Hi All,
Is anyone hatching eggs by time of the year?
I ran across this thread recently:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=429468&p=2
"In regards to raising large fowl hatch as early as possible to keep size up. Jan, Feb, March. In bantams hatch the first chick on March 1'st and stop about April 20th. That will keep the size down. Bantam breeders up north hatch chicks out like large fowl and most of the bantams are to large. Down here in the south I have found this to be true. This is a method I have done and now all the bantams are done this way. If the eggs do come out early I will sell the eggs to people or hatch the chicks and send them as started birds. But with my heat down here its a waist of time to raise them for show birds. As breeders they are fine.
I hatched some large fowl white rocks a few years ago in June they where one pound smaller than the same baby chicks hatched in Jan and Feb. Why I think the heat slows down the growth or they don't eat as much. The chicks from these smaller birds however, if hatched in Jan and Feb the next year will be normal size.....
That's how I do it and it works for me.
You need to buy you a cheap digital scale and weigh your birds so you know if you are in the ball park. In American Breed Large fowl it is better to have your birds at age ten months to be about one pound over standard weight. You get a nice 24 ounce per dozen set of eggs and your chicks will be right on the money.
Hope this helps you. Robert Blosl"
Is anyone hatching eggs by time of the year?
I ran across this thread recently:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=429468&p=2
"In regards to raising large fowl hatch as early as possible to keep size up. Jan, Feb, March. In bantams hatch the first chick on March 1'st and stop about April 20th. That will keep the size down. Bantam breeders up north hatch chicks out like large fowl and most of the bantams are to large. Down here in the south I have found this to be true. This is a method I have done and now all the bantams are done this way. If the eggs do come out early I will sell the eggs to people or hatch the chicks and send them as started birds. But with my heat down here its a waist of time to raise them for show birds. As breeders they are fine.
I hatched some large fowl white rocks a few years ago in June they where one pound smaller than the same baby chicks hatched in Jan and Feb. Why I think the heat slows down the growth or they don't eat as much. The chicks from these smaller birds however, if hatched in Jan and Feb the next year will be normal size.....
That's how I do it and it works for me.
You need to buy you a cheap digital scale and weigh your birds so you know if you are in the ball park. In American Breed Large fowl it is better to have your birds at age ten months to be about one pound over standard weight. You get a nice 24 ounce per dozen set of eggs and your chicks will be right on the money.
Hope this helps you. Robert Blosl"
