Last Hatch of the Season

[bigredfeather]

My Sportsman has 58 eggs in it. I have 24 Barnevelder, 30 Light Brahma, 2 Speckled Sussex, and 2 Rose-Comb Dominiques. 12 of the Barnies are due on July 6th and the rest of the eggs are due July 11th. This is going to be the last hatch of the season for me. These are all new breeds to my flock, so I'm very excited about it. Hopefully I will have a successful hatch. I have had some bad luck on a few batches of shipped eggs. After this year, I'm hoping to never have to buy anymore eggs.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I'm on my last hatch too, due July 1st (Welsummers, Blue Andalusians, EEs just for fun) sending you positive hatching vibes!
I also plan this to be my last hatch from shipped eggs (but never say never!) as I'm concentrating on my Wellies & Blue Ands (all from breeder stock) and runner ducks!

 

[bigredfeather]

Sending vibes right back. I hatched some Wellies earlier in the year (3 hens/4 roos). They are almost 20 weeks right now. One of the pullets comb/waddle is starting to get really red, so i think she's getting close to laying. I want to really increase my Wellies/Buckeyes next year. I hoping for a really good Barnevelder hatch, as I would like a nice sized initial flock of them.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

Can I ask, why is this your last hatch? Is it so that the chicks will be of laying age by winter's time?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I thought ours was coming to the end as well - we just turned one sportsman off and the other has about 2 weeks to go for the last of the eggs in it. Wouldn't you know it the peafowl started laying again. Can't let any of those eggs go to waste.

Steve in NC

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
Two reasons:
First-I figure that if I hatch anything after now, they may not be fully feathered by the time cold weather gets here. I don't want to have to worry about young birds being too cold. I would prefer they don't start laying until next Spring. That way thier bodies are good and ready to lay some great hatching eggs.

Second-I have already spent too much cash on hatching eggs this year. If I buy any more, my wife is likely to go off the deep end. I told her 2 shipments ago "this is the last time." (We all know how that goes, lol)

My goal was to hatch enough this year so I can expand my flock size of each breed with my own eggs next year.

I have a 30'x30' coop w/ a 25'x40' run. I plan to fill it up. Currently I have less than 20 mature birds and 15 chicks. I would like to have double that by next time this year. Once I get to that point, I start deciding how I want to expand.