chicks in the winter?

[beckysaur]

Hi.
I'm hoping to get three baby chicks sometime soon for my backyard coop. Is it unwise to get them so close to winter? Someone recommended that I wait until spring, because the cold weather is too hard on them at such a young age. I live in Portland, Oregon so it doesn't get super cold.
Thanks for any advice!
becky

 

[Sequin]

I am relatively new to chickens, but have learned a lot here on this forum. If you keep the chicks inside until they are fully feathered and then slowly acclimatize them to the outside you should be fine. But I would not put new baby chicks outside at this time. Even in Portland, OR. The weather we have been having has been unpredictable and is suprisingly cold right now.

 

[Mrs MIA]

I'm in the process of hatching out chicks now. This morning it was 18°F... it's 39°F now, and it snowed most of the day. But I have a brooder for the chicks, and a grow-out pen where I can keep a heat lamp for them, so they'll be fine. If you can give them the space and the heat, then you don't have to wait until Spring. Most people don't want to have to worry about keeping babies warm in the winter, so they wait.

 

[scooby]

my chicks are 7 weeks and i just put them out side a week ago but the weather has been wacky this year and it is suprisingly cool for this time of year where we are so i plan on having to keep a heat lamp on hand and running during the winter and snow.... what a pain it is...if i where you i would wait till spring.. unless you have the space,like a garage or some place warm to keep them through winter, and are willing to put up with the heat lamp and big tinybopper chicks running around....i had mine in the house in a large rabbit cage and by the time they were 4 weeks i was ready to kick them out.they grow large and turn from chick to chickens fast....but this was my first time, i'm a newbie to the chick world and i asked the same question back in august... i plan on getting more in the spring...

 

[Jamie821]

I hatch all year and if you are set up for it it is no problem. I keep my chicks in the house until 6 weeks then start taking them out in warmer days and bringing them in at night. After they are fully feathered out I have a house for them and a run but the house has a heat lamp on a thermostat that turns it on automatically at a certain temp. Works well for me. If it is a few chicks should not be to bad but if a large amount I think I would wait for spring.

 

[cmom]

I usually get my chicks the first of Oct. and they usually start laying in February. I have had some start laying at 17 weeks and others at 27 weeks. I put a red heat lamp in the coop on in cold weather. I live in Florida so I don't think I really need to sometimes, but when it gets below 40 degrees here, their lamp goes on. I do have insulation in my coop. It gets cold enough that sometimes my bird baths freeze. Just make sure initally until they feather out to keep them warm. I have the heat lamp in one place so they can move as close of far as they want. I have some week olds in the brooder right now.

 

[beckysaur]

Thanks for all the advice.
I am planning on keeping them in my basement when they are babies, but then I was hoping to move them outside.... hm.
Any more perspectives would be appreciated.