is now the right time?

[rooster lover 119]

i know that your supposed to wait till spring but we're eager to get some babies! the hens seem ready. but will the eggs survive through this weather? i live in Washington and we just got a snow storm about 4 inches but now the snow is just spots around our yard and its about in the mid 40's here. so i was wondering if we can have chicks yet. let me know! thanks!

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

It willl all ddepend on your brooder set up. If you can maintain sufficient temperature in an enclosed area that is draft free yet ventilated, then you should have no problem having chicks this time of year. If you could keep them in a garage or insulated shed or even in the house for the first 5-6 weeks that would be best.

 

[Arielle]

2x

I'm in Massachusetts and we've had a bitter winter. I almost canceled our order of 25 from the hatchery due Feb 7th!

I was very worried . . . Decided to go for it because the brooder is well protected in my kitchen, location of wood stove and the oven which we use a lot.
Now that the chicks have arrived, the room temp is usually about 70. We are careful at this time to keep the wood stove filled and not let the room temp drop much. AND I started with 2 brooder lights (250 watts, red bulbs) because the kitchen temp decreases and bottoms out by morning. As I gained confidence in my set up and ability to control the brooder temp, at 2 wks old, I change the set up to 1 bulb during the day and 2 at night. Now at 3 weeks (2x their original size and more feathered) I have removed the 2nd red light to give to new born lambs out in the barn.
My sister lives in Seattle, so I know just a little about your weather. More moderate than here. With some planning and preparation AND some modifications as needed along the way, mine are fairing well, I think. The best gauge seems to be the birds: they tell me if they are cold, hot or just right: huddled in a tight grouping, spread out with wings up and heavy breathing, or groups here and there uniformly spread out. THis is my first time brooding and it's been a great learning experience!
Hope you enjoy it ,too!

 

[rooster lover 119]

Thanks for the great story and good luck with your chickens!

 

[melody123]

I have 4 momma hens that already have 30 chicks combined, one showed up with a dozen chicks when it was in the twenties outside. The chicks are currently 4-6 weeks old and now I have two more broody hens.

If the momma hens can keep their chicks alive through all the funky weather that we've been having (temps in the teens), then I think that a human with electricity could keep a few chicks alive.