Hatching seasons?

[johnnalei]

Can you hatch year round? I live in the Northwest...are there times of year you can't/shouldn't hatch eggs? What would chickens do if left to their own devices (rooster in the flock, allowed to brood the eggs)? I don't have a rooster and I hatch eggs in my incubator, so I know technically I can hatch eggs any time. I'm hoping to do a round of eggs starting after a vacation in early to mid September. Is this a bad idea?

 

[DUccleDude]

If you have a way to keep the chicks warm until they can go out in the cold, you can hatch anytime.

 

[Akane]

You can hatch whenever but you might have chickens in the house until they are several months old. Generally both people and hens hatch chicks in the spring or early summer so they have plenty of time to grow up before winter and then start laying well come spring. Chickens stop laying in the winter especially in cold climates so they have few if any eggs to hatch and rarely go broody. You can hatch any time the logistics of raising the chicks are just more difficult during winter unless you're in a warm area.

 

[johnnalei]

That's kind of what I was thinking. Thanks for the advice