Why do fertile eggs cost more than chicks?

[jesirose]

I've seen a lot of ads and sites selling fertile eggs for hatching, and they seem to cost more than baby chicks do - what's up with that??

 

[AlienChick]

Actually, it's the other way around.
Most people sell baby chicks for $5 or more; sometimes $10 each.
A dozen fertile eggs are on average about $35 (which is less than $3 each).

 

[bilros]

Actually, I was wondering the same thing myself. You can buy day old chicks for as low as $2.00 each. I just bought 24 Red Stars and with shipping, they were about $3.00 each for females! Fertile eggs cost MUCH more and I would like to know why also.

 

[chickydee64]

Actually, I was wondering the same thing myself. You can buy day old chicks for as low as $2.00 each. I just bought 24 Red Stars and with shipping, they were about $3.00 each for females! Fertile eggs cost MUCH more and I would like to know why also.

There are a lot of reasons for purchasing fertile eggs.
One being knowing the genetic back ground for breeding purposes......
I am not interested in production........but interested in a well rounded chicken that
has not had it's instincts bred out of it.
Behavior is important to me. I like a docile chickens that I can handle.
Many times hatchery chickens are bred for the single purpose of production causing a loss
of certain qualities to be lost...........Many folks show their chickens and hatchery chickens
do not meet standards required. I love breeding and working to improve the breed I am working with...........

 

[Fred's Hens]

On one hand, folks want eggs from a breeder who's flock is of high quality, quality that cannot be gotten from a hatchery.

On the other hand, some of the eggs sold are absolutely nothing special at all. But, they do feed the hatch-a-holic's addiction.

 

[Framac]

Quality of birds, mainly for showing purposes, but also for traits that high quality birds possess.

An example would be Jersey giants. You will be unlikely to get a giant from a hatchery that for a rooster will weight 13 pounds, fertile eggs from a breeder can give you that.

Breeds,Colors, or varieties that hatcheries don't have need to be gotten from a breeder.

Framac

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I believe the question is why, at hatchers, birds cost less than eggs.

For example, Meyer hatchery sells CX chicks at $1.60-$2.30ish, each at one day old... I think straight run is around $2.
The same birds, same hatchery's hatching eggs are $4 each.

Seems kind of strange and I don't understand it either. I can get a dozen chicks there for $25, but a dozen eggs costs me twice that, around $50.

 

[bilros]

A lot of good replies here. I'm starting to understand why eggs cost more in some instances. If you want certain purebred, show quality chicks. OK, but what about eggs of the same quality as the chicks you can buy for $2.00 sexed as females? At a 50% hatch rate and 50% roosters, a $4.00 egg actually costs you $16.00 for a baby chick. Here in North Central Texas, you can buy 16 to 22 week old pullets that have just started or are about to start laying for the same price. I guess it is better to buy your eggs locally or sequester your hens with a rooster of the same breed and use your own eggs.

 

[dartfreak75]

I was wondering the same I was gonna get some eggs and tRy to hatch my own chick but I'm just gonna wait and try to hatch my hens eggs this spring

 

[LTygress]

I saw that with Meyer hatchery, and I can't explain it, either. Maybe it's a seasonal-type of thing, or maybe it's because as a HATCHERY, they focus more on chicks, and not the eggs.

Whatever the reason, most purebred/backyard/non-hatchery breeders do the exact opposite. I'm just now selling frizzle hatching eggs for $20 per DOZEN (while the incubator is full). But when I actually get the chicks to sell later on, they'll be going for $8-10 a piece for the frizzle gene recipients (smooth feathered will be normal price of $3 each). So even at a dozen eggs for $20, I'm still selling them cheaper than the smooth-feathered chick price. But then with chicks I'm investing my own cost for feed, electricity, and time for the incubation process. So it makes sense that I sell them more. Plus I'll be letting them grow and checking for feather development before I sell them, so people will know EXACTLY what they are getting. Where as hatcheries will sell you a dozen day-old chicks, but you don't know if ANY of them will actually be a frizzle, smooth, healthy, half-dead, deformed, or really even a purebred chick at all!