*** Is there an ideal time of year (I'm in Florida) to have chicks?

[mariel37]

I am ahead of schedule in thinking about this probably, as we JUST got our first egg yesterday! A beautiful tan/pinkish egg - not sure who layed it as we have 8 hens, different breeds. They are all about 6 months old and I bought them at 2-3 days old.

But, I have already been asked a lot about the one egg - is it fertilized? Are you going to have a chick? Are you going to eat it?


It's sitting in my refrigerator right now! So here is a new phase of learning about my flock I need to get into.

Eggs ... eating the eggs ... when NOT to eat the eggs ...

And if we wanted to add to our flock in the future, is there a good - better - not so good time of year (in Central Florida) to start this process? It is incredibly hot and humid here now.

Experiences, thoughts and opinions welcome!

Thanks.

Beth

 

[lucyboo]

ok... i just started my broody laying on fertilized eggs and it is temp. 93-100 and plus humidity its probably 13 degrees higher! we are not super new to egg and chicken world but i do know now that if my broody can stay on the 6 eggs for 20 more days than i am sure yours can! lol i am hoping ours hatch but if not then there is always another time! i hope you enjoy your chickens and hopefully sometime i will hear that you decited to hatch some chicks! lol good luck!

 

[midnightandshadow]

i would try to keep the wind (if there is any) and rain (again if there is any) from getting to them. i have researched it and there is no certan time that would be ideal to have baby chicks they should do fine. hope everything goes well!

 

[blazensasha]

I live in Fl also,I hatch fuzzies almost year round.Brood them in the house and then move them to one of the coops.I have 4 batches of 7 to 13 various ages going right now,as long as you have some place to house and protect them through each stage they'll be fine.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

The ideal time would be in later winter or early spring so that the pullets will come into lay and have sized up their eggs to large by the time the older birds are going into molt and slowing or stopping their production for the season. They'll lay strong through the summer, fall, winter, and through the spring then go into molt. Which is when you repeat the whole cycle over again with new birds.