs go for $2-3/ doz. but hatching eggs are $10-20. And on BYC BST forum the ones I have seen are upwards of $20. I think I have even seen barnyard mix in various places for $10 or more.

Also the chicks are going for $1.50-$2 for the standard chicks (more for the more rare breeds, but I'm not looking for those). It seems to me that the same work and care and money goes into the parent stock for both eggs and chicks. When you sell eggs you don't have the electricity for the incubator, or the waiting time, or the loss of income from eggs that don't hatch or die while hatching (the buyer assumes that risk). So in my mind mathmatically the eggs should be at least 1/2 that cost. Which I suppose if I can get a dozen for $10 that would be 1/2 the cost, but that is hard to find too.

So I guess I am wondering why labeling them as hatching eggs vs. fertile eggs raises the cost by at least $7 a dozen. And what work goes into getting purebred eggs that allows them to be priced so high. And how people calculate their chick vs. egg prices for the exact same breed.

I've often thought the same thing. I can understand paying a little more for pure bred and your rarer breeds of birds, but some people go way overboard. I wouldn't pay more than $3 a dozen for barnyard mix. I paid $10 for my Spitzhaubens, but she also threw in extras as well. I really want showgirls, but have a hard time finding them locally and I just can't see paying $20-$30 for a half (or even a whole) dozen, then add shipping (and packaging) for another $20 to have MAYBE 2 or 3 eggs hatch.

I can buy new born poults of the breed I want for $15-$20 but I saw someone selling hatching eggs on ebay 6 for $50. The odds of hatching even 3 is ridiculously low so not worth the value to me.

I agree.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I've often thought the same thing. I can understand paying a little more for pure bred and your rarer breeds of birds, but some people go way overboard. I wouldn't pay more than $3 a dozen for barnyard mix. I paid $10 for my Spitzhaubens, but she also threw in extras as well. I really want showgirls, but have a hard time finding them locally and I just can't see paying $20-$30 for a half (or even a whole) dozen, then add shipping (and packaging) for another $20 to have MAYBE 2 or 3 eggs hatch.

I agree.

I don't understand thinking that paying more than .25 per egg is excessive - considering most "eating eggs" sell for $3-5 a dozen, to expect to pay just that, or less, for hatching eggs is rather interesting thinking.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Why are hatching eggs so expensive? Mainly because people are willing to pay those prices.

Eggs from a breeder of true show quality birds are very expensive to produce. They don’t just turn a rooster loose with the flock and get eggs. They feed the birds a more expensive diet so they grow nice and big with shiny feathers. They hatch a lot of chicks and feed them to an age that they can tell if they are worthy of breeding. That is expensive. It can take several years of this before they consistently get show quality birds, and even then most chicks are rejected as being not worthy. Their name and reputation are on the line when they sell hatching eggs or started pairs or trios. You will get some really nice birds from those eggs if they even sell eggs. Many don’t because you will still get some rejects no matter how nice the parents are.

On the other extreme are people that get hatchery birds and sell “purebred” hatching eggs although they don’t have a clue what the SOP says or know how to select better pairs for breeding. These are no better than hatchery chicks (and sometimes worse) yet some people are willing to pay a premium for those hatching eggs. There are a lot of people somewhere in between these extremes.

Shipping and handling plays a part too. You need materials to package the eggs and take time to pack them. Labor runs the costs up even if shipping is extra to the price per dozen. The seller’s time has value.

There are different reasons people might want hatching eggs. Maybe that’s a way to get a breed they can’t reasonably get any other way. They may want genetics for project chickens. Maybe it’s a school classroom hatching eggs. I keep a closed flock, which for me means I do not introduce living chickens to my flock unless they come from an established hatchery. I have used local hatching eggs to introduce new blood into my flock without the risk of adding live birds. I got shipped turkey eggs a couple of times for Thanksgiving. Who knows how many other reasons someone might want hatching eggs.

But the reason that are that expensive is that someone is willing to sell them at that cost and someone is willing to buy them. Supply and demand. Why is someone willing to pay $5 or more for a cup of coffee? Free Wifi?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Why are hatching eggs so expensive? Mainly because people are willing to pay those prices.

Eggs from a breeder of true show quality birds are very expensive to produce. They don’t just turn a rooster loose with the flock and get eggs. They feed the birds a more expensive diet so they grow nice and big with shiny feathers. They hatch a lot of chicks and feed them to an age that they can tell if they are worthy of breeding. That is expensive. It can take several years of this before they consistently get show quality birds, and even then most chicks are rejected as being not worthy. Their name and reputation are on the line when they sell hatching eggs or started pairs or trios. You will get some really nice birds from those eggs if they even sell eggs. Many don’t because you will still get some rejects no matter how nice the parents are.

On the other extreme are people that get hatchery birds and sell “purebred” hatching eggs although they don’t have a clue what the SOP says or know how to select better pairs for breeding. These are no better than hatchery chicks (and sometimes worse) yet some people are willing to pay a premium for those hatching eggs. There are a lot of people somewhere in between these extremes.

Shipping and handling plays a part too. You need materials to package the eggs and take time to pack them. Labor runs the costs up even if shipping is extra to the price per dozen. The seller’s time has value.

There are different reasons people might want hatching eggs. Maybe that’s a way to get a breed they can’t reasonably get any other way. They may want genetics for project chickens. Maybe it’s a school classroom hatching eggs. I keep a closed flock, which for me means I do not introduce living chickens to my flock unless they come from an established hatchery. I have used local hatching eggs to introduce new blood into my flock without the risk of adding live birds. I got shipped turkey eggs a couple of times for Thanksgiving. Who knows how many other reasons someone might want hatching eggs.

But the reason that are that expensive is that someone is willing to sell them at that cost and someone is willing to buy them. Supply and demand. Why is someone willing to pay $5 or more for a cup of coffee? Free Wifi?

That is the one that gets me. The high quality breeders is more understandable. But even your local BYC with "Purebred" birds want a higher end price for there birds because they are purebred as oppposed to backyard mixes wether they are SOP or not.

The lady I bought the Spitzhaubens eggs from, sells them $10. Not overly expensive, but here's the catch. Spitzhaubens are supposed to have blue legs/feet and front facing crests. Most of your American lines have dilluted foot color and non conforming crests. As does mine. The crests look decent but the leg coloring is very dillluted. It is explained as most birds are from the same original line that was brought to America. I looked at a breeders prices for a better quality line, yay, expensive....lol I don't care, I'm not in it for show or SOP, I just had an opportunity to get some cool looking birds that happened to be pure bred at a not so expensive cost so I took it. (Unfortunetly I am pretty sure I ended up with hatching 2 females and 9 males. And I sold 5 a couple weeks ago, and one of them were one of the girls. I thought I'd kept 4 girls and 1 boy...ended up 1 girl and 5 boys.

Boy was I off. Those guys are hard to judge early.)

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Eh, I think 10 dollars for 12 chickens is a great deal even if they are mixes. If they are mixes (and hatchery birds are always mixes) then they should be clearly marked as that. As long as you understand what you're getting I think people can charge as much as they like.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Eh, I think 10 dollars for 12 chickens is a great deal even if they are mixes. If they are mixes (and hatchery birds are always mixes) then they should be clearly marked as that. As long as you understand what you're getting I think people can charge as much as they like.

Right? Even if only half of the eggs hatch, you have gotten 6 chicks for $10.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Fertile eggs are just eggs that came from hens with a cock bird in the flock. Hatching eggs, at least breeder quality hatching eggs, are collected from a very select breeding quad, trio or even single mating combination. The eggs are collected over a period of less than a week and shipped or you pick up.

To say you've got fresh fertile eggs for sale is going to attract some buyers as they think there is a better nutrition/probiotic or whatever to the egg for consumption and those that don't mind what the chickens are and want to attempt hatching eggs. Freshness can be over a week, the eggs never turned and may have been refridgerated and what ever else can hinder a good hatch.

If a person can get hatching eggs from a reputable source for $25 a dozen eggs only or $40 shipping included that's a great. I might pay $4 a dozen for fertile eggs if I see the flock has good pasture.

This spring I obtained two dozen eggs and with shipping paid $67. That was a fantastic deal in my mind for a rare variety and from a reputable breeder. I now live in a good postal zone and hatched 14. That's less than $5 a bird and a gamble that paid off as these would sell for no less than $6 per chick and one could get $10.