When is the best time to get chicks?

[kycrawler]

i am going to start hatching batches of 60 every week untill the 1 st of october started laying hens bring $20-25 each here in early spring i plan to have 2-300 held over this winter to sell in the spring after october it will be too cold and i would have to pay more to keep the young ones warm

 

[cmom]

Quote:

 

[twentynine]

Living in South La. I have always liked to get my chicks in September or October. Sept is the last time we can get the from the hatchery, but by Oct the local feedstores are putting the left overs on sale. I have gotten as many as 100 barred rock straight runs for $50. And they were nearly 4 weeks old.

Now being from South La. we have generally mild winters and early springs. Hatched in Sept the chicks would be ready to start laying in March. Ya'll ever heard the expression "Spring Chicken". Well they start laying quickly and laying a bunch.

 

[jen5680]

kycrawler- do you have a heated pen to kkep them in during the cold winter or how do you do it?

 

[Laskaland]

I started in late August last year. As long as you can keep them warm in the winter, anytime is good! Mine were like 4 months by December and our first snow, so I was ready for them... I was so happy b/c I got my first eggs right at Valentine's day!! Now if THAT isn't an amazing gift, I dunno what it! LOLOLOLOL
christina

 

[scottman154]

get chicks any time of the year but just dont get them a hutch in the winter. if worst appears the chicks could get cold and die. i would get them when they are already hatched

 

[danib]

Looking for advice... I am a newbie at chicken raising and was debating on whether to search for different chick breeds that i want sold in Massachusetts (may be hard cuz I want 4-5 different breeds..and sexed would make my life much easier) and buy them now and put them outside in a coop in the fall... or get them from a hatchery in the fall (they have most of my breeds and won't be able to ship until Oct) and keep them inside until after the winter is over. Then move them to the coop. I'm a little nervouse about them being outside in the winter until I'm confident in what I'm doing. How long do chicks stay in a brooder, anyway? Any advice?
Thanks