Chicks now or spring?

[tcstoehr]

Your own gratification should not be the first concern here. If you're getting baby chicks and raising them outdoors heading into fall and winter, that is not a good acclimation strategy. If you're a beginner you'll have enough surprises already. Spend the winter reading books and forums like this one. Get the chicks in the spring while day length and temperature are on the rise. Let them feather out completely before dropping temperatures hit and the winter acclimation can occur naturally and safely.

 

[XxMingirlxX]

I got my chicks around this time, I'd would go for it the sooner the better because then you miss the bite of winter, also this way, after 18 months they will be moulting in the summer not the winter so they won't get cold and you won't have to buy them chicken jackets

 

[XxMingirlxX]

And I forgot to mention that my CM have gone broody for the 4th time this summer.  That gets old if you don't need one.

So get him a white leghorn pullet. (or buy him a Foghorn Leghorn stuffed rooster doll)  I actually enjoy my one white egg layer for even more variety.  I have been happy with my Welsummers.  I have one that puts spots on her egg so that is a big plus with the people that buy my eggs.  Their combs are small so I haven't had any problem with frostbite.  Leghorns are another story.

I love my white leghorn, so much personality and it lays great eggs (sometimes even double yolks!) and gets on well with the other birds

 

[kitkat6]

Your own gratification should not be the first concern here. If you're getting baby chicks and raising them outdoors heading into fall and winter, that is not a good acclimation strategy. If you're a beginner you'll have enough surprises already. Spend the winter reading books and forums like this one. Get the chicks in the spring while day length and temperature are on the rise. Let them feather out completely before dropping temperatures hit and the winter acclimation can occur naturally and safely.

Totally understand your point-but if I were to get them now and have their brooder in my basement-which is my plan-they'd be nearly fully feathered before our winter temps would be an issue and they'd be out in the coop. Plus I do have electricity available out there should it become an issue.

 

[MeepBeep]

Your own gratification should not be the first concern here. If you're getting baby chicks and raising them outdoors heading into fall and winter, that is not a good acclimation strategy. If you're a beginner you'll have enough surprises already. Spend the winter reading books and forums like this one. Get the chicks in the spring while day length and temperature are on the rise. Let them feather out completely before dropping temperatures hit and the winter acclimation can occur naturally and safely.

Totally understand your point-but if I were to get them now and have their brooder in my basement-which is my plan-they'd be nearly fully feathered before our winter temps would be an issue and they'd be out in the coop. Plus I do have electricity available out there should it become an issue.

Beware, I brooder in the house and the dust can be horrible, but it's very manageable...

I will agree with many that it's a lot easier come spring to maintain and raise the chicks, but for me personally (and assuming you are ready) getting them now means you will have spring and all summer eggs vs maybe late summer or fall eggs... To me not missing another egg season is worth the winter trouble, thus the reason I have a couple more dozen pullets on order right now...

 

[kitkat6]

Beware, I brooder in the house and the dust can be horrible, but it's very manageable...

I will agree with many that it's a lot easier come spring to maintain and raise the chicks, but for me personally (and assuming you are ready) getting them now means you will have spring and all summer eggs vs maybe late summer or fall eggs... To me not missing another egg season is worth the winter trouble, thus the reason I have a couple more dozen pullets on order right now...

Our basement is the perfect place for a brooder as there's nothing down there but my washer and dryer-which are across the room. It's a large area and I don't mind the dust since there's nothing else down there! Very accessible for multiple trips down daily but not let the dust be an issue!

Or so I hope!

 

[MeepBeep]

Our basement is the perfect place for a brooder as there's nothing down there but my washer and dryer-which are across the room. It's a large area and I don't mind the dust since there's nothing else down there! Very accessible for multiple trips down daily but not let the dust be an issue!

Or so I hope!

IMO based on experience chickens in house = dust in house even if they are in an semi-isolated room... I keep my brooders in a basement room with a door that is always closed, and a small 24/7 exhaust fan to the outside to create some negative pressure in that room, and I still get dust upstairs... Just something you have to live with if you have any birds in the house as I fondly remember any room my moms parakeets were in was also always dusty as well... For use we chalk it up to 'Farm Living' the house isn't always going to be spotless as long as we have pets, livestock and poultry to tend to in a daily basis...

 

[Mrs. K]

Keep them in the garage with a heat lamp. Once they are featherered, raise the heat lamp each day a little higher. Let them out in the run for a couple of hours in the warm part of the day for a couple weeks, back in as the sun goes down, then move them out to the coop. If you acclimate them a little each day, they will be fine.

The big thing is to keep the heat lamp at one end of the brooder box, this allows chicks to move into the heat for warmth and out of the heat to cool off. That is how they are with a broody hen, they crawl under her, get warmed up, go out and look at the world til the next warm up period.

Once feathered, they need a lot less heat. If you get them now, by the time real winter gets here, they will be fine.

Mrs K

 

[lazy gardener]

KitKat: I don't know if you've stated where you are, or how cold your winters are, but, regarding the leghorn... There is a rose combed leghorn. That would provide the leghorn experience without the frost bite issue. Of course, your husband may be basing his leghorn stereotype on the huge floppy comb.

 

[Mrs. K]

I thought of this later after I posted, but this time of year, there are lots of people who have either older hens or point of lay pullets. I have both in my coop right now. You might consider contacting the local poultry club or the county extension agent for people that have chickens near you. Then you could get chicks in the spring, you will have gotten some experience, might find a breed that you really like, and of course will be getting eggs quickly.

If you get a breed of chickens that go broody, you can have her raise the chicks next spring, wayyyyy fun.

Mrs K