Implications of buying fertile eggs - advice please!

[kathyd]

Hi

I've been looking for a breeder of araucanas in Brittany but having no luck. However, someone's just offered to sell me some fertile eggs. I'm not sure I'm ready for eggs though, I was expecting to buy ready-made birds! Can anyone help with the following please, to help me make my mind up?

1. How long do fertile eggs remain fertile? From what this person says, I suspect she's had them for several months at least.

2. I don't have a broody hen, so I'd have to buy one - which means buying 2 presumably? Would they be best integrated with my existing flock of 7 (already mixed ages, but the most recent 2 still not 100% integrated), or should I plan for a new coop and run?

3. If they're to have their own space, what happens when one goes broody and I stick eggs under her? Do I remove her and thus leave the other one on its own? Or would I need 3 or even 4 to avoid this happening?? If so, things start to get a bit silly numbers-wise...

4. I don't have any 'clean' space to raise new chicks - they'd have to go into a partitioned part of an existing run - is this dangerous for them?

That's enough questions for now, although I'm sure I'll think of others..

Thanks

[Suechooks]

Read Richmond Hens advice on hatching! Main problem is what will you do with the cockerels! One of my Silkies hatched 5 Araucanas last summer and they were all boys! Fertile eggs definitely won't keep for several months . I only buy eggs in but I would imagine they're viable for about a week or 10 days. If the person has got fertile eggs hasn't s/he got any chicks/pullets for you?
Hens don't stay broody they come and go! Its a hormonal thing so you might find one of your current birds will go broody. My bantams and silkies go broody 3 or 4 times a year each.
I have made a couple of small coops which the broody is moved to and sit a few days on pot eggs then fertile eggs are put under her and fingers are crossed for next 3 weeks. Like you I can't give guaranteed chicken free ground so I feed medicated chick crumb to give some protection against cocci; I do however try to keep them off recently used ground.
I think that unless you really want to hatch and have no problem disposing of cockerels I'd keep searching for a breeder!

[kathyd]

Read Richmond Hens advice on hatching! Main problem is what will you do with the cockerels! One of my Silkies hatched 5 Araucanas last summer and they were all boys! Fertile eggs definitely won't keep for several months . I only buy eggs in but I would imagine they're viable for about a week or 10 days. If the person has got fertile eggs hasn't s/he got any chicks/pullets for you?
Hens don't stay broody they come and go! Its a hormonal thing so you might find one of your current birds will go broody. My bantams and silkies go broody 3 or 4 times a year each.
I have made a couple of small coops which the broody is moved to and sit a few days on pot eggs then fertile eggs are put under her and fingers are crossed for next 3 weeks. Like you I can't give guaranteed chicken free ground so I feed medicated chick crumb to give some protection against cocci; I do however try to keep them off recently used ground.
I think that unless you really want to hatch and have no problem disposing of cockerels I'd keep searching for a breeder!

Thanks for that Suechooks, I may well follow your advice! Problem is I'm not finding any breeders here, this is the best offer I've had yet . I've emailed to ask how old the eggs are, and suggested she might like to hatch and raise them to 12 weeks for me, when I'd pay loads of money for them instead of the 2 euros per egg she wants at the moment. I'm awaiting her response, but am not holding my breath!

I'll keep you posted..

[RichmondHens]

As Sue says stick with looking out for araucana breeders - try contacting the Araucana Club (google them), they may know of someone in France you can get in touch with.

Unless you are already set up for hatching (which you're not) then the expense and hassle of getting broody coop plus hen that is broody or likely to go broody plus buying hatching eggs and having to deal with cocks etc etc far outweighs anything you might spend on a pullet direct from the breeder.

[kathyd]

You're right of course RH - my 'plan' is really to find 3-4 young females, a cock from elsewhere, and let us all get to know each other for a while before trying to breed them myself. Gives me time to sort out separate spaces and find out all the stuff I need to know about hatching (largely on here I suspect ). I just find it hard to say 'no' sometimes... this forum is very good for reminding me about that though!!

I've now heard back from the egg lady who says she's happy to try to hatch some birds for me, and sell them to me at 12 weeks (is 12 weeks a good age? I threw it at her as an example...). I'd feel a lot more confident with young birds rather than chicks, and I'll be able to see them first - so no more twisted toes or bent tails coming this way hopefully. It also means I'll have a few months to get organised before they're available. Hmm.. sounds almost sensible.. must be going daft or something... Anyway, I'm going to visit her over the next couple of weeks to look around and see her existing birds, which should give an idea of how they're raised etc.

Thx for your advice

[Nicos]

Urmmm...can she be sure of the sex at that age????????Sometimes it's hard at 20 weeks with the breeds I know

You could still get stuck with mostly cockerel!

ps- I know nothing about this breed- so feel free to ignore me if I'm talking rubbish!!!!

[Suechooks]

My Araucana boys were ......well boys at quite an early age! They had quite red comb type things and crowed! It was a bit more difficult as there were no girls to compare!

[kathyd]

Hi Nicos, Suechooks - I've been trying to find out about sexing them, and everything I've read suggests they're a hard breed to sex and you need to wait until at least 15 weeks... oh dear. I suppose I can tell the breeder I want to wait until I'm sure I have 3 females, and see what she says... Mind you, there's no guarantee she'll be able to hatch any anyway I suppose, so it might not be an issue! I'll hand it to Fate I think

[Suechooks]

Good thinking Kathyd! Hope you get what you want - the wait'll be worthwhile then!

[Snadger]

I know people don't recommend it but sometimes eBay can be your friend? I've had good results from eggs bought off eBay and an incubator saves you having to wait for a chook going broody!

[RichmondHens]

I know people don't recommend it but sometimes eBay can be your friend? I've had good results from eggs bought off eBay and an incubator saves you having to wait for a chook going broody!

Yes but for Kathy the cost of 3 ready sexed pullets is far cheaper than an incubator plus hatching eggs and postage plus the hassle of getting rid of the cocks!

[RichmondHens]

Hi Nicos, Suechooks - I've been trying to find out about sexing them, and everything I've read suggests they're a hard breed to sex and you need to wait until at least 15 weeks... oh dear. I suppose I can tell the breeder I want to wait until I'm sure I have 3 females, and see what she says... Mind you, there's no guarantee she'll be able to hatch any anyway I suppose, so it might not be an issue! I'll hand it to Fate I think

Kathy I think if she has been breeding these birds for a while she should be able to sex them fairly accurately. Once one is familiar with a breed and does a lot of hatching of them then sexing becomes much easier. If she says she can sex at 12 weeks then go with that. Perhaps ask if you can return/swap any that turn out to be a cock.

[kathyd]

Hi RH - I'm not convinced she's a proper 'breeder' to be honest, I suspect she's just someone who likes hens and has acquired some, like so many people over here. She got her araucanas from her vet 'last year', but then talks about hens of various ages and these 12 eggs she has left and which she keeps turning every day until one of her silkies goes broody... From the way she writes I'm guessing she's French, so I may be misinterpreting some of the things she says, but gut instinct says IF she can raise them for me that's fine, but I wouldn't count on her abilities to sex them early through experience. I may change my mind of course once I've met her in person . I think asking if I can return any cockerels is an excellent idea though, thanks .