We bought rare breed hatching eggs from eBay. Will ANY of them hatch?
We bought Ayam Cemani hatching eggs off of eBay to hatch them out over winter.
We tried to hatch out some eggs through eBay a couple years ago and had very poor success. Might have been problems with the shipment or fertility of the eggs. But most likely it was due an issue with a cheap incubator that had humidity problems.
This time around, we were prepared with a broody Silkie ready to take on the eggs. But we received 11 hatching eggs. Could we fit them all underneath her? We did. And luckily another Silkie became broody and wanted to help! That was great! But then another Silkie became broody and wanted to help.
At that point, we had too many. Three broody Silkies in a nesting box, constantly fighting over the eggs was too much. So during the last few days of the hatch, we moved the eggs and two of the Silkies into our brooder in the shed so they could have privacy.
If we tried to do this with an incubator, we could have gotten the eggs to hatch, but then we would have to keep them warm all winter long with a heat lamp. The beauty of having the mama Silkies provided help for raising the young and free heat to keep them protected.
So as one started to hatch, then another, then the first chick passed through the night, we were nervous. Would we only get one chick from the 11 eggs? But we had a pleasant surprise on Christmas Day!
Our chicks are growing up wonderfully now! Thank you for following along with the hatch and good luck if you try hatching out your own eggs from eBay!
