[timdf]

I am chicken mad, I have done one breeding season before being ditched by my friend who was helping me!! AHHH

I am currently doing my GCSEs so am rather busy but have an ovaeasy 360 just sitting there, I want to breed but should i have adult birds or buy hatching eggs and sell them on (with the agreement of the seller)

Any advice would be very appreciated,

Thanks
Tim

[doganjo]

Hi Tim
Welcome to the forum.  You don't need permission from the seller of the eggs to hatch them out.  If you buy hatching eggs you can have males as well as females so need to decide a) how you will know which is which and at what age and b) what you will do with the males.  Unless they are pretty spectacular and fairly rare no-one may want them.  You need to sk yourself why you want to breed.  I am adog breeder - I breed to a) improve on my own lines and b) to keep a pup for myself to work or show and hopfeully then breed on from if it does well in either or both disciplines.
I'm sure other people on here will have additional ideas, but get your exams under your belt first (That's the Mum in me talking  )

[CameronS]

i am currently in the same position, sitting my Standard Grades and being chicken mad.

I also breed chickens as a hobby,
if you but specifically buy "Hatching Eggs" then the seller intends the eggs to be hatched,even if they do not specify, you can almost guarantee they are for hatching (when bought over the internet) i wouldn't worry about upsetting the breeder, once money exchanges hands they are yours to do as you please.

I wouldn't rear your own unless you have a high proportion of same breed hens, for example Light Sussex, if you are wishing to sell the birds.

I only really breed from my Light Sussex  as i have kept a  family strain (with out becoming inbred) going now for about 6 years, and have some show quality birds and the fact they are the only birds for which i have a matching male.

I must admit i am a little bit of a "snob" when it comes to hatching in that i only go for pedigree, or fancier breeds, this is just my preference, it is not a necessity.

I breed my birds for selling mainly and to keep a strong and healthy strain going. like Annie says, you do need to think about what you are going to do with, any extra males, and why do you really want to breed,. and another thing, don't count before they hatch, i made the mistake in that i had a list ready of people wanting hens, and all my eggs failed due to being X-rayed in the post.

Good luck
Cameron

[sabrina]

I started off with just 3 hens and now have 14, just love my girls. Getting 12 eggs a day at the moment. We had chicks hatched during last summer which was lovely, lucky for us more females than males. this year I plan on getting a few ducks. I have found at the Aberdeen sale most pure bread birds sell well otherwise its a waste of time and money.

[Rosemary]

I've never had much luck with eggs through the post. I don't think being chucked around helps them. If I could, I'd pick up eggs from a breeder then you know how they've been cared for - and not X rayed!!

[sagehen]

Sooooo if you buys fertile eggs off ebay, say, won't they be xrayed in the post as well? If that's the case, how come they've got success rates? 

[shetlandpaul]

we set 21 eggs 3 weeks ago 6 ebay and the rest hyline crossed eggs. all 15 of our eggs hatched only 3 of the ebay ones did. one of which died. Ive had lots of eggs off ebay. and it tends to be the coloured and rare breeds that have problems. Ive tried two lots of araccacunas and two lots of jersey giants not one developed. our cream legbars were the best at 60% . i think a fast transit through the post system gives the best chance.

[harry]

PUT ON EBAY hatching eggs  then click distance and put in 25 mls then go and pick them up, they maybe just down the road a bit, ive never had good sucess with posted ebay eggs.

[shetlandpaul]

the nearest ebay supplier is in orkney. aberdeen is an overnight journey. nope the only way for us to get the bird types that were after is by post.

[harry]

well yes SHETLAND PAUL but i meant for TIMDF i expect a lot of things are overnight for you up there.

[CameronS]

Sooooo if you buys fertile eggs off ebay, say, won't they be xrayed in the post as well? If that's the case, how come they've got success rates?

I cant answer your exact question, but i have only had one bad set from eggs bought off ebay, where none at all hatched    but my normal success rate is 90%, and my eggs were sent from Dorset and further south, to Fife, my bad batch came from the west coast of Scotland

[sagehen]

So does that mean not all packages are x rayed, or does it mean that even if they are x rayed, they can still hatch? *thinks mutant chicks  *

[shetlandpaul]

i have heard that special delivery is the best option they don't get messed about with. infact why should an internal package be xrayed.

[xnbacon]

Not sure special delivery is as good as they'd have us believe - I spent ££ on SD last year and had no better hatch rates than regular post - or even pick up.  My last hatching, I'm sure the postman thew the eggs over a 6 foot gate and 5/6 were fertile.  Trouble is with ebay, you just don't know where eggs are coming from, too many unknowns to make a valid comparison really.

[timdf]

Thanks, I will look around and see what I can find, I have had eggs off ebay before, oh well hope for a good year whatever, I want to breed coz i get enjoyment out of doing it and also we have young people on the farm,
Can anyone recommend some breeds,
I like large birds, softfeather but they need to be docile!!! and sellable!!!!