Chicken Season?

[AnimalGeek23]

Hi everyone!
I feel like I’m always waiting for chicks to come in the mail. And yeah, once again I changed the schedule.
The original plan was to get some chicks in September, but now I’m thinking to get them during chick season (March-June). We have a long winter, so I don’t want to get them in Fall... but I know that it’s going to be a race to get the chicks. They sell out quickly when it’s spring!
What are you guys thinking?

 

[mamamage]

i'm getting a batch october 15th! they'll be ready to go out way before it gets cold here in south carolina! i would do it!

 

[BantyChooks]

Hi everyone!
I feel like I’m always waiting for chicks to come in the mail. And yeah, once again I changed the schedule.
The original plan was to get some chicks in September, but now I’m thinking to get them during chick season (March-June). We have a long winter, so I don’t want to get them in Fall... but I know that it’s going to be a race to get the chicks. They sell out quickly when it’s spring!
What are you guys thinking?

Upstate NY? Or more southern? I hatched chicks once in August. Never doing that again. They almost died, and one lost her feet. They just weren't filled out enough in feathering and body flesh to withstand the winter. I thought they were, so they didn't have any heat. I would definitely wait for spring, unless of course overwintering chickens in your house sounds like fun. It isn't, by the way.

 

[AnimalGeek23]

I’m more towards southern NY. It gets sort of chilly around October...
But I’ll be brooding them indoors, and the average temp is around 65-70 degrees. They’re going to be day old when I get them.

 

[BantyChooks]

I’m more towards southern NY. It gets sort of chilly around October...
But I’ll be brooding them indoors, and the average temp is around 65-70 degrees. They’re going to be day old when I get them.

Yes, but then you're going to need to put them outside, and you can't just plunk them from 70* into 20* or 10*. It takes longer than you think for them to be very cold-hardy---being in southern NY might make it more feasible, though. Any way you can get heat outside safely to allow them to adjust once indoor brooding is over?

 

[MillersFarm]

It gets into the negatives where I live and i've successfully raised chicks in the winter before. I had an order of 62 chicks come in November the 13th and had no losses. I had 3 heat lamps hung up and gave them little space for them to escape the heat lamp for the first 2 weeks, After that I let them have full run of their brooding pen (8x8) And still no losses.

 

[BantyChooks]

It gets into the negatives where I live and i've successfully raised chicks in the winter before. I had an order of 62 chicks come in November the 13th and had no losses. I had 3 heat lamps hung up and gave them little space for them to escape the heat lamp for the first 2 weeks, After that I let them have full run of their brooding pen (8x8) And still no losses.
View attachment 1515858

Impressive.

My birds were okay until -40C.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

but I know that it’s going to be a race to get the chicks. They sell out quickly when it’s spring!
What are you guys thinking?

If you know what you want, order early! Depends on the hatchery but most will accept orders in January/February for later hatches.
Never hurts to ask to be put on the list for next year's hatch if there is a breed that you really want, but be prepared for them to want to ship to you at an early date. You may still have cold weather when they are ready.

Alternatively, buy hatching eggs and hatch when you are ready.

Just a thought.

 

[True Patriot]

It really comes down to how well equipped you are to care for them. If you have a big enough and warm enough place then they should be fine. If you're going to keep them in a brooder for 2 weeks and then put them outside I would say your chances are low. To me the real question is " how much time and money are you willing to spend making it successful?" Chicks "can" be raised year round. If your equipment and budget will support a cold weather brood, I would go ahead and try. If you have any doubt about what you have succeeding, it may be better to wait.

 

[MillersFarm]

I'm close to Buffalo NY and it's gotten up to -29C before, Although I do agree it's a very long process taking away the heat lamps once they've out grown their brooding pen. I usually just move them into their coops and keep the heat lamps on(In the coop) 24/7 for the first couple of weeks, Then I keep them off during the days and turn them on only during the night (Depending on how cold it is) and by the time I take away the heat lamps permanently it's already starting to get warmer. Around February-March)