Should I reconsider?

[cibula11]

We finally have fertilized eggs from our rooster. I'd love to start incubating but obviously heading into winter makes me nervous. Should I just remain patient and wait till spring or is it a good idea to start incubating them now?

 

[FortCluck]

We finally have fertilized eggs from our rooster. I'd love to start incubating but obviously heading into winter makes me nervous. Should I just remain patient and wait till spring or is it a good idea to start incubating them now?

It depends on your location...

If you have harsh winters or cold winters I would not incubate any eggs until you get warmer weather.

 

[cibula11]

It depends on your location...

If you have harsh winters or cold winters I would not incubate any eggs until you get warmer weather.

Uh..Iowa....so maybe wait then I guess.

 

[FortCluck]

Yeah I'd wait... I'm in Virginia and I have some hatching on Sunday, I also have 21 chicks that are 19 days old. Our weather is 60 during the day and 35 at night, but I have a 250 watt heat bulb in their big coop.

The chicks were inside for a little bit, but trust me they get insanely dusty because all of their down is coming off and it creates a ton of dust! No matter what you do there's dust.

I will never do chicks in the winter again after this experience!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

We finally have fertilized eggs from our rooster. I'd love to start incubating but obviously heading into winter makes me nervous. Should I just remain patient and wait till spring or is it a good idea to start incubating them now?

Are your birds still young or you just added a rooster?

As mentioned above... it all depends on you, your set up, and goals.

Some of us hatch ALL winter so we can get spring layers.

Or some of us, all year... because um... chicken math!

Have a plan (and if possible a stag pen) for your extra boys that hatch.

ETA: air scrubber using a box fan with some heppa filters situated can make be of great use...

 

[FortCluck]

I had to buy an air purifier for my house to help with it If you have a barn or something you might be able to do it if you put a heat bulb with them.

If you get snow, I would not do it because it's just going to be rough on you and on them. That's if you have a barn or somewhere you can put them. If you have them in your house you will just have an insane amount of dust!

 

[Kiki]

Do you have an incubator?
If so learn it well before you set eggs.
Make sure you buy a thermometer or three and calibrate them.
Same with a humidity gauge...salt test one.

 

[FortCluck]

Are your birds still young or you just added a rooster?

As mentioned above... it all depends on you, your set up, and goals.

Some of us hatch ALL winter so we can get spring layers.

Or some of us, all year... because um... chicken math!

Have a plan (and if possible a stag pen) for your extra boys that hatch.

I did mine in the winter because I want some layers for the spring. I need to add more girls to my flock. Ones that can handle my Jersey Giants!

 

[cibula11]

Are your birds still young or you just added a rooster?

Both. We added new chicks this past spring along with 7 or so older laying hens. Now we have several that are laying fertilized eggs. We do a have a barn and yes, I am aware of the mess young birds create. I guess getting rid of the chicks we don't want might be more challenging in the winter too, so that's something I didn't consider.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Agree with the above Kiki and FortCluck, I will be waiting until closer to spring and I am further south than you are. Spend some time setting up your incubator and checking it. It only takes 21 days for them to hatch so make sure you have some place to put them once they feather out(4-5 weeks after hatch). Good luck...