How many chicks will you hatch in 2026?

[farmer90]

I want to incubate one set of turkey poults and a lot of quails. I still haven't figured out the numbers yet

 

[MysteryChicken]

Alot, cuz I've got some breeding projects, plus I'm planning to sell some juvenile chickens locally.
Planning on ordering some chicks as well, or hatching eggs.

Breeding Projects:
● Giant Silkies.

● Black To White Experiment/Chameleons.

● Project Mini American Gamefowl from Scratch for Free Range Survival/Project Romans.

● PBA In USA, & Just Malay Preservation.

● Experimental Meaties.

 

[2ndTink]

My goal for this year is 100. Shouldn't take too long, since my incubator holds 56. And my olive egger is chronically broody (5 times last year!). Plus 4 of the remaining 5 chickens went broody on me at least twice last year. But, first, all the pullets out at the farm need to start laying! I've only got two layers out there at the moment

I love the "56" at a time hatches, instant flock party! 100 is a good goal

 

[2ndTink]

Alot, cuz I've got some breeding projects, plus I'm planning to sell some juvenile chickens locally.
Planning on ordering some chicks as well, or hatching eggs.

Breeding Projects:
● Giant Silkies.

● Black To White Experiment/Chameleons.

● Project Mini American Gamefowl from Scratch for Free Range Survival/Project Romans.

● PBA In USA, & Just Malay Preservation.

● Experimental Meaties.

I have followed your giant silkies project, I'm happy that's on the list for this year!

 

[wrathsfarm]

So, are you going for the same 350 as Debbie?

I'm OK with it as long I sell more than I did this year. I'm over loaded still.

Wow, sounds like a great friend! Everyone needs one of those in their lives

It's both a blessing and a curse. There's chicken key words I can't speak of to her or I'll get.....
"Oh, you need those...I'll send 5 dozen"

 

[2ndTink]

I'm OK with it as long I sell more than I did this year. I'm over loaded still.

It's both a blessing and a curse. There's chicken key words I can't speak of to her or I'll get.....
"Oh, you need those...I'll send 5 dozen"

Is that silkies you said?

I'm overloaded in some ways, but, I'm not sure who else I can part with, I'm pretty much down to my "I gotta keep them" chickens.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I have followed your giant silkies project, I'm happy that's on the list for this year!

Yeah, usually if I can't do a project for whatever reason, I'll put it on pause until the next year.

 

[fluffycrow]

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.

Yeah, that’s what my research has concluded as well. I’m not sure yet.

I know that what I got with the Tsouloufates was not what I was expecting. With this particular landrace there is an ethnic pride involved (some Greeks are way too proud for their own good, IMO), so things get blown out of proportion. Many who have Tsouloufates will claim that they never get sick. That’s just not true.
But I did not think that a widely accepted claim, such as the one that most Tsouloufates tend to be broody would prove to be totally false in my case.
Heck, most even get their origins wrong.

I digress…
All that was to say that my expectations aren’t high at all. I’m just looking to get the bare minimum out of each breed; new blood out of all of them, brooding genetics out of the Araucana and the aseel, some tenacity out of the aseel, a single comb and a Mediterranean type build out of the Fayoumi, and a tad of that wow factor from the Dongxiang. I didn’t even know the breed existed, and documentation seems poor (at least in any language I understand), so this is more of an adventurous addition.

I will definitely update if any of you are interested

 

[fluffycrow]

I can loan you some silkies to brood eggs for you

You may surprise yourself and win a Category 3

Oh I have broodies, just not the kind I want! The bantam pen is chronically broody, 5 members at a time (or more!).

Last time they did not do well with adopting eggs though, and they are generally very clumsy, so I don’t think I’ll let them

 

[Tex452]

This is true. I've had some pretty awful hatch rates with shipped eggs this year.

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

I just candled 44 eggs and only 15 were fertile, I don’t know how well they were taken care of before I got them?
I have another 30 to candle Sunday that I got from my son.