Did anyone else raise chicks over the winter?

[lengel]

My pullets were born in October and are thriving. I expect high production from them shortly. Is there an advantage to getting chicks in the spring?

 

[Mahonri]

I hatched out 12 on February 21st, they should arrive at laying age the end of June/first of July... HOT time in Phoenix and not condusive to egg laying.

Next time I'm hatching out in September or October.

 

[SunAngel]

My last hatchery order came from Ideal in mid September. The Barred Rock in the group just started laying yesterday, she's the first one. I have had chicks in the brooder all Winter also. I hatched some, got some from another BYC'r and got some at the local poultry auction.

My first chicks came last May and started laying right before it got cold. Then they either slowed down on laying or quit all together. So I only got a month or less of eggs from them. I am pretty sure my Barred Rock that just started laying, will continue to lay til she molts.

Out of the two experiences, I think I prefer raising the chicks in the Winter. My only complaint would be having to run the heat lamps a lot longer, due to the cold. The chicks gave us something to do during the long Winter days.

 

[lengel]

Quote:
I hear you. I grew up in Phoenix but not with chickens.

We deal with frozen eggs here in MA during the winter. Do you get hard boiled during the summer?

 

[lengel]

Quote:
We didn't do heat lamps this year. We put our 12 pullets in a chicken tractor designed for 8 adults. They did great. I think it was because they could roost in a confined, sheltered space with ventilation that didn't detract from the overall heat situation. We're going to split them between two tractors next week.

Edit to say: we raised them indoors until they were ten weeks with heat lamps until they were 7-8 weeks old. After we put them in the tractor though, they were just fine.

 

[Fredster]

Quote:
We got hatchery chicks in November, and hatched out a batch about 3 weeks ago. And, since it's technically still winter, we also have a batch hatching right now.

The only thing that was a downside to having winter chicks was that I had to keep them inside almost all the time. I really like to make a small "playpen" so I can get them outside as soon as possible (because I'm a softie who likes them to have as much space as possible) and I couldn't do that nearly as much over the winter.

The other good thing about spring chicks is that I can turn the heat lamp off during the day a lot of times, or use the 125-watt one instead of the 250. It saves a few pennies.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I got chicks last October from Ideal and hatched out 10 more babies here about the same time, I had around 27 some chicks in the house. The bantam EE's i got from ideal are starting to lay already, that is about the only benefit to raising chicks in the winter. My house is full of chickens and chicks as well as the garage. I have to say i will never do it again. It was quite expensive having several heat lamps on the brooders in the garage.

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

We had 9 hatch in Oct and 2 of them where roosters, so they found new homes (Our Nikki wouldnt like having another rooster around) But the rest of them are doing great, and 3 of them have laid eggs!!! I just put the last 2"teen ager" chicks out in the coop with the flock tonight (in the seperate area so they can get use to the flock) and the other 5 moved out of the seperation area and are mixed in with our original flock just fine. I think chicks can be, and should be raised all year long...if you can do it. Our extra bedroom is now "the nursery" thats where the GopherBator is, and the primary brooder (rubermaid container) , then from there they go to the brooder in the garage, then when they start to hit their heads on the lid they go to the "teen enclosure" in the main coop for 2 weeks, and then after that they just mix right in with the original flock.

We have chickens in every area right now, and some due to hatch on the 17th, and I think we are getting 20 more chicks soon.


~Tiff~

 

[DawnSuiter]

Interesting thread!
I was considering strongly a hatch in September to brood over the winter so that the MOMENT spring starts to come around I'll have laying pullets to sell, while everyone else is selling chicks.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

I brooded 15 from November 7th on. I live north of the Mason Dixon line and mine are thriving. They are 4 months old now and ready to move in with the big girls. I did keep a red light on them most of the winter (just in case). The only problem with that is that if the light was not on...they would not go inside to roost. Silly chickens!