How many chicks will you hatch in 2026?

[2ndTink]

Track your hatching plan adherence here!

If you will be hatching in 2026, write how many chicks you will be hatching (add more details on breeds etc if you want!) then check back and provide progress updates and an end of the year Hatch Plan Adherence post

If you are not hatching but are purchasing chicks, feel free to jump in as well and we will check your chicken math for the year

If you are hatching and buying chicks, best of luck and please please join this thread so we can enjoy the thrill ride with you

Winners: multiple winners in each category allowed

Category 1 - Who had the best hatch plan adherence
- Prize: Bragging rights for you and your flock's planning skills and discipline

Category 2 - Who had the worst (in a good way) hatch adherence ie: you planned for 8 chicks and hatched 256
- Prize: We will all be so proud of your amazing hatching skills and free spirited reckless abandon

Category 3 - Who got their Doctorate in Chicken Math in 2026
- Prize: Our admiration, plus the best prize - being surrounded by so many fluffy butts and filled egg cartons!

Winners will be peer and self-selected, we may tell you that you won, or you may proudly claim the prize you know you earned yourself.

Come join the fun!

 

[Debbie292d]

350 silkies

That is down from 500+ this year, but I need the pens for specific silkie breeding, not mass breeding. I am excited! Hopefully, I'll be making Mottled and Chocolate Paints in 2026 out of some of these cherubs!

 

[Tex452]

I will hatch as many as I can.
It’s a hobby for me

 

[Ikslo]

Zero. We have roosters, so any hatching here will be done by the hens, and they haven’t told me their broody plans yet. I’m excited to have some chicks running around though!

 

[2ndTink]

Zero. We have roosters, so any hatching here will be done by the hens, and they haven’t told me their broody plans yet. I’m excited to have some chicks running around though!

I hadn't even considered this option! You're going to be just as surprised as anyone as to how many you end up with

 

[gullinkambe]

Oh golly, that's a difficult question!
I know I'm gonna purchase some muscovy eggs, and since I actually have to pay for them, I won't go overboard. Let's say 15.

The "home made" chickens are more difficult, though. Since I haven't had a rooster for years, I haven't had the opportunity for infinite incubation for a long time. If I know myself correctly, I'll shove as many eggs as I have available into the machine before starting it (and throw in a few the next day) I just can't help myself when incubating mixes, too curious what they'll all look like!
A reasonable estimate: 30. Though I may set myself up for a prize in category 2...

 

[hammyanne]

I’ve got 54 eggs preordered and plan to start up a Silverudds programs, so…. 100?

Who knows what my chronically broody hen is planning for…

 

[fluffycrow]

Same as @Ikslo . As was my hope last year, I hope all official hatching will we done by LF broodies, if any decide to sit. Not a very likely scenario, but not entirely unlikely.

As for the incubator, I’m not sure. I do really want to bring in some new blood this year, but I don’t know when, how exactly, what breeds, and how many eggs that is.
The breeds and landraces I’m considering are Araucana, Fayoumi, Aseel, Dongxiang Lukedanji, and possibly an unrelated line of Tsouloufates. I don’t know if I’ll be able to source any of these, or how many I will set to incubate.

I don’t even know if I’ll go with natural incubation or artificial, though I’ll probably go with the latter for shipped eggs (health policies are not really upheld here, and considering the mess the bantams made last year, I’m unsure if I’ll let them hatch again).

That’s all to say, I’m definitely not winning prize 1 !
I don’t know if this counts as any sort of bias, but I really hope Debbie wins that one; 350+ chicks sounds cool af!

 

[Debbie292d]

The breeds and landraces I’m considering are Araucana, Fayoumi, Aseel, Dongxiang Lukedanji, and possibly an unrelated line of Tsouloufates.

Hubby and I were just talking about some of these "wild fowl" type breeds. My uneducated impression is of them they are disease resistant, self-sufficient, not tameable, and just roam the acreage/woods, maybe use the coop, maybe sleep in the trees.

The total opposite spectrum of silkies. But someday when we're older and quit breeding silkies, it's a thought to just have a few of those. Just a thought is all. We'd probably stick with silkies though and just have a few instead of dozens.

 

[Tex452]

I have 74 barnyard chicken eggs set, 44 are supposed to hatch this weekend, another 30 next Tuesday.