What do you do with ALL THESE CHICKS?!!

[SnootyHen]

I'm just thankful you all DO hatch so many because I wish I could do it but can't (chicken restrictions in my town) so I am thankful to live vicariously through you all!

 

[MissMonty]

I started hatching because the breeds I want I can buy a dozen eggs for the price I could buy two pullets from a reputable hatchery. There's a lot more risk involved obviously but I'm also planning to get into breeding down the road so any extra chicks I get I'll sell locally.

Like the next one I'm wanting to add is Lavender orphs well the hatchery I like I can order pullets for $10 each. OR on eBay recently 10+ (usually that means a full dozen was sent) and was $21.50

So currently I just do it for myself and am selling any extras to help pay the feed bill and offset costs so my husband doesn't smother me.

 

[Joyfillednomads]

I’ve been reading a lot of incubating and hatching threads here recently since I’m trying to get it right myself. This could make a good poll topic but I’m not that talented so we’ll just say, give me feedback instead of check the box. I see lots of huge hatches going on. 2 and 3 incubators running at once. I even saw someone saying they run 5 constantly. No matter how many you hatch I’d just like to know what your dreams and goals are as you hatch out batches of chicks. Growing large meat flocks, selling, etc. Please chime in and inspire me and others that are on the fence with this popular practice! Thanks in advance to all!

Yup. Just love hatching. Giving them away, selectively raising up the next generation, could sell them or take to auction...

 

[Mtnboomer]

I’ve been reading a lot of incubating and hatching threads here recently since I’m trying to get it right myself. This could make a good poll topic but I’m not that talented so we’ll just say, give me feedback instead of check the box. I see lots of huge hatches going on. 2 and 3 incubators running at once. I even saw someone saying they run 5 constantly. No matter how many you hatch I’d just like to know what your dreams and goals are as you hatch out batches of chicks. Growing large meat flocks, selling, etc. Please chime in and inspire me and others that are on the fence with this popular practice! Thanks in advance to all!

We hatch about 40 chicks a year 1/2 in spring 1/2 in fall. I chose to do this because my adult birds are free ranging but the chicks and pullets require more protection from the plentiful assortment of predators and from the adults. So the youngsters are kept in an 8' x 32' run and coop set up until they reach 4 mos old. At 4 mos they are either butchered or replace older birds in the free range flock.
The run is grassed and just about the time it they wear it down to the dirt its butcher day. The 3 months between hatches allow the grass to recover and provide forage for the next batch. Think chicken tractor only instead of rotating the pen i rotate the birds.
This practice keeps us in full stock of eggs, meat, compost for the garden and entertainment.
I wish I could sell the excess but we live in a very rural mtn area where backyard flocks are very common. So extra is just given away to friends and family.
We have a friend that hatches large numbers so we give give him our eggs to be hatched for us or we run a small incubator and encourage broody hens every chance we get.
Its fun and we love seeing new life come yo the farm!

 

[WallyG74]

We hatch about 40 chicks a year 1/2 in spring 1/2 in fall. I chose to do this because my adult birds are free ranging but the chicks and pullets require more protection from the plentiful assortment of predators and from the adults. So the youngsters are kept in an 8' x 32' run and coop set up until they reach 4 mos old. At 4 mos they are either butchered or replace older birds in the free range flock.
The run is grassed and just about the time it they wear it down to the dirt its butcher day. The 3 months between hatches allow the grass to recover and provide forage for the next batch. Think chicken tractor only instead of rotating the pen i rotate the birds.
This practice keeps us in full stock of eggs, meat, compost for the garden and entertainment.
I wish I could sell the excess but we live in a very rural mtn area where backyard flocks are very common. So extra is just given away to friends and family.
We have a friend that hatches large numbers so we give give him our eggs to be hatched for us or we run a small incubator and encourage broody hens every chance we get.
Its fun and we love seeing new life come yo the farm!

I have a similar but not quite as well laid plan as yours. I’m coming to the point of butchering the extra roos pretty soon. The hard part is getting the rest of my family on board with eating the little guy we hatched.

 

[Mtnboomer]

I have a similar but not quite as well laid plan as yours. I’m coming to the point of butchering the extra roos pretty soon. The hard part is getting the rest of my family on board with eating the little guy we hatched.

It is a tough thing to do. I try to explain to my kids that death is just another part of life. So long as the death is not needless and is done quick and painlessly, it is not a bad thing. I take no joy in doing it, but try to teach them that there is no wrong in it either and to respect that which has been sacrificed.

I am also a hunter and a gardener so my children have learned that most of our food does not come from a store. My oldest son took his 1st deer last fall and both help me in planting our crops.
If you're a good cook, it will convince them.

 

[Joyfillednomads]

I have a similar but not quite as well laid plan as yours. I’m coming to the point of butchering the extra roos pretty soon. The hard part is getting the rest of my family on board with eating the little guy we hatched.

The cornish cross made that easier because it went fast and less time for attachment.
My kids currently Don't want to help with processing entirely and we aren't forcing them. But they know these ARE NOT PETS, your dog is a pet & we don't eat the dog.
Especially not being able to buy food during covid at times kinda cured them of their reservations and they know this is what your chicken nugget looks like except this is one of the healthiest things you'll ever eat.
"Tell your dinner to be quiet."

 

[Joyfillednomads]

I’ve been reading a lot of incubating and hatching threads here recently since I’m trying to get it right myself. This could make a good poll topic but I’m not that talented so we’ll just say, give me feedback instead of check the box. I see lots of huge hatches going on. 2 and 3 incubators running at once. I even saw someone saying they run 5 constantly. No matter how many you hatch I’d just like to know what your dreams and goals are as you hatch out batches of chicks. Growing large meat flocks, selling, etc. Please chime in and inspire me and others that are on the fence with this popular practice! Thanks in advance to all!

I started to pin up the guys and gals before we incubate.
I know eggs up to 14 days are ok, but I like to use the cleanest & freshest eggs.
And eggs that tend to have a harder shell that don't hatch well I've not included those in our last hatch. I pick up all the eggs myself from the coop and put them in my cabinet. I tilt the cartoons twice a day or once at least to prevent sticking inside.
I stopped candling eggs and only open the incubator to move eggs out of turner for final lockdown.
We've improved our overall hatch & fertility rate from 49% to over 82%.
There was one bigger egg I should have not tried to hatch that didn't. Sometimes if you do everything correct it doesn't work out, we just do our best and try to help when we can.
So much is out of our hands.

 

[Joyfillednomads]

It is a tough thing to do. I try to explain to my kids that death is just another part of life. So long as the death is not needless and is done quick and painlessly, it is not a bad thing. I take no joy in doing it, but try to teach them that there is no wrong in it either and to respect that which has been sacrificed.

I am also a hunter and a gardener so my children have learned that most of our food does not come from a store. My oldest son took his 1st deer last fall and both help me in planting our crops.
If you're a good cook, it will convince them.

Yes, our kids have hunted too and it helps.

 

[Mtnboomer]

I started to pin up the guys and gals before we incubate.
I know eggs up to 14 days are ok, but I like to use the cleanest & freshest eggs.
And eggs that tend to have a harder shell that don't hatch well I've not included those in our last hatch. I pick up all the eggs myself from the coop and put them in my cabinet. I tilt the cartoons twice a day or once at least to prevent sticking inside.
I stopped candling eggs and only open the incubator to move eggs out of turner for final lockdown.
We've improved our overall hatch & fertility rate from 49% to over 82%.
There was one bigger egg I should have not tried to hatch that didn't. Sometimes if you do everything correct it doesn't work out, we just do our best and try to help when we can.
So much is out of our hands.

The large egg was probably a double yoke and would never have hatched anyway. 82% is pretty good we usually get 4 to hatch from our smsll 7 egg incubator (despite them sll reching full development). Our broodies are near 100% once we lock them down.

Our friend has been keeping chickens for 30yrs+ and has a success rate in the 95% range thats shy we give him our eggs to hatch for for larger clutches