Springtime is the traditional season for getting new chicks and beginning to raise them. However, there are many advantages to doing so in the fall instead! These advantages could range from the freedom to spend more time with your chicks to better egg laying when they've matured.
 
Here are 4 key benefits of raising chicks in the fall:

• They will lay more eggs come springtime. Spring chicks begin their laying cycle at about 5 or 6 months of age. This means that their laying will likely be inconsistent due to the summer heat, and then the shorter daylight hours as fall approaches. When you begin raising chicks in the fall, they will begin to lay in a cooler temperature range, and as the days are getting longer - which means a lot of eggs for you (even up to 7 per week)!
  
• You will be able to care for them in more comfortable temperatures. It's not as much fun to feed your chicks in the blazing summer heat as it is in the much cooler temperatures of mid-to-late fall and early winter.
  
• Your time will not be eaten up by other activities. Especially if you have kids, your summer will likely be chock-full of family activities, such as vacations, hikes, and all sorts of other outings. With fall chicks, your kids will still be in school, meaning you won't have to plan around an array of other activities in order to take care of your feathery friends.
  
• You will be able to beat the "springtime rush" and get first dibs on rare breeds. Whether it's the Rhode Island Red, the White Leghorn, or another rare breed, you'll be more likely to get your chicks (and maybe at a better price) in the fall, as opposed to the spring.
  

 
 Of course, in order to be successful you'll need to plan ahead. For instance, you'll need to obtain a heat plate or some other source of heat for those colder days that will signal the start of winter. Also, you will want to take advantage of fall produce, and occasionally feed high protein treats to your chicks, especially after they begin their first molting season.
 
For more insight into how best to care for your chicks, as well as many, many other chicken-related resources, explore our website at PopWorms!

If you are reading this blog it's because you are like us...You LOVE chickens! We do too! But there are some other awesome poultry pals you can keep which we find almost as enthralling. The best thing about a mixed flock is that they usually don't compete for the exact same food resources, so you can keep more birds with a little variety.

Ducks - YES!

Ducks are AWESOME! They are hilarious to watch and many have very distinct personalities. While not incredibly intelligent, they aren't mean spirited either. They tolerate most climates pretty well, aside from the desert southwest. They like rain and humidity and they love to have a good romp in the snow. 

If you've got touchy neighbors, ducks usually make much less commotion early in the morning and all night long than some other fowl friends we'll cover. 

Ducks are more expensive than chickens to maintain. They'll cost almost twice as much to feed, and they require adequate water. Ducks need to be able to swim and bathe all the time. In a backyard setting you can just keep a kiddie pool or two filled with fresh water daily for them. They do lay a considerable number of eggs though, so they really do try to earn their keep.

Turkeys - YES!

If you are meat farming, you need a turkey or two. They are relatively efficient for their size because they forage a lot. Turkeys come in many varieties, and some of them are known to be quite intelligent and personable. It is this author's experience that turkeys raised singly by a family can be quite a loving pet, while those raised unhandled in large groups tend to get rude and aggressive, especially towards little children.

They are suitable for most climates, and tolerate just about any kind of weather. So if you're into raising poultry, not little people, give them a try!

Peafowl (peacocks) - Maybe?

Peacocks are amazing if you have the space. A lot of space. Did we mention they need space? The males especially need at least 100 square feet per bird to really stretch out during mating season. If you're farming for sustenance you'll be spending good money after bad with peacocks. As one old farmer once told this author "They're more of a lookin' bird than an eatin' bird."

Pheasants - If you've got what it takes.

Pheasants are gorgeous. They're also solid layers during spring and summer, laying as many as 10 eggs per day! But they come with some real challenges too, like the fact that your chickens may not like the pheasant addition. It's true. Pheasants are very aggressive and competitive, and may attack smaller birds, if they feel they are a threat.  However, offering alot of space to prevent overcrowding, and raising pheasant and chicken chicks together from the beginning, with caution, might ease initial threat perceptions.

Though not native species to many areas, pheasants can handle most US climates other than the driest deserts. But they need a lot of space or they will start pecking at others.

They also spook much easier than other birds. So if you live in a noisy neighborhood or have big barking dogs, you might find that pheasants stress out too easily.

Here at Popworms, we love all kinds of poultry just as much as our customers do. Take a look at our website for more great poultry resources, and enjoy your flock! Use coupon code LIVE to receive 30% off Popworms! Live.  Offer good through October 31, 2019.