Beware of raising winter chicks

[adillenal]

Another Texas view. This is the first time I have ever raised winter chicks and I like it. An hour east of Austin and it is pretty mild but still need heat lamps.
I have three sets going riht now. Soon to be four. Eggs in the incubator, 2 week olds in a swimming pool in a portable building with a heat lamp, 6 week olds in my enclosed horse trailer that I haul my dairy goats in with a lamp and the 9 week olds in the coop. The 9 week olds will come out this weekend since we will be moving the goats that are using their yard right now. Will separate the boys out so we can feed them to butcher and will have to blend the oldest two groups. i have not lost a single chick and absolutely no other problems.

Easiest time I have ever had with chickens. I am picking green grass for them on a daily basis from the grasses we planted for the goats aad calves. They are growing exceptionally well for me.
Lppks like i have found what works for me.

 

[GAchick]

In the fall, I had 3 silkies, and 2 silkie x's go broody. (around Thanksgiving). They hatched out 9 chicks. We transferred all nine under the two x's, who were in a tractor that had a smallish coop attached, so they could keep the chicks warmer. All nine have thrived. (and it's so funny to see the different colorations/sizes showing up. The SLW x silkie chick that hatched out is about 3 time the size of the straight silkie babies.) Much easier under a broody hen than inside the house with a brooder box. And I agree that the heat of the summer would be brutal on the chicks trying to keep up with Momma's all over the yard.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
In Texas I imagine it would be easier to raise chicks in the winter months, given that its much cooler (though still quite warm) compared to the summer months. This winter for us wouldn't be too bad either because we've at such unusually warm temps.

 

[limhyl]

Thought I'd bump this thread up again since it is winter again and I made the choice to brood my 11 year old son's Christmas presents. They were not an impulse purchase as we had been planning for them for months and just finished their coop last week. I have two groups, seven five week olds, including a silke and seven two week olds. The groups are being brooded separately because they came from different farms so that has been an additional amount of work. We have mild winters here and I hope to move them from an unheated basement to their coop without any heat when they are about eight weeks. I don't regret (yet!) starting them in winter but it has necessitated them staying longer in the house. But as a previous poster said, it allows myself and my son to bond with them and check on their status more frequently which I think will create friendlier and healthier chickens in the long run.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have 50 freedom ranger shipped about a month ago. In the same unheated, uninsulated space pictured on the first page of this thread.
Good thing there were 50 as I lost power overnight on 3 occasions. The building got to about 30 a couple times. They were grumpy and huddled together but I lost none and they're feathering out nicely and very active.
Today they're going outside to a grow out pen.
I've had 2 week old chicks escape from a broody at dusk a couple times to spend the night in the woods as I couldn't find them.
Temps were as low as the 50s and they always show up the next morning looking for mom, none the worse for wear.
Healthy birds aren't that fragile.

 

[MIKE555444]

Nice! ... I hope these work out good for you

 

[liljunie]

This is a great thread! I am brand new to chickens have 2 silkies (out of 6 shipped eggs) that are 12 days away from hatching. I will be brooding them in my finished basement. I am attending the poultry congress and will pick up more eggs and was thinking chicks but after reading the info here I think eggs are better since it would get me 3 weeks closer to spring til they are hatched. Luckily I have a large area with tiled floors but I really did not think about what 20-30 fast growing chicks would look like down there! I have a empty 41 egg brooder...I was thinking of filling it with eggs from the show! Chicken fever I guess...I think I will get 18 max!

 

[sheila3935]

We have hatched lots of chicks in the winter and yes if you dont like them in the house then that can be a bother. My last winter hatch was a year ago Christmas Eve. My hubby bought me what was suppose to be Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, but I think they are just Buffs. Any way I hatched out 5 out of a dozen shipped eggs. Rehomed the boys after 6 weeks and kept the girls inside til March. They are my friendliest birds. Always want to be held. One winter we had 7 different brooders going in the living room and one was with ducks ( will never do that again) If you can get pass the dust then its not bad and you have more people friendly birds. Now I have bantam Cochins and Silkies that do it for me and one Australorp that will probably be going broody soon. She usually goes broody in late January early February. We have 9 babies right now out with momma that hatched in early November. They are doing great. Broodies are the easiest way to hatch but then you cant plan the hatch.

 

[celticgarden]

I had my first ever hatch November 30th from incubated eggs. I guess one's experience depends on being properly prepared and committed. I think finding joy in it helps immensely.

I don't regret hatching the chicks and having the brooder in my basement. I was happy to move them yesterday to the coop with their warmer in tow only because of the dust that coated the basement. In the future I might target a hatch in early March, it could be easier and allow a move to the coop sooner. But I also know that now is the time of year when I am least busy. Once spring gets going I have the garden to tend, seedlings to start. So maybe Winter is best.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I am ready for the extra work as well, since summer and spring are always so busy. I am just worried that my babes won't make the trip to me. I have a order coming from Texas to South Dakota on January 23rd. I also have my brooder in the basement and a walk in coop so while I am keeping them in a warm isolation pen they will also be meeting and greeting the group I already have. I am still holding my breath hoping for a broody but Spring here usually isn't until May so I think that is unrealistic of me but one can hope