Brilliant thread - thanks all yeah between us all it is turning out to be rather awsome isnt it we are all pleased with how well this thread is going with all the ideas in it I have never been game to buy eggs in the post before (I am a complete novice) but now I think I have the confidence to give it a try (when the weather starts to get cooler of course). just ask HOW the people are going to pack the eggs and if not to your liking ask them if they would mind packing them one of the ways mentioned here

I am getting an incubator for Christmas (my hubby is the best) I have to agree - he is a keeper and some new chook houses built so that will give me time to work things out before buying eggs just have it all sorted before the good eggs arrive = I suggest you buy some that will be a trial run first - the breed you want to work with but with the knowledge that you may get none of the first lot hatch being the frist run in the new machine - then once you are confident get the eggs you will get young from = IF the trial run eggs hatch = all the better and remember only hatch in the cooler months so they grow our properly

We don't have a lot of local breeders to buy chooks from and the auctions have had mixed results including introducing some not very nice things to our existing chookies this is far more comon that you may think and the main reason so many buy eggs now = you can control what the chicks are exposed to if you hatch and raise them yrself We bought a heap of young Silkies a couple of years ago and all had died within 9 months (not all at once) dissapointing and sad regardsless so I have given up on them for a bit. I have some young Dorkings and Aracaunas now so want to give them a go and I was worried about too much inbreeding in the future so I think eggs in the post could be a good way to combat this given our distance away from breeders yep - you will be able to do fine with eggs = just remember NOT to expect every posted egg to hatch = expect 2 from 12 and you wont be dissapointed - 6 from 12 and you are doing well = more than 6 and you are doing great and all along - you wont be dissapointed

Thanks soozorps - great advice there :-) yr welcome - and most here would and can give the same advise - I just happened to be the first to answer I think I would be esctactic if we even get 1 to hatch! one or 12 or 24 either way I am always over the moon (overkill with the smilies - but its true)

I had a similar experience with mixed bantam eggs the person who shall remain nameless just put the eggs in an egg carton then wrapped the egg carton in news paper what they failed to see which was so obvious was the eggs could move around inside the carton and what I got was scrambled eggs. Their reaction was I can't control the post so not my fault, my reaction to that was *&%%$#$$^^^^^*****!@@###%%%%% and hung up