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What season to get chicks? Mild winters - does it matter?

post #1 of 2
4/10/12 at 7:43pm
Thread Starter 

I live in Sydney, Australia, where we only very rarely get any frost. I want to keep about four pet chickens.

 

I want to get baby chicks so that we can get them nice and socialized (I have two little kids, so this matters) and I'm wondering, considering I won't be showing the birds, whether there is a wrong/right time of year. I'm guessing that Autumn isn't ideal, but I really want to get them as soon as possible. I will have a brooder box in my outside laundry and an un-insulated wooden coop (probably one like this, coz I'm not handy enough to make my own and I want to be able to walk in).

 

I'm planning on getting 4 chooks - probably 1-2 Australorps but I haven't decided on the other breed(s) yet so suggestions are welcome.

 

I know that sexing day-olds is nigh-on impossible - should I get 6 babies and assume that I'll have to get rid of two roos (we can't have roosters in the suburbs)? Then I can hope they are all girls and I get to keep them ;-) (chicken math seems to have hit already!).

 

Sorry, this is longer than planned, and I've read a bit but I'm a total chicken newbie and I have so many questions!

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post #2 of 2
4/11/12 at 7:12am
frow.gif Welcome to the forum! frow.gif Glad you joined us! frow.gif

In your situation, I don't know of any reason you could not get chicks now. I don't know what your options are in Australia to get sexed chicks, but you might want to post on this thread to get your local experts' advice.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/598568/australia-six-states-and-that-funny-little-island/650#post_8767065

If you can find them, one option is to get sex linked chicks. These are not a specific breed but are actually crosses. By crossing specific breeds, you can tell at hatch which ones are male and which ones are female.
Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought....Abraham Lincoln (Freedom carries responsibility)

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.....Judge Learned Hand  (The more sure your are that your way is the only right way, the more likely you are wrong.)
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Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought....Abraham Lincoln (Freedom carries responsibility)

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.....Judge Learned Hand  (The more sure your are that your way is the only right way, the more likely you are wrong.)
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