If I put eggs in the bator now ...

[GrannySue]

... will the chicks be feathered out enough to live outside in a temperate (Pacific Northwest) winter? Henhouse isn't heated. My 3 youngest who hatched July 1 last year were fine over the winter last year.

(I'm asking because I reallyshould put my bator away ...

 

[Wynette]

It takes 8 weeks for them to feather out....add the 3 weeks to incubate them, so that would be 11 weeks from now, or mid to late October. You really can't just put them right out, either, but if you have a heat lamp, you could put them out under the lamp for a few weeks until they harden off, so to speak.