Solitary chicken - need advice

[joza2210]

hello ,

So ... i was thinking of buying some fertilized eggs from ebay , do you think it is a good thing to do , has anyone else bought them and they have hatched ?

Thanks

Josh

[Redwing]

Yes I bought six recently

 

Five were fertile

 

Four grew till the end

 

Only one chick hatched due to incubator problems but that was not the seller fault!

 

Always pay special delivery as it makes the transit easier on the eggs and you have more chance of them hatching

 

Check feedback carefully

 

Pekinheaven, Poultrychat and Practical Poultry forums all have areas where you can advertise for eggs which may be a good bet and close enough for you to pick them up which will increase the chances of them hatching still further

[pinkmagic]

I had some of ebay and despite my broody sitting tight and the seller having excellent feedback not one hatched.

[Jools]

I'd much rather buy from someone I know or who at least as a good reputation on the other forums. Do plenty of research first before parting with you money because it's pretty frustrating waiting three weeks for nothing to happen. Even worse to find you've hatched a load of oddbods and not the breed you thought you'd paid form.

[Jools]

And to add a few lines about ebay feedback on hatching eggs. Most people leave feedback on receiving the eggs intact. Few comment on the hatch rate so positive feedback doesn't mean you'll end up with chicks. If you post a "wanted" on Practical Poultry, Poultry Keeper or Bluelaced, you stand a better chance of getting a good result.

[Griffin]

I've bought loads on Ebay. There is one seller I've bought from three times now and a few others I'd highly recommend. But there are some awful sellers too, it helps if you can sort the wheat from the chaff so to speak. I don't leave feedback until the first candling now, and I think it helps prospective buyers to be able to see my comments. Likewise, I throughly check feedback for sellers I'm thinking of using. Always always chose special delivery, the eggs are better cared for enroute that way.

[Lewis]

You can leave a follow-up comment on feedback which might be useful to do next time

(or that might just be when leaving negative feedback ... not sure)

[Saronne]

In August I visited and bought 14 eggs from a well known local breeder. Three weeks later, 12 out of 14 hatched.

 

A week later, still feeling positive and enthusiastic about my first successful hatch, I successfully bid on and won a dozen fertilised Maran eggs from Ebay. The seller had 100% feedback and his written description looked good. The eggs also came quickly by special delivery, however, none of them hatched. . I've heard so many negative reports about posted eggs, I probably won't risk it again - though clearly, it works for some!

 

Good Luck!

 

Saronne x

[Egluntyne]

This isn't the best time of year to be hatching tbh. By the time the hens are ready to come off heat, the weather will be at its coldest.

 

Might be better to wait until Spring, unless you are very experienced.

[craftyhunnypie]

A very good point Egluntyne! You need to have a heated shed available really for when they are off heat. It would be too much of a body shock to put youngsters out in the bitter cold. If you have never hatched before, then best to wait until after Easter.

 

Ebay eggs are luck of the draw I'm afraid. I personally have had all good experiences. I do however only buy my eggs from back garden keepers. Those ebayers that have say 4 or 5 girls to one cockerel. That way, there is more chance of them being fertile. I only buy from people with 100% positive feedback - I read all their feedback & followups.

You need to see a picture of the adult birds too.

On receiving eggs - look for hairline cracks, scratches & good shaped clean eggs. Don't incubate football shaped eggs. They will not be strong chicks if they hatch & usually from young pullets - so a big chance of lots of cockerels.

I don't breed from my hens until they are technically 'hens' - a year old & the same goes for all my cockerels.

Good luck - whatever you decide.

 

Emma.x

[Charlottechicken]

I bought 6 pot luck eggs off Ebay in March (for 99p plus p+p), and hatched five beautiful chicks! Three were cockerels, and, although lovely, were very loud and have now been dispatched (by me!) and are now in the freezer. My two new girls, Duck (large french copper black Marans) and Lola (diminutive bantam Araucana) , are adorable and good layers. I will be hatching again next year, it was a great experience and the chicks are so friendly, integration wasn't too stressful either.

[Settie]

I did it and they were due to hatch on friday night but only one has hatched so far. I think it can be a bit hit and miss. I know a breeder who spent £500 on ebay and only 5 hatchen.

I hope the incubation goes well!

[Jools]

There are so many factors that affect hatching, but eggs travelling through the post means there is bound to be some disruption to the egg itself, rendering it unviable. That's why there's no point buying posted eggs unless they're sent by special delivery.

 

The time of year makes a huge difference to fertility of eggs and this time of year is certainly not the best.

 

Viability is another factor. That's down to the quality of the breeding stock in the first place, which includes their health, age, diet etc.

 

Then it's down to you, or your broody. Incubation isn't without its pitfalls, particularly if you aren't experienced with an incubator, or if you have an unreliable machine, or if your broody gives up half way through, or worse, kills the chicks upon hatching.

 

It all sounds lovely and fluffy but the reality isn't always. Not that it stops me!