Is it too late to set another batch?

[frillydishes]

Howdy y'all! I've usually set, hatched, and harvested my lot for the year by the fall but I lost a clutch of 20 this summer and it's left the freezer a bit cavernous. I'm wondering if I can still get in a small hatch or if I just need to wait. I'm in central Tx so our winter doesn't really start till Christmas but it'll be wet and reasonably chilly from now till then. The gator and brooder are in the house andi can keep them till they're flying around the room! I could manage some extra shelter and heat, but are there any risks other than the cold? Any suggestions on making it successful? Thanks!

 

[AmericanMom]

Howdy y'all! I've usually set, hatched, and harvested my lot for the year by the fall but I lost a clutch of 20 this summer and it's left the freezer a bit cavernous. I'm wondering if I can still get in a small hatch or if I just need to wait. I'm in central Tx so our winter doesn't really start till Christmas but it'll be wet and reasonably chilly from now till then. The gator and brooder are in the house andi can keep them till they're flying around the room! I could manage some extra shelter and heat, but are there any risks other than the cold? Any suggestions on making it successful? Thanks!

Here in Oregon we have turned wet and chilly and I just hatched out my (I think to be) last batch of the year, as long as they have a dry area with a heat lamp for the first 4-6 weeks they should be fine... We have a large shed we use for a rabbit hutch, we butchered all the young ones a few weeks ago which left us with just the four breeders, we converted half the shed to the chick brooder, in a couple more weeks we will give them a small run outside that they can go in and out of.. I am a firm believer in if they are protected they will be fine

 

[frillydishes]

Good to know!! Thanks!

 

[Aphrael]

I agree. As long as they are protected and they have a warm spot until they fully feather, they'll be fine. I was part of the NYD hatchalong this year, so I had a batch of chicks while we still had some pretty nasty weather going on here in Texas. They all did perfectly fine. A key thing to remember is that you don't have to try to heat their entire enclosure. They are better off if you don't. Just have one area that is warmed, just big enough that they can all retreat to it at once if need be. What I did for my NYD babes was have a small room that had a heat lamp in one corner, and I placed their water and feed near that to keep it from freezing. then they had a small outdoor run, tarped over to keep out the snow and ice. They DID stay in the small indoor brooder until about 3 or 4 weeks old, before I moved them out to that setup though.

 

[frillydishes]

Thanks so much! I was wondering about heat and if I should keep them in the barn so that helps solve that. We have a 2 sided coop so we can separate chickens for various reasons but most of them are free range. I think I can get their light and a big box and make a warm spot and that ought to be just fine.

I agree.  As long as they are protected and they have a warm spot until they fully feather, they'll be fine.  I was part of the NYD hatchalong this year, so I had a batch of chicks while we still had some pretty nasty weather going on here in Texas.  They all did perfectly fine.  A key thing to remember is that you don't have to try to heat their entire enclosure.  They are better off if you don't.  Just have one area that is warmed, just big enough that they can all retreat to it at once if need be.  What I did for my NYD babes was have a small room that had a heat lamp in one corner, and I placed their water and feed near that to keep it from freezing.  then they had a small outdoor run, tarped over to keep out the snow and ice.  They DID stay in the small indoor brooder until about 3 or 4 weeks old, before I moved them out to that setup though.

 

[Aphrael]

Thanks so much! I was wondering about heat and if I should keep them in the barn so that helps solve that. We have a 2 sided coop so we can separate chickens for various reasons but most of them are free range. I think I can get their light and a big box and make a warm spot and that ought to be just fine.

Sounds like a good plan to me!

I'm actually planning to start gathering eggs at the end of this month to start incubating, so I'll be doing the winter baby thing again too.

 

[frillydishes]

Sounds like a good plan to me!

I'm actually planning to start gathering eggs at the end of this month to start incubating, so I'll be doing the winter baby thing again too.  

Most of my girls are molting and my roo looks completely ridiculous right now but I've got I've got 1 EE that just started laying late last month and I really like her temperament. She's much more inquisitive than the others, I want more of her! I've only got 2 laying so it'll probably only be a batch of 15 or so eggs over the next week but it's something!

If you're planning on gathering the end of the month that makes me want to fire up the second bater and go for 2 more...what is it about this incubation thing that's so darn addictive!?

 

[Aphrael]

Most of my girls are molting and my roo looks completely ridiculous right now but I've got I've got 1 EE that just started laying late last month and I really like her temperament. She's much more inquisitive than the others, I want more of her! I've only got 2 laying so it'll probably only be a batch of 15 or so eggs over the next week but it's something!

If you're planning on gathering the end of the month that makes me want to fire up the second bater and go for 2 more...what is it about this incubation thing that's so darn addictive!?

I don't know but it certainly is!

I have to wait till the end of the month to gather because I just separated out the extra roo at the first of the month, and I want to be sure the chicks are from the one that I left in with the hens. Well, that and I'm still finishing up my beast of an incubator and seeing what kinks I'll need to iron out before setting.

ETA: If any of my EE's were more inquisitive and less flighty, I'd want to reproduce them too!

Sadly, all the ones I have act like I'm some crazy leper come to murder them whenever I get near.