pros and cons of an autumn hatch?

[Perris]

I assume given you free range they have cover spots.

of course their favourite covered places are the front and back door porches...so pooh on the doormats and all round the door when it's wet

How many eggs were you thinking of giving her?

I was thinking about getting some Barbezieux, so it would be 6 (the quantity they are sold in)

 

[Shadrach]

and yours live very naturally, so it is natural then, contra my assumption?

I don't know how much climate influences the hens breeding strategy. The pullets here tend to start laying early spring if they haven't been laying over the winter which some do, particularly the bantams. The Marans and mixed don't tend to get into gear until summer; the older the later it seems.
I haven't had any try to sit during the winter here so I assume they know what they're doing.

 

[aart]

Had a hen hatch in Jan/Feb...temps were frigid, way below freezing most the time.
Luckily hatch day was above freezing.
It worked out OK, but never again.
I think with your temps she'll be fine, just keep her dry.

 

[Perris]

even more surprising! OK, thanks all, I'm persuaded...here we go again to broodyland...

 

[aart]

even more surprising! OK, thanks all, I'm persuaded...here we go again to broodyland...

It was crazy...my first broody (that I let hatch).
Hey... if you've got room for more birds, and she's willing, go for it!

 

[Don 27]

Last year we bought chicks from Myers hatchery around this time of year. A mother hen adopted the chicks and protect them from the weather, the chicks were in laying by April.

 

[NNYchick]

My silkies don’t pay attention to the weather forecast and will hatch all year if I let them. I’ve had march hatch and end of October hatch both did well with broody in my unheated coop. The October hatch was well feathered by the time below zero temperatures appear in late December and the broody stayed with them and the flock snuggled them too. The only issue was I had to deal with changing out frozen water because I couldn’t use my heated dog bowl for fear the chicks would fall in.
I liked hatching in the fall because I can grow them all out without hormone issues from the young cockerels and by spring I can sex them and easy to sell excess as pairs or trios to find homes for the boys plus I can get more for them. But depending on your breed, silkies are slow to mature don’t sex or mature till 6 months old, so it works for me.

 

[Perris]

thanks NNYchick;

easy to sell excess as pairs or trios to find homes for the boys

that's really useful info because if she hatches all under her I will need to sell some on!