Ayam Cemani - hatch rate question plus marketability

[HeritageFan]

I have a friend who is interested in getting some fertile Ayam Cemani eggs, and would like me to incubate them for her, as I’ve hatched out many duck and turkey eggs...and she doesn’t have a ‘bator.

I’m fascinated by the color.... but I don’t think I’m interested in the basically bantam sized birds, personally....although I’m a little torn because they are so unique looking!

Anyway. Looking around online, I see I can have eggs shipped (shipping included) for 6-15+$ per egg. And I’ve not seen anyone selling day old chicks (from “parents” they are posting photos of) for less than 65$ each. .... but I also know that I need to do more research to make sure they would come from birds with no “blowout” of silver or grey, and all black feet / inside the mouth (if I was going to keep any to raise and hatch/ sell)

I also saw another thread here talking about how they are not as marketable as they were a couple of years ago....

I typically raise birds for meat (obviously not a good choice on that front due to the small stature), but also have separate coops and runs for breeders that we keep for hatching and selling chicks.

My friend only wants interesting looking birds in her large pasture / range / bird area for eggs, so only keeps hens (she currently has turkeys, geese, and ducks). Plus one duck drake as a “watchdog”

....is the hatch rate poor with the Ayam Cemani?
Or, are the prices that I’m seeing for day old chicks just people who think they can still get those rates for their babies?

The pricing for eggs and chicks are primarily small farms, there is little in my area that I can use to determine value in my area of the PNW. I’m still digging on that front.

Any insight that someone can offer would be much appreciated.
Also. Anyone who has, and can ship, eggs is welcome to let me know.... I think my friend is committed, it’s just me that remains on the proverbial fence!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Out of shipped eggs, I had 3/12 make it to hatch day and 2/12 hatch way back when they were still really popular. If that was shippings fault, my fault or gentics fault is not clear.

Mine made it about a year. One broke his neck in a freak accident and the other died in a snow blizzard.

They're not as popular now and likely starting to feel the effects of poor genetics from everyone trying to cash in on the craze that has been dead for a couple years.

If you want to try them, go ahead, but dont expect to make any money at all off of them

 

[HeritageFan]

I appreciate your feedback

Perhaps I’ll just try to hatch for my friend, and stick w my ducks and turkeys

I might try some broilers ....at some point. But I do enjoy what we already have!

 

[rootandbloom]

I have a friend who is interested in getting some fertile Ayam Cemani eggs, and would like me to incubate them for her, as I’ve hatched out many duck and turkey eggs...and she doesn’t have a ‘bator.

I’m fascinated by the color.... but I don’t think I’m interested in the basically bantam sized birds, personally....although I’m a little torn because they are so unique looking!

Anyway. Looking around online, I see I can have eggs shipped (shipping included) for 6-15+$ per egg. And I’ve not seen anyone selling day old chicks (from “parents” they are posting photos of) for less than 65$ each. .... but I also know that I need to do more research to make sure they would come from birds with no “blowout” of silver or grey, and all black feet / inside the mouth (if I was going to keep any to raise and hatch/ sell)

I also saw another thread here talking about how they are not as marketable as they were a couple of years ago....

I typically raise birds for meat (obviously not a good choice on that front due to the small stature), but also have separate coops and runs for breeders that we keep for hatching and selling chicks.

My friend only wants interesting looking birds in her large pasture / range / bird area for eggs, so only keeps hens (she currently has turkeys, geese, and ducks). Plus one duck drake as a “watchdog”

....is the hatch rate poor with the Ayam Cemani?
Or, are the prices that I’m seeing for day old chicks just people who think they can still get those rates for their babies?

The pricing for eggs and chicks are primarily small farms, there is little in my area that I can use to determine value in my area of the PNW. I’m still digging on that front.

Any insight that someone can offer would be much appreciated.
Also. Anyone who has, and can ship, eggs is welcome to let me know.... I think my friend is committed, it’s just me that remains on the proverbial fence!

I have Cemanis and I gifted my friend 18 eggs but only 3 chicks hatched out. Will be incubating ourselves in spring. I bought for $30/chick in VT. I sold the excess roos for the same.

 

[BrookvilleBottom]

I have a friend who is interested in getting some fertile Ayam Cemani eggs, and would like me to incubate them for her, as I’ve hatched out many duck and turkey eggs...and she doesn’t have a ‘bator.

I’m fascinated by the color.... but I don’t think I’m interested in the basically bantam sized birds, personally....although I’m a little torn because they are so unique looking!

Anyway. Looking around online, I see I can have eggs shipped (shipping included) for 6-15+$ per egg. And I’ve not seen anyone selling day old chicks (from “parents” they are posting photos of) for less than 65$ each. .... but I also know that I need to do more research to make sure they would come from birds with no “blowout” of silver or grey, and all black feet / inside the mouth (if I was going to keep any to raise and hatch/ sell)

I also saw another thread here talking about how they are not as marketable as they were a couple of years ago....

I typically raise birds for meat (obviously not a good choice on that front due to the small stature), but also have separate coops and runs for breeders that we keep for hatching and selling chicks.

My friend only wants interesting looking birds in her large pasture / range / bird area for eggs, so only keeps hens (she currently has turkeys, geese, and ducks). Plus one duck drake as a “watchdog”

....is the hatch rate poor with the Ayam Cemani?
Or, are the prices that I’m seeing for day old chicks just people who think they can still get those rates for their babies?

The pricing for eggs and chicks are primarily small farms, there is little in my area that I can use to determine value in my area of the PNW. I’m still digging on that front.

Any insight that someone can offer would be much appreciated.
Also. Anyone who has, and can ship, eggs is welcome to let me know.... I think my friend is committed, it’s just me that remains on the proverbial fence!

We get an incredible hatch rate in our incubators on the farm. We set 42 and only "lost" 3 on this past hatch with babies who just hatched 3 days ago. We have had similar rates with 3 hatches before this one also. Hatching eggs are just a gamble if they are mailed. I have started finding local people to buy hatching eggs from when I am in the market for anything. I am in Ohio, so not really "local" for you.

 

[Ls_capone]

I have a friend who is interested in getting some fertile Ayam Cemani eggs, and would like me to incubate them for her, as I’ve hatched out many duck and turkey eggs...and she doesn’t have a ‘bator.

I’m fascinated by the color.... but I don’t think I’m interested in the basically bantam sized birds, personally....although I’m a little torn because they are so unique looking!

Anyway. Looking around online, I see I can have eggs shipped (shipping included) for 6-15+$ per egg. And I’ve not seen anyone selling day old chicks (from “parents” they are posting photos of) for less than 65$ each. .... but I also know that I need to do more research to make sure they would come from birds with no “blowout” of silver or grey, and all black feet / inside the mouth (if I was going to keep any to raise and hatch/ sell)

I also saw another thread here talking about how they are not as marketable as they were a couple of years ago....

I typically raise birds for meat (obviously not a good choice on that front due to the small stature), but also have separate coops and runs for breeders that we keep for hatching and selling chicks.

My friend only wants interesting looking birds in her large pasture / range / bird area for eggs, so only keeps hens (she currently has turkeys, geese, and ducks). Plus one duck drake as a “watchdog”

....is the hatch rate poor with the Ayam Cemani?
Or, are the prices that I’m seeing for day old chicks just people who think they can still get those rates for their babies?

The pricing for eggs and chicks are primarily small farms, there is little in my area that I can use to determine value in my area of the PNW. I’m still digging on that front.

Any insight that someone can offer would be much appreciated.
Also. Anyone who has, and can ship, eggs is welcome to let me know.... I think my friend is committed, it’s just me that remains on the proverbial fence!

I have a trio and I wouldn’t suggest to raise them for money for two reasons first of all they don’t have very good hatch rates from my experience. Secondly they have birth defects out of the 9 or 10 or so that hatched off mine only one didn’t have any kind of birth defects and was viable and that one was hatched off a broody hen

 

[Ls_capone]

I have a trio and I wouldn’t suggest to raise them for money for two reasons first of all they don’t have very good hatch rates from my experience. Secondly they have birth defects out of the 9 or 10 or so that hatched off mine only one didn’t have any kind of birth defects and was viable and that one was hatched off a broody hen

But if you love chickens and watching different chickens act differently you will love them personally the ayam is one of my favorite chickens that I have found