The end of another hatching season

[John W Blehm]

Tomorrow is my last big hatch day of the season.  I'll only keep setting some of my from the pheasant/Ameraucana cross project to try to keep some chicks...none to date. 
I have sent out hundreds of Ameraucana chicks to customers around the country again this year and have hundreds of started birds that I'll grow out for a while and sort thru about once a month till late fall.  I sell the rejects locally as meat birds and keep just the best of the best to winter and use as breeders in 2019. 
The plan is to hatch maybe half as many chicks next year or less...just don't have the ambition or energy.

[Russ Blair]

Nice looking group of grow outs John, makes me realize how late my hatches really are lol

[John W Blehm]

My first hatch was February 13th, so the oldest ones are just over 3 months old now.  I started a week or so earlier than planned and it's probably a good thing, since we have such an early national meet date this year.

[Beth Curran]

My "hatching season" just started. A couple of buff hens decided if they were going to reproduce this year they'd have to take matters into their own hands. When they went broody I didn't argue and day before yesterday we noticed a couple chicks running around. I have two lavenders sitting on eggs, too.

[Alyssa Kim]

Congrats on making it through another hatching season! It is very exhausting. I was lucky enough to be one who got some of those chicks, and they are true beauties.

This was the first year I got serious about hatching. First hatch was on Thanksgiving. I still have a couple more hatches going for  myself... I can see the need to learn and set some limits!

[Russ Blair]

Alyssa if you figure out how to manage restraint please let me know lol

[Suki]

John said The plan is to hatch maybe half as many chicks next year or less...just don't have the ambition or energy.

I'm sorry to hear that.  Energy really does fuel ambition and rest is the only cure.