when to start ?

[delfargo]

i've tried searching this with no luck, so... when is the best time to order and start raising the chicks? i had read that spring is a good time, and that was my plan - to get everything ready and get my chicks next spring, but the coop is almost done and i'm thinking of getting started on this chicken thing now instead of waiting till next year. any pros or cons on raising them in june in cental illinois? thanx for the advice.

 

[abanjaf]

I'm in hot Florida, so I can't tell you about Illinois. It is easier getting chicks in Springtime, because temperatures are not so extreme. Shipping can become problematic, so feedstores will usually only carry chicks through Spring. However, it is not too late yet. You can still order from hatcheries and/or find breeders in your area. One benefit I find when raising chicks later into Spring/Summer is that since it's warmer outside, they can move outside earlier and my DH is ever so happy to be rid of the mess/smell in the house Get your babies now! They're too much fun to wait til next year

 

[CoffeeCow]

A lot of us just got our chicks, mine are 8 days old, when I got mine, there were 4 other posters that were posting pics f their new babys too

There are a few more people who are getting theirs next week too, so I think you will be fine to get them now.

If I did my math right ... I should see my first egg around Christmas. hehe

Have fun with your flock, they are great fun (so far at least) I love them to death, They all have very unique personalities, and they are just so fun to watch and play with

 

[fastpat]

Quote:
The reason you should wait until early or mid-spring is so that by the time the ouside temps are relatively warm, your chicks are feathered in enough to not require a heat lamp or source. In your location, you don't want to order them too early in the spring either, they might get too cold during shipment and have fatal shipping stress.

You could purchase chicks locally, you could purchase chicks two or three months old and be about where you'd be if you'd purchased back in March. Things to consider if you want to jump in.

 

[sonjab314]

I'm in Missouri..not too far from you. I'm still buying chicks a few at a time. They have plenty of time to feather out before fall approaches us. I say go for it!

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, get your chicks now! Don't wait for NEXT spring! (It will also spur the completion of your coop/run if you have babies waiting to go live outside.)

 

[Toi-toi]

What I heard to get early spring chick was...
It's better they go out from brooder in summer time so they will get used to it.
And
They will lay eggs earlier.
When you get chicks late like fall, they don't lay eggs till next year because of the molt time.

I agree with gryeyes, don't wait till next spring, get them now! Still have time!

 

[casumm]

I was going to wait too but decided to go for it now! I ordered last week. Our chicks hatch next Monday. This time next week, we may have a brooder with 4 fuzzy little babies to entertain us. ;-) Don't wait. Go for it... and if you get new chicks, then you have like 4 to 6 weeks to get the coop & run finished. And don't we all work better with a firm deadline. ;-)

What kind of chicks are you considering?

 

[pkw]

I just got 27 new chicks Monday morning (one DOA). I ordered 26 and got a free pullet of the same breed I ordered and they are all doing great. If you are going to order chicks I would do it now. Don't wait until it gets too hot. Now is perfect time.

 

[delfargo]

thanx for all the encouragement. i think i WILL go ahead earlier than i had planned and order my chicks as soon as i get a little more research done.
y'all just make it sound so FUN.
i'm still researching breeds,, narrowing my search to good egg layers who tolerate the cold midwestern winters that also look cool.
where do you order your chicks from? i've been doing a little research on that, but if any of you can recommend a hatchery that you've had good experiences with, that may quicken my search. thanx again for your help.