We live in Minnesota & last year ordered our first batch of brown egg layers. We were first timer and did this for my daughter's 4H project. Needed them laying by mid-July so had to get them in February.
I got LOTS of good info from the site here and set up a brooder system with two dryer boxes from our local appliance store (also a 4H supporter!). They came in the mail - we notified the post office and in turn called us by 6:30 am so we could pick them up. My husband picked them up with my daughter & came back to the house, wiped butts, offered the electrolyte water and all was good. We only lost one (they shipped 26) and it seemed like a runt. The girls took precident in the garage and by May they were in there out door coop and done great since then. We worked hard to keep them at the 95 degrees and drop 5 degrees over each week. We are trying to figure out what our next order will be so we can start getting ready!
We are waiting for our meaties for spring and then can put them in our back garage - not insulated & then not such a risk of cold temps. We did do a batch of 25 meaties last summer from beginning of August to mid October. Those we got from a local feed store. Again, they came in the little box & we did the same proceedure as the layers with 95 degrees in a large tub in our porch this time. Didn't loose any - found a good nearby processor and after 10 weeks had beautiful plump juicy chicken in our freezer. They said we had nice birds. We are ready to do those again too.
One thing we are lucky with - we live in a smaller town and know the postal people. Maybe others don't have that benefit to have such early notice when the chicks arrive to the PO. Good luck!
