[plumseverywhere]

The Domestic fowl trust are selling females at a day old (ones you can sex,  not sure what type) we've lost a few hens  of old age and now a fox attack and my daughter has been asking for chicks. We have the set up with heat lamp etc but just wondering before I get into this, what is the best time of year, how long they need to be indoors/under heat, pro's and con's or whether I shoudl just buy some POL's like i have for the last 6 years! I dont' want to get into hatching our own but am happy with female chicks.
thank you in advance!
Lisa

[ZacB]

A lot depends on the temperature of where you are raising them but as a general guide I would say you wean off heat over a six week period in total. Two to three weeks of total heat and then weaned off. With electric prices as they are not that cheap these days. Easier just to buy some POL in the spring.

[jaykay]

I'd say about 6–8 weeks under heat if they were then going outside into reasonable temperatures. Better done in the spring therefore.

It's a great thing for kids to rear chicks and see the changes, I'm sure you won't regret doing it  I incubate and hatch chicks regularly and love it, they graduate from the kitchen, to the hall, to outside, all still with heat - by the time they're ready to leave the house, I'm ready too  But I wouldn't do it at this time of year.

Edited to remove the iPad's 'improvements'

[Bionic]

Plums, having just raised my first 4 chicks I would say wait for the spring too.
It would be good to know they were all female but if you can stand the surprise then put some eggs under a broody.
I bought 6 eggs by post (3 wyandotte and 3 copper maran) and 2 of each, hatched under my broody. They are now 14 weeks old. It was lovely to see them coming out of the shell and also to see how well mum looked after them, but definitely better in warmer weather.
Sally

[jaykay]

Actually, a broody would probably take to day-olds, so that might be a way to get females only and have the fun of a Mrs Hen and her chicks.

Not quite as easy to keep them safe from rats etc. that way though and you don't have the contact with them that you do when they're in the kitchen 

[Bionic]

Jaykay, if the broody would take to the day olds then I quite like that idea.
I only started with mine to give the broody something to do and I realise that plums wants hers for a different reason and the incubator would certainly give the girls more interaction with the chicks.
 
Plums, maybe the girls can get an IOU as part of their christmas present i.e. if you are good girls then I prmoise to get chicks when the weather gets warmer. Win, win situation 
Sally

[jaykay]

I have given small chicks to a sitting broody and she's taken them. On the other hand, I have given eggs to a sitting broody and she has not - who knows what, if anything, goes on in the mind of a hen 

I always have a heat lamp as back up, some of my hens will hatch wood shavings (and so not lay eggs) for weeks if you'd let them, but then if you give them something to do they're magically 'cured' 

[Rosemary]

Our Black Orpington, the lovely Ruby, took week old Hubbards when her eggs failed to hatch. She was a little surprised at how advanced her new hatchlings were, but she looked after them very well. By six weeks, they were almost as big as her too.

[plumseverywhere]

   thanks all. My feelings are to wait till Spring then. They would be under heat in the boot room where my tumble drier lives so it wouldnt' work this time of year as a)steamy! b) need back door open!!
spring it is *oh and Eloise just happens to be an April baby....perfect! 

[katie]

I'm having some Hy-line POL pullets in a couple of weeks.I could add some onto my order if you wanted?

[bigchicken]

I would get your day olds as soon as possible so they are laying age  21 week approximately  for the spring if you get them in the spring the year will be well through by the time they start to lay



2

[katie]

If you buy day-olds in April, they should lay through their first winter.

[plumseverywhere]

Thanks Katie - I think I'll go for day olds in April. Hope you are well and not too soggy!! xx

[bigchicken]

Sorry but unless you are putting them under artificial light you will get very little eggs the first year it will be august before they start to lay, My hens are free range and stopped laying middle of september after the moult.

[plumseverywhere]

not in any hurry for the eggs so ok to wait for them but interesting to hear how soon/slow they are to start laying.