Most people are accustomed to purchasing chicks in the spring, usually somewhere around February or March.
It makes sense; by the time the chicks reach 5 weeks of age, you’re able to put them outside, as it’s starting to warm up with spring’s arrival.
Then, you’re faced with another 4 to 6 months before the hens begin laying, meaning you’ll get eggs between July and September at the earliest.
Heavier breeds? You’ll likely be waiting even longer, perhaps in October or even as late as November.
So, where’s the problem?
Well… The longest day of the year is in June; the shortest is in December.
Chickens require 14 hours of daylight for optimal laying, and roughly 12 for satisfactory laying.
When your daylight begins dropping to 9 or 10 hours per day, your egg production will nosedive, too.
How did we solve this little issue?
We welcomed fall chicks into our home!
Why We Love Fall Chicks Over Spring Chicks: Timing Chicks on the Homestead
When you purchase fall chicks, you’ll usually have layers maturing as spring is beginning.
This means that they will be entering the prime of their lives during the prime egg-laying and brooding season, rather than spending it growing and maturing!
Growing to Maturity During the Dead of Winter
This is one of our biggest reasons for enjoying fall chicks!
Many times, your hens won’t produce much of anything through the winter.
So, why have your pullets maturing through summer, only to arrive at the age of laying during the shortest days of the year?
When you really think about it, it’s not the best way to go about it.
On the flip side, it is EASIER to raise chicks in spring, as the weather and forage is warm and favorable for those tender little babies.
While all chicks must be fully feathered upon release to the outdoors, fall chicks must be watched over carefully. You don’t want 6 or 7 week old chicks to be exposed to extreme cold snaps- they may not fare well.
You Can Get Better Deals on Feed Store Chicks
Fall chicks simply aren’t as popular as spring chicks.
In many cases, people are quite tired of dealing with chicks, after raising spring chicks;
Especially when they keep them in a brooder indoors!
Thus, the weekly shipments of chicks tend to get clearanced out just days before new chicks arrive.
Ask me about my $0.50 White Leghorns, my $0.25 Australorp, and my $0.25 Barred Rocks.
That’s right! I got those chicks for mere quarters!
No, I shouldn’t walk into a feed store right before chick shipments arrive.
Yes, I regret absolutely nothing.
Will I do it again?
You bet your sweet chickens I will.
It’s Easier to Come Across the Breeds You Want
During the spring, everyone and their mother (along will their cousins) are buying chicks left and right.
As the days warm up, chicken math gets out of hand, and husbands everywhere are shedding a tear over the doubled feed bill.
Thus, it can be difficult to get your hands on particular breeds, as hatcheries and feed stores alike may be sold out for several months at a time.
During the fall, the competition isn’t quite as bad.
If there’s a particular type of chick you’re after, inquire with hatcheries towards the end of summer or beginning of fall.
Let Me List Out the Cons of Fall Chicks…
Now, there are a few not-so-awesome traits for fall chicks, but not many!
- First, you’ll have to keep them warm. Early cold snaps can make this hard. Be sure that chicks are fully feathered before being released. In addition, give them substantial protection against the cold, and bring them indoors (if you have to) if temperatures plummet beyond their comfort level.
How do you effectively mediate that problem? Buying MANY chicks, and providing them with a dry, draft-free coop! Here’s how you can windproof and winterize your coop for free with feed bags.
- Secondly, you’re going to have an increased feed bill through the winter, which is when most people offload excess livestock. For chicken owners, that would be older laying hens; however, you can’t get rid of older laying hens if the pullets aren’t laying yet, right? Feed costs increase when insect activity diminishes, so this may be quite a costly change for your homestead if you free range. It’s quite a change from feeding your chickens virtually for free.
A solution to help alleviate this problem is to raise your own meal worms to supplement their feed, and to grow high protein sprouts and forages under lights! You can produce over 50 pounds of feed per month with the right amount of space! Of course, your hens will need some complete nutrition for egg laying, so pay close attention to their needs.