Best time to buy chicks?

[mrstillery09]

Hey everyone! I'm new to BYC. Been a lurker for awhile and decided I needed to go ahead and just join! I live on an 80 acre farm in Kansas City, Missouri. We have some cows, and I'm ready to take the plunge into chickens as well. I was just curious if there were any guidelines as to when is the best time to get chicks? I plan to order them, hopefully from a hatchery somewhere close by. Should I wait until it's a fairly reasonable temperature outside, or is anytime ok? Thanks for your input!

 

[nurse_turtle]

If you want eggs before fall, buy now. Check locally for chicks and you can save a lot instead of ordering from a hatchery. If you buy now, you'll have to house the chicks in a brooder for several weeks and transplant outside into a warmed area and then next year, they can acclimate to the winter and be able to be cooped without heat.

 

[berniezahm]

If you have a brooder to keep chicks in and some place to keep them inside out of the weather, just about any time is a good time. You will find that many hatcheries are already sold out till late spring or even longer for the more popular breeds. I read a post here on BYC from a lady in Kenya, Alaska receiving chicks through the (USPS) the mail about two weeks ago. Enjoy your chicks.

 

[berniezahm]

If you keep the chicks in a brooder and lower the temp in the brooder 5 degrees each week, by the 8 week of age point they will be fully feathered and used to 50 degree temps. Missouri in mid April is that temp any way and they won't need supplemental heat when you put them outside. Start brooding at 90 degrees.

 

[chickensinwasillaAK]

I'm in Wasilla Alaska, we still have feet of snow on the ground and my chicks will be here in 6 weeks. They come via the Post Office, worked like express mail last time they came so fast. AS long as you have a place to warm them during the first 7 to 8 weeks, they'll be fine.

 

[Eznet2u]

I just checked your local Craigslist...Wow. Loads of opportunities...

Here you go - http://kansascity.craigslist.org/search/grd?query=Chickens&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=

 

[The Chickeneer]

I would say the best time to order chicks is in the months of january to april, before the summer months. This gives them the advantage to grown, immunize and strenghten before summer, or they might not be ready to handle all the diseases, parisites and things that start growing in the warmer weather. Good luck with your chicks

 

[Tressa27884]

I'm getting my first chicks in the 24th of February and my last group March 30th, so I can have them all out in the 'baby coop' by April. I want them integrated in with the big girls by June. That gives me a month or so for seperate free ranging schedules and for the big girls to get used to the new girls. I'm all ready counting down 15 days until my babies come!

 

[mrstillery09]

Thank you for all of your input! I think I'm looking at March for ordering. I'm so glad to have found such a great forum!

 

[Kaseykeepstrack]

I bought my first chicks today at Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, MO. It was a 2.5 hour drive for me, but totally worth it to pick out healthy pullets and bring them home in my heated car, rather than have them shipped in Winter. They are all very active and happy at 2 days old. Looks like it's about 3 ish hours from Kansas City. I'm going back next week for a few more breeds that are hatching this week. They even reserved them for me.