Don't ask me, I hatched all winter last year. My DH was tired of half grown chickens in the basement.
When Is IT TOOOOOO Late to Hatch Chicks before Winter??
- Thread starter MamaDragon
- Start date
Quote:
I don't use an extra heat source until the temps in the coop get into the low teens. Remember they will come to rely on the heat source and will be in trouble if you loose electricity. Plus it makes them a weaker bird-immune system wise.
I don't use an extra heat source until the temps in the coop get into the low teens. Remember they will come to rely on the heat source and will be in trouble if you loose electricity. Plus it makes them a weaker bird-immune system wise.
Mine had been in the garage and DH 'wants his garage back'. So I know the peeps wo't be inside beyond 4 weeks...
Quote:
it depends on the breed, my RIR's were fully feathered in 4 weeks and they were out in the coop at the end of week 4 with no issues
it depends on the breed, my RIR's were fully feathered in 4 weeks and they were out in the coop at the end of week 4 with no issues
As long as you can keep them warm and away from drafts, they'll be fine. Neither of my coops have electricity. We run an extension cord from the coop to an outside plug-in on the garage or house so we can have a lamp inside the coop. You can also stack hay inside the coop as insulation. I'm planning on hatching some this winter so we have fresh chicken this spring.
I like hatching chicks in August or September. They will be big enough to handle the colder weather and you can feed them all Winter without bemoaning the fact that you are not getting eggs. Good justification, their only 4 months old,after al. Then by the time Spring hits,Yhey're ready to produce.I am in Tn.
Chickens are not typically fully feathered until at least 6-8 weeks old. They may appear feathered sooner, however if you look them over closely there are still downy spots under those wings which need to fill in before exposing them to temps below 70.
They need all feathers to maintain their own body temps, but also remember that they need time to acclimate to severe drops in temperatures. You are putting them at risk of stress and health conditions if you throw a 6-8 week old chook out in 40 degree temps without proper acclimation time.
The rule of thumb is by 6 weeks, they should be able to handle approx 70 degrees. So if your lows are around 70 at that time and you put them out they should do fine. Then as temps start to gradually decline, they are aging and fluctuating their own body temps to match the environment.
Now there are exceptions, especially in warmer climates where they do not need to worry as much about drastic changes in outdoor temps. But I know for up here we can go from 70 degrees to 40 degrees in a single day...sometimes less than a day. What is most important is timing and having a backup plan if things don't go as planned. Be prepared to monitor your flock, especially youngsters during season changes (and at all times for that matter).
We hatch year round here as well, but we also have nurseries set up with electricity and heat lamps to introduce youngsters to the outdoors during fall/winter if necessary. They are gradually weaned off of it by regularly increasing the height of the heat source to allow them increasingly lower temps.
I agree on the statement if you live in a cold climate it is not good to regularly heat your adult coops. Chickens can acclimate well to your environment if you do it right. Offering extra heat is not wise and defeats the goal of a strong thriving flock. Not to mention if you have a power outage and they get stressed by the cold because they are not used to it.
Not everyone is set up to handle winter hatching or raising babies during winter. It is always best to do what is right for your particular situation, regardless of what works for others. Know what you can handle and determine if you have space to move them back inside if necessary (this is especially important for freezing climates). If you can't, then it's probably not a good idea to hatch late in the season.
Jody
They need all feathers to maintain their own body temps, but also remember that they need time to acclimate to severe drops in temperatures. You are putting them at risk of stress and health conditions if you throw a 6-8 week old chook out in 40 degree temps without proper acclimation time.
The rule of thumb is by 6 weeks, they should be able to handle approx 70 degrees. So if your lows are around 70 at that time and you put them out they should do fine. Then as temps start to gradually decline, they are aging and fluctuating their own body temps to match the environment.
Now there are exceptions, especially in warmer climates where they do not need to worry as much about drastic changes in outdoor temps. But I know for up here we can go from 70 degrees to 40 degrees in a single day...sometimes less than a day. What is most important is timing and having a backup plan if things don't go as planned. Be prepared to monitor your flock, especially youngsters during season changes (and at all times for that matter).
We hatch year round here as well, but we also have nurseries set up with electricity and heat lamps to introduce youngsters to the outdoors during fall/winter if necessary. They are gradually weaned off of it by regularly increasing the height of the heat source to allow them increasingly lower temps.
I agree on the statement if you live in a cold climate it is not good to regularly heat your adult coops. Chickens can acclimate well to your environment if you do it right. Offering extra heat is not wise and defeats the goal of a strong thriving flock. Not to mention if you have a power outage and they get stressed by the cold because they are not used to it.
Not everyone is set up to handle winter hatching or raising babies during winter. It is always best to do what is right for your particular situation, regardless of what works for others. Know what you can handle and determine if you have space to move them back inside if necessary (this is especially important for freezing climates). If you can't, then it's probably not a good idea to hatch late in the season.
Jody
I hatched all winter last year too.... in fact I don't think I"ve turned both bators OFF for more than a week or two since November...
Just be prepared, as others have said, for having to keep them indoors longer than you would have to in the summer, and the resulting issues with dust, etc.
Just be prepared, as others have said, for having to keep them indoors longer than you would have to in the summer, and the resulting issues with dust, etc.
Oh good question. I've been wondering the same thing. I'm still looking for some young pullets but not having much luck trying to find the right breeds.
Kathy, I'm less than an hour from you. Nice to see another Arkansan here.
What kinds of chickens do you raise?
Kathy, I'm less than an hour from you. Nice to see another Arkansan here.
What kinds of chickens do you raise?
- Thread starter
- #20
VeryCherry, I've got an inherited hodge-podge.... and not too sure exactly WHAT I've got. THINK I've got a White Leghorn, a Barred Rock, maybe 3 brown leghorns, and the rest are yet to be determined. Did inherit a NHRed juvinile today, and have 3 chicks (and counting) from a laying/hatching by the White Leghorn and my yet to be determined rooster. for a total of nine chickens and three babies.
Don't suppose you've got a brooder I can borrow until I can build one??
Need to locate one ASAP: have an orphan chick, and three more about to hatch any time(i hope)
Kathy
Don't suppose you've got a brooder I can borrow until I can build one??
Need to locate one ASAP: have an orphan chick, and three more about to hatch any time(i hope)
Kathy
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