What I was told that you have to hatch 100 chicks to get 10 to work with. With that in mind I've changed how things will be done around here in the future. Now if your orps are as nice as Jody's in PA you'll have some nice sized birds to fill the freezer.Kinmera---fillers? not planning to hatch? real project birds??? You are a funny lady! We all told ourselves that! Ask Rancher, he knows!
I had no intentions of breeding these girls and still do not. I have 25ish orps growing up to replace them. I have no problems with turning birds into freezer fillers, esp if I'm going to be serious about breeding to sop. Which is the only reason my husband puts up with me hatching birds every three weeks from January to September.

I went out today and found a chick in the large hoop coop. I'm surprised at which hatched it since she was 1. not the original hen who started out with these eggs and B. not the first hen to go broody in the coop. The first hen has a bunch of eggs under her but yet to hatch a chick. I have pulled a couple of hers too.
I'm not sure it's God's will for me to downsize since everytime I get rid of two, four hatch out. I do have someone who will take all my eggs so if that works out I'll have money for feed.