Seasons, can someone explain????

[nccatnip]

I am looking around for some day old chicks and have been ready to place an order twice. The hatcheries are now telling me they are out for the season.
Questions:
What determines the "season"?
are seasons breed related?
Do seasons vary by region? (I am being told the southern states have my breeds)
How long are seasons?

Seems I got lulled into a false sense of time with our summer running so hot now am afraid I will not be able to get chicks to raise until next spring.
Feed back appreciate.

 

[lurky]

Maybe you could start watching on craigslist or call around to some farms to find some.

 

[KFDiesel]

I think the season has to do with the fact that hens need about 16 hours of sunlight a day for laying. The reason is that they are ingrained with the fact that as the sunlight hours become less it will soon be cold and if the little ones dont have enought time to incubate and get a full body of feathers they'll die. Based on this most people dont buy chicks till spring. So theres not much demand. So the people and companies who incubate them and sell them- dont. Hope this helps. Im not always great at explaining.

 

[justusnak]

nccatnip....what breeds are you looking for? Im sure there is a BYC member on here somewhere that might have what you " need" Or, eggs you can hatch! Most people dont like to get little ones so late in the year, because the cost of keeping them housed properly, through the winter. Most of the time, in your house...maybe untill spring! LOL Better start makeing those stockings for the little ones...getting them now, they will be in the house for Christmas morning...and will expect presents! LOL

 

[PurpleChicken]

Try http://www.meyerhatchery.com/
I've used them and like them. They have chicks now.

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
I think what you are asking can be answered simply.

Many people who raise chickens get their yearly batch of chicks in the spring so that by fall they are ready to lay and/or processed for meat. So the big 'season' for chicks is spring and summer. Warmer weather less immediate care needed, most things thrive and grow in this 'season'.

Some hatcheries do not keep large stocks of chicks as the seasons progress into winter because not as many people are liable to order hundreds of chicks at a time. Raising chicks in the winter means having around the clock heat, prevention for freezing water, etc.

In the south were temps are warmer longer the hatcheries are more apt to have a wider variety of chicks available now than say the far northern regions. Chicken people in the south have a longer time to get their chickens up to good size and feathered out before cold weather sets in.

I hope this explains it for you.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

You all have explained it very well to her....

 

[nccatnip]

Quote:
I think what you are asking can be answered simply.

Many people who raise chickens get their yearly batch of chicks in the spring so that by fall they are ready to lay and/or processed for meat. So the big 'season' for chicks is spring and summer. Warmer weather less immediate care needed, most things thrive and grow in this 'season'.

Some hatcheries do not keep large stocks of chicks as the seasons progress into winter because not as many people are liable to order hundreds of chicks at a time. Raising chicks in the winter means having around the clock heat, prevention for freezing water, etc.

In the south were temps are warmer longer the hatcheries are more apt to have a wider variety of chicks available now than say the far northern regions. Chicken people in the south have a longer time to get their chickens up to good size and feathered out before cold weather sets in.

I hope this explains it for you.

Thanks sooooooooo much for the explaination. That was what I suspected, but wanted to confirm.
And to the others that responded, thank also. I have contacted some BYC'ers, and am going to order eggs. Meyer is one that is already out of what I wanted.
As far as wintering them, I am lucky enough to have a small concrete work shop that can easily be turned into a nursery.