I mainly raise chickens for meat but also really enjoy playing with genetics. Eggs are a nice side benefit but I give most of them away. I typically hatch my chicks but every three or four years I'll get some new chicks for their genetics.
To avoid running out of meat I have a fairly large hatch in February. If I'm getting new chicks for genetics this is when I'll get them. I use my incubator for this.
Then I'll let three or four broody hens hatch and raise chicks in late spring and summer: May, June, and July, occasionally August. That gets me all the chicks I need for the freezer and to get replacement pullets.