In this video, we’re going to be talking about when the best time to get chickens is. And the answer may not be what you think.
Hey, this is Ashley at Square Root Farms, and this is the fourth and final video in my mini series, the Four Decisions You Need to Make Before Getting Chickens. Now, I created a PDF guide to go along with these videos so be sure to download it so you can follow along and fill it in. The link is down in the description.
Now when many people think of getting chickens, they immediately think of spring and for good reason. When you get chicks in the spring, they will start laying in the fall and they’ll be all grown up and ready to handle the cold once winter comes.
But many people wrongly assume that spring is the only time you should get chicks. Just like everybody else. I always got my chicks in the spring, but in 2019, I decided to try raising a batch of fall chicks and I loved it.
I got them in October. They grew up throughout the cold winter and they started laying in the spring, and they laid so well and in such abundance. In fact, I liked it so much that I’m considering raising my next batch of laying hens in the fall again.
So let’s bust that myth. There is absolutely no reason that you can only get chicks in the spring. Summer and fall is great too.
Now I don’t recommend getting chicks in the winter because it’s hard to keep them warm enough. At least up here where I live in Minnesota.
Now, if you live in the South and have very mild winters, why not give it a try? If that’s the best time of year, that works for you.
But if you live somewhere cold like I do, getting chicks in the winter is probably not the best choice. So if the time of year doesn’t matter that much, how do you decide when to get your chickens?
What to Consider When Ordering your Chicks
Choose the Right Season for your Schedule
Well, first of all, choose the right season for you. Don’t feel like you have to rush out and get chicks in April. You can definitely wait until the kids are out of school and get them in June.
Or if you’re traveling a lot during the summer months wait and get them in September. Just make sure to choose a season where you can be home and present.
Choose a Week you Have Mornings Free
Once you figure out what season is going to fit best for your family, you’re going to want to choose the right week. If you order online from a hatchery, you’re going to be able to choose the specific week in which you want your chicks to arrive.
Now, it’s important to choose a week where you have your mornings free. Why? Because the post office will be calling you as soon as the chicks come in, and you want to be able to go and get them right away so that you can bring them home and get them settled in.
So choose a week where your mornings are clear and try to keep it that way.
Put your Order in Early!
And finally, no matter when you decide to get your chickens, you want to make sure to put your order in early. There was a huge spike in demand for chickens in 2020, and many hatcheries sold out of popular breeds very early on, so if you’re planning on getting chickens this year, I encourage you to figure out when you want to get them and get your order placed. That way, you can get the specific breeds you want when you want to get them.
Look at your schedule, figure it out, and then get your order placed.
And with that, I’d like to say a huge congratulations. You have made it through the whole mini series ‘The Four Things you Need to Decide Before Getting Chickens’.
Now you know everything you need in order to get your first chickens.
You know how many chickens you want based off of the number of eggs you need per day. You know what breeds you want to get. You know where to get your chickens from. And you know when the best time to bring your chickens home is.
