chicks this time of year in Indiana

[bosoxbratt]

Hi there
I have several q's lol
1. I found out we could get some chicks with in the next week or so or wait till a local farmer has some chicks (in the spring) What is the best time to get into having chickens? I am new to this as in first time ever having a chicken that I don't even have yet new LOL

Hubby thinks we should wait till the spring cause we were told they could get frost bite in the winter? My concern with this is we are taking a vac in April and if we get the chicks in March-april they wont be around us for almost a week and not sure that is fair to them? We do have some one lined up to watch our other critters just not sure what the young chicks will need ? Any info would be appreciated TY

 

[Happy Chooks]

Do you have a coop for them? They grow REALLY fast, so you need to be sure that you have a place to put them.

The chicks will need a warm, draft free place with a heat lamp. This can be anything from a cardboard box to an old dog crate. Be prepared to have some wire or something to go over the top. Their wing feathers come in first and I had some at a little over a week that could fly out. The area they are in should be 95 degrees the first week and decrease 5 degrees each week until they are fully feathered. Also make sure they have an area to get away from the heat if they get too hot.

Water and of course, chick starter.

 

[bosoxbratt]

TY I am sooooo torn with when to get these chicks :-( I don't know if it is better to ait or not to and don't want them to get frost bite but if they are in a coop that is sheltered wouldnt that protect them so they won't get frost bite?

 

[wundernurse]

Although I'm not in a cold climate, I am trying to decide to get some chicks now, or wait until spring. I already have a coop with 2 girls in it, and I have done the brooder thing before. You just need to keep them warm for 6-8 weeks until they are completely feathered. One thought in support of doing it now is that when spring comes and the days are longer, they will just be starting to lay as opposed to getting chicks in the spring and they will start to lay at the end of summer and beginning of fall. Just a thought.

 

[Happy Chooks]

If you have a heat lamp for them, they will stay where it is warm. As long as it's draft free. (still need ventilation though)

And yes, if you get them now, you will have eggs come spring. If you wait, no eggs until summer's over.

 

[beckt]

Unless you have a heated coop, wait till spring. If you keep them in the house till they feather and then put them out side in the winter with no heat you run a big risk of loosing them to the cold. JMHO I would never get chicks this late in the season here in Indiana.

 

[Mahonri]

I had to smile today, I was driving down Osborn Road and saw a mother hen with at least 6 or 7 little chicks. I'm certain she hatched them out and for all I know it could be her 2nd or 3rd batch this year!

I love AZ.

 

[gkeesling]

I live in East Central Indiana and started my first chicks in November last year. I read that they wouldn't start laying until around 25 weeks old, and if I got them in the spring, they wuoldn't be laying much over the summer which is the prime laying time. so, I got 12 chicks in november and set up their box and heat lamp in my garage (unheated garage). When they got to be about 3 weeks old I moved them out to the barn (with a heat lamp). Then at about 5 weeks when they were fully feathered I moved them out to the coop. I had a read heat lamp on a temperature cube that turned the lamp on at 32 degrees and off at 45 degrees. The whole process worked for me. I didn't lose any chicks and the started laying the last of April/first of May.

 

[bosoxbratt]

thanks to all who have replied
Hubby wants to wait till we come back from Disneyworld in April so that we can take care of them and not have to worry about anyone else having to take care of them :-( the pics on this website are REALLY hard to take when I should wait till Spring!!! LOL

I am a huge animal lover and like a kid at Christmas time LOL But I will TRY to wait it out till spring which I guess will give us time to learn about all the different types of chicks and decide on which is best for us as we want to make sure we get some that are good for kids as we have a 5 year old daughter who is almost as excited as I am LOL
Thanks again