autumn/winter chicks = smaller chickens?

[spish]

just been talking with a few locals on the bridge...they were commenting on my ever-growing flocks and the amount of little ones running around, when i mentioned i have another one gone broody this week and is sitting on 12 eggs (due 7th september)

they told me it was a bad idea to let anymore hatch after that as it would mean the chicks would have to try and survive the autumn/winter, and if they did survive, would be much smaller unhealthy chickens than if they'd hatched in spring.

i can see it being true if i were to leave the chicks outside (less food, colder/wetter weather etc) but if i was to bring the babies indoors after they hatched and hand reared them under a lamp...would it make a difference? they'd get good plentiful food and heat then...

locals disagree and said it doesnt matter, they wont grow as well as they will be born later in the year (they started waffeling on about the earths pull and seasonal changes effecting growth) so now im baffeled...im i bound for mini unhealthy chickens from this batch??

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, Pshaw!!! My first batch o' chicks were purchased from a feed store in October, and they are the main members of my flock now. The only think different, in looking back, is that two chicks "failed to thrive" and died, and that didn't happen to ANY of the chicks I bought this Spring.

Also, the Spring chicks are growing into slightly larger chickens than last year's Winter chicks. However, it's hard to say that has anything to do with the season - every one of my chickens is a different breed. Kinda hard to compare 'em to each other. As to health, they're all very healthy and robust.