Best time of year to begin

[jmtcmkb]

Joie,

There's no going back now

I wanted to let you know I just returned from my local feed store and feel so much better. The owner who raises chickens said it's perfectly fine to raise chicks this time of year. He said as long as they have heat in the brooder until they get the feathers and they have adequate shelter they are perfectly fine!

 

[Tiss]

All my broody hens seem to think this is the perfect time to hatch and raise chicks. I am glad you're going for it. Welcome to the club.

How many chickens do you think she'll have by this time next year.

 

[JoieD]

Saladin, Where were you yesterday when I was making this life changing decision! Now I have visions of developmentally delayed chickens !

Oh well, too late now. I'm sure we will muddle through. Can't Wait ! Thanks for all of the support guys. I'll probably need a lot more of it. Already experienced Chicken Math. Back to reading, reading, reading and building, building, building.

 

[saladin]

Quote:
lol. I was farming all day. Some of the best chickens I've ever raised were hatched in October after the moult, but I honestly don't care for July-August hatched chicks.

They usually do just fine; they just turn out smaller.

I have often wondered why. Here's my theory. The hens have been laying now for months. They have laid themselves silly since Jan or Feb. These last eggs are from bodies that are strained due to the excessive laying and the heat. Plus, the cocks are not as active in the heat; so, many of the eggs were fertilized by old stored sperm held by the females. Thus, the chicks are smaller and weaker than their earlier counterparts. That's just my thoughts.

By comparison, the child of a 20 year old is often more vigorous and healthy than say the baby of a 39 year old. The older the woman gets the more incline the babies are to be developmentally slow. Young women have healthier babies.

If a hen has laid say 150 eggs or more by now; well, I think that just takes a toll.

Nothing to back up my theory other than observations. Sometimes we misinterprete what we see, but I think I'm right on this one.

 

[JoieD]

Great. Now I have a picture of exhausted chickens and old sperm stuck in my brain. Reminds me of the nursing home where I used to work.

 

[saladin]

Quote:
lol. It ain't the end of the world.... yet. lol.

I've seen some pretty fiesty critters in the nursing homes!

 

[CorgiHouse]

Quote:

 

[mellieandthepastries]

Since it's the end of March, if I get chicks now would I be able to put them outside in 6 weeks? That would make it around the 2nd week of May. The nights can still get cold here around that time (sometimes it goes down to 32 degrees at night). Would that still be too cold? I'm wondering if I should wait a bit before getting chicks.

I'm so worried I'm going to do this at the wrong time.

 

[blackdog043]

With these type of questions, concerning weather, it really helps us help you, if you add your general location to your profile, so it always shows a gen location. Saying that, yes they will be fine. As you raise them you keep decreasing the temperature weekly to get them off all heat. As they feather out they are able to hold their heat against their body, with their down feathers.
I currently have (9) 3 1/2 week old chicks in my coop brooder, using the mama heat pad. The temps have been in the upper 20's at night to the lower 50's during the day. They're doing great. They don't even go under the heat pad during the day anymore, they just run around. I highly recommend the mama head pad, instead of a heat lamp, for a couple reasons. Fire hazards and a light is always on with the heat lamp. With the mama heat pad, not much of a fire hazard and the chicks get used to day and night right of way. Here's a link for the mama heat pad thread to look over, if you haven't seen it before.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

 

[jonalisa]

I'm in NH. I always get my chicks in late-May, so about the time they are ready to go out in the coop (5-6 weeks) it is warm enough.