[Hazel2006]

Has anyone ordered hatching eggs off ebay or personal websites with any luck? I would think you would have a better chance of getting exhibition quality or true to type chickens doing this over ordering day olds from a big hatchery but i could easily be wrong as i have no experience with either. Just looking for the best and most cost effective way to get started.

 

[HandyDandyAcres]

I have only mail ordered day olds once (ducks) and eggs from eBay once (turkeys). In my minimal experience both are good options. However, of 18 eggs we incubated, only 9 hatched. However, the turkey eggs I got locally we incubated 11 and only 5 hatched with one dying the first week. So odds were about the same. We only lost one of the day old ducks, and they had sent an extra so we ended up with the exact number we wanted.

So basically, the price per initial unit was less with the eggs, but I got the number I wanted with the day olds. Kind of a crap shoot with the eggs. If I recall correctly, the eggs from eBay were still the better deal, even with only half hatching. I will go that route again if I cannot get the breed of day olds I want locally. Unless I need a specific quantity, no more or less.


HDAcres

 

[Mickey]

I had pretty good luck getting hatching eggs from chickenista

 

[StarofHearts]

I've only done it once but I ordered 18 serama eggs from an eBay seller. She sent me 24, 2 had hairline cracks, I had several with floating air sacs, out of the 24 I had 13 start to develop and 9 hatch. She hasn't been good about communicating with me but over all... I'd do it again.

 

[Forcast]

I did ebay as well, got the wrong type of chicks hatch out, but it was a good hatch 12 eggs 9 hatched. Buff orpintons hatched ordered jersey giants. I only ordered eggs once, I did much better with day old chicks from a hatchery. You have to order more but you can sell what you dont need

 

[Tiempo]

It's a mixed bag, there are great sellers and terrible.

A good way to find eggs for better quality than hatchery birds is to join some of the breed specific FB pages.