What is "Hatched Early"???

rodriguezpoultry

Langshan Lover
11 Years
Jan 4, 2009
10,918
147
361
Claremore, OK
I have heard numerous breeders say "you have to hatch them early" or "you have to hatch them late."

My question is, does this "hatch them early" mean you have to hatch them early in the year so they grow larger before the hot weather hits?

What are the effects of this???
 
Why do some people blame small or large sized birds on "early hatch" or "late hatch"???

I went to a website and it said "This pullet is too big for my breeding flock. She was an early hatch so is bigger than the normal bantam." Should the hatching date matter?
 
I've had several chicks hatch 2-3 days early, and there was no difference between them and the chicks that hatched right on time...
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Not sure what they're talking about.
 
Spring hatched chickens grow larger than fall hatched chickens. Something to do with the amount of sunlight available, quality of feed, and other such stuffs.

If you want to breed small, use chicks hatched in the fall.

For larger birds, hatch in the spring.
 
Nah, Spring is best. More time to grow before you start running out of daylight.
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Plus, it makes them hardier come winter and you don't have to bundle them up in sweaters so they can survive the cold temps.
 
OH YAY!!!!

Well, I know what I'M going to be doing this spring...hehehehe...time for me to separate Clyde with his hens...

I think I'll do it after the Idabel show...
 
If I don't hatch until spring, my birds are not mature enough for fall shows--I know this from several year's experience.

Birds I hatch from March on will be too young and immature to show in November at the largest show in my area, not to mention the State Fair which is in October.
 

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