Hi Carly.
I would think that growing hyacinths outdoors in your zone would be very similar to forcing them indoors. I think you have as good chance of success as one have when forcing them. If the vernalization process is done correctly, they should bloom.
Many spring bulbs are also sold pre-chilled specifically to be able to bloom in warmer areas.
Can't speak of F. michailovsky specifically, but my best guess is that they in similarity to other Fritillaria are best planted early in the autumn. Not doing this could jeopardize the natural rooting process and possibly even bloom formation. In my garden F. imperialis certainly is one of the first spring bulbs to root in autumn, often doing so sometime in August, provided there is enough moisture.
Even though most Fritillaria hate being wet, they are also very sensitive to drying out as they lack an outer tunic. They should normally never be out of soil very long. This is especially true for the smaller species. To me it sounds like you got some very abused bulbs, sadly this is probably very common.
Not sure how you have handled them since, but if you chilled them without planting them in a pot, then they have had no chance to root and all they could do were to dry out even more. If they still seem somewhat firm it might be worth a try to pot them up and place them in the fridge again to see if roots start to grow.
