guide to raising backyard chickens
There is literally tons of information about raising chicks and chickens and it is hard to sort through it all to determine what is right, what is not and what is just plain weird.
In this definitive guide, we have put together everything you need to know to care for your birds – from chick to chicken to help you along the way.
We have tried to distill it down to basics so that it won’t become confusing for you. You are encouraged to read and ask questions…
Raising Backyard Chickens Guide
These questions might seem frivolous, but many folks did not realize how much chickens involved work and time in taking care of them and the birds suffered accordingly.
Chickens need care and attention, much as any pet does – even through the winter when the snow is high and they need fresh water, are you prepared to do it?
Once you have asked yourself these questions and have decided that yes, you can do this and want to do this, your next move is research.
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Truthfully, no-one really knows, but it is estimated to be in the hundreds. There are birds that have been specifically bred for enhanced egg laying, quality meat, fighting and plumage.
Wrong! You will be sadly disappointed if you want egg layers and have bought a bunch of Sultan chicks because they look pretty. They will lay an egg per week if you are lucky!
We are going to look at the good and bad of each option. You can buy hatching eggs, chicks, started pullets or adult birds.
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Pullets will cost you more because of the care, feed and time expended to raise the bird. Adult hens in their prime are the most expensive. Rescue and ex-battery hens are usually cheaper than pullets but more expensive than chicks.
You can generally average out how many chicks you will need. If your birds are for eggs only, you just need to think how many eggs you currently use in a week currently?
One hen will average four to five eggs a week. Throw in a couple of extra chicks for ‘just in case’ and you have your number!
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For example if you want 16 eggs a week you would need 6 hens (4 would normally do this many eggs but I’ve included 2 ‘just in case’ chicks).
Though you want to purchase your chickens from further away, the USPS has been shipping chicks for about one hundred years and will ship chicks that you purchase online.
All birds should have clear, bright eyes. They should be curious about their environment and you. Feathers or fluff should look clean with good coloring.
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They don’t need running water, electricity or carpets. A modified basic wooden box will do in a pinch, but there are a few crucial things you need for your flock to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
This is the most basic need of all, a place where they are able to get out of the blistering sun, howling wind or blowing snow.
Adequate space for birds to co-habit peacefully is essential. If they are crowded together they are likely to start anti-social behaviors like picking and pecking each other. The worst time for these behaviors is winter; hens get bored and create mischief.
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Ideally, the coop should be cool in summer and warm in winter. Correct ventilation of your coop is crucial when it comes to temperature regulation. A good flow of air will keep the coop at an optimal temperature for your hens. If you think it’s too hot you need to add more ventilation holes.
With nesting boxes you will need approximately one box for every three hens, but it never hurts to have more. There is always one favorite box that they will squabble over, so more is better. Read more here: Chicken Nesting Boxes 101.
Roosts are simply the place where the birds congregate to sleep at night. They will all generally sleep on the same perch (roost), although some do prefer to be by themselves if they feel perfectly safe.
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In addition to a secure coop, your chicken will need access to some outside space; regardless of whether this is contained or free range.
You can read all about should I free range my chickens here. If you don’t want them to free range you could always use a chicken tractor.
A strong and formidable coop will keep your girls safe at night. Do not think, even for a minute, that predators won’t be bold enough to sneak into your yard and try to kill your birds – they will and they do, with catastrophic results for your birds and heart break for you.
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If you have ordered them online, the website you have ordered them from will likely carry all the things you need to make your chicks a home.
If you are buying from a farm store, make sure you have everything you need for the chicks in advance. Farm stores usually sell a large amount of chick related items.
Make sure that you know what to get otherwise you could be parting with hard earned cash for something you don’t want or need.
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It helps to break things down into needs and ‘extras’ so that is what we have done here for ease of reading.
This can be as simple as a cardboard box. It needs to be tall enough to keep the chicks from jumping out. It needs to be large enough for a food dish, water dish and the chicks.
Brooding boxes come in all shapes, sizes and costs. If you are not sure whether you will be brooding chicks again, get the cheapest brooder to start with – you can upgrade yourself later.
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If your brooder box has a slick floor (like plastic), lay some paper towels under the bedding so they can grip and stand properly otherwise they may develop problems with standing and walking.
They do not have true feathers until they are around 6-7 weeks old so cannot regulate their own temperature, so you must help them.
They will need to be warmed for around 6-7 weeks or until the ambient temperature is roughly the same as the brooder.
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During the first week the temperature at chick level will need to be 95F. This will reduce by 5 degrees each week until ambient temperature is reached.
If they are all huddled in a bunch, they are too cold; if they are spread to the brooder’s edges, they are too hot; if they are dotted all over, they are just right. A thermometer will help you with this too, but base your judgment on the chicks’ behavior.
Chicken food comes in a wide array of choices that can be confusing, so here’s the scoop. It is recommended that you feed your chicks the following:
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Chicks are messy; they will scratch their food all over the place, poop in it and get their bedding in it, so you need a feeder that will eliminate some of that mess.
Once they start eating greens such as short grass or dandelions, they will need a small dish of chick grit to help their digestion and make sure they don’t get an impacted crop.
Water is essential to the wellbeing of all creatures, chicks are no exception. The water should be at Goldilocks temperature – not too hot, not too cold, but just right.
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You will need to dip the beak of each chick into the water at first so they know where it is, after this they should all be able to find the water dish. Do the same with the food dish too.
If your chicks are just a couple of days old, you will need to add some clean pebbles or marbles to the water dish so they can’t fall in and drown. After a week or so you can remove them since the chicks will now be big enough not to drown themselves.
You can add an electrolyte/vitamin supplement to the water for the first few days to get them off to a good start.
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Whoever said ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’ never kept chickens. I have already told you that chicks are messy, so you get to be ‘room service’ for them!
It is imperative that their brooder area, feeder and waterer be kept clean. The poop needs to be removed daily, change litter as frequently as you need. Once it becomes wet, it must be changed.
Remember, the brooder is very warm, there is poop and it is wet – it is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
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Wash and sanitize the feeder and waterer at least every other day. If your chicks are as messy as mine, you will have to throw out a good amount of feed too. Once they poop in the feeder – out goes the feed.
If you are keeping them in the house you will need to ensure that Fido and Fluffy can’t get to those little balls of fluff, perhaps keeping them in a separate room or a secure lid to the box.
Try to avoid keeping them in areas such as the bedroom, dining area and kitchen. They kick up a lot of dust and dander, people who are allergic to
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