Help, is it too late in the year?

[kalaim]

I had ordered some pullets that were to be delivered to be mid September and now the farmer bailed on me!!

They were to be 8 week old, I had wanted to skip the chick stage.

But now I'm back to square one, and thinking maybe I will order some chicks.

Is it too late? I live in Wisconsin, at best I would get the chicks here by October, maybe the first week or so.

Would I be able to get them outside for winter etc?

I'm really mad, but now kind of excited looking at www.mypetchicken.com and seeing all the different breeds I could order, maybe it won't be so bad.

But I'm so mad that I'm set back a few months now, I could have ordered them in July, when I placed my pullet order!!

Thanks for any info!!

 

[ChickenToes]

You can still order chicks. You would have to keep them in a brooder with a lamp for heat until they are fully feathered. Then they could go outside into a draft-free, insulated coop. They would still need the lamp for heat for awhile, especially at night.

It's a bit more work than ordering them in the spring, but it can be done!

 

[swampducks]

Do what ChickenToes said and you could do it. I couldn't I wouldn't have the patience or the space all winter. As it is I've got about 80 - 7 week old chicks and guineas and I wish they were older because half will be in my garage where my car ought to be till almost Christmas. And I found out that the Amish won't process birds that late in the year.

I am doomed.

 

[SandraMort]

ok, so I'm getting my next shipment of birds on October 2nd, so maybe I could get another batch for the brooder six weeks later? No, that's probably really pushing it. But but but... I wanna! I could do more meaties November -> March, then another batch March -> June!