A Brief How-To for The Novice

Raising chickens comes with many positive benefits. Chickens are both easy and inexpensive to maintain. Fresh eggs are nutritious and taste great. Chickens will also help take care of local tick populations and they provide fertilizer for your garden. They are fairly friendly pets and will help to teach your kids about responsibility.

It's no surprise, then, that everyone from the hippy professor to your friendly plumber is discovering the benefits of raising chickens for fresh eggs and meat. If you, too, are thinking about raising chicks, here are a few tips to help you get up and running.

Meat Or Eggs?

Not all chickens are created equal. Some chickens are bred for laying and others are bred for meat. Understand what your motives are before buying. In terms of flock size, it's a safe bet to start small. Three to six chicks ought to be plenty for you to learn the ropes. Another common sense question to ask is: does your family love eating eggs? If the answer is yes, you might start with six chicks and think about expanding your flock later on.

Order Early to Get The Breed(s) You Want

All of this interest, of course, results in increased demand. Popular laying breeds like the Rhode Island Red and the Golden Comet often sell out. While popular, they are not the only excellent laying hens. Do some research. When it comes time to make your order (earlier rather than later), you'll have options at the ready.

A few mail-order outfits will deliver chickens via USPS to your post office. Ordering chicks early through the mail has the advantage of providing you with a varied selection. On the other hand, most companies want you to order in bulk. If you are looking to start with a half-dozen chicks, using a mail-order service that has a minimum purchase amount of 25 chicks may not be the right choice. Additionally, traveling in a mail truck can be a stressful experience for fragile chicks and may result in a dead chick or two when they arrive.

Where to Buy Chicks

If possible, investigate what chicks are available locally. Feed stores often sell chicks and are a sensible first place to look. Local farms are another obvious source. The main drawback to finding chicks locally is variety. You can only get what's around.

Have Your Brooder Ready to Go

However you obtain your chicks, it will be important to transition them immediately into your brooder once you get them home. A brooder is a warm and contained space for the chicks, designed to keep them in and predators (foxes, cats, dogs) out while providing them with food and water for their first few weeks of life.

Building a brooder is easy to do and a fun way to get the kids involved. Try converting an old fish tank or milk crate. You'll need bedding (sawdust or wood shavings work well), water, starter feed, and a heat or brooder lamp.

Baby chicks need a consistent 95° F for the first week. Reduce the temperature by five degrees for each following week. Make sure your lamp is positioned so that the chicks can move out of the heat, as well. A note of caution, if you're making a brooder out of a cardboard box, be careful with the heat lamp.

You'll also need to get a supply of starter feed. Young chicks need a food high in protein and some starter feed is medicated to help meet your chicks’ nutritional needs. Make sure to keep your water and feed clean of poop, as well.

You can also buy a ready-made chicken brooder starter kit. Kits are available in a variety of sizes and will supply you with everything you need...lamp and bulb, waterer, feeder, and a couple of days' worth of starter feed. Kits are easy to assemble and adequate for the task. Remember, your chicks will be moving to the coop sooner than you may think!

Leaving The (Nest) Brooder

When nighttime temperatures approximate temperatures in the brooder, assess whether or not your chicks are ready to move to the coop. Most chicks are fully feathered and ready to move out of the brooder after about six weeks.

Six weeks might sound like ample time to prepare your coop, but you don't want to get caught by surprise. The smartest thing is to have your coop built or bought even before you bring the chicks home. Plan ahead and prioritize your coop as you would your brooder. You'll have ample time to deal with delivery delays or construction issues.

Remember, not all chickens are created equal. Some breeds are smaller (bantam) than others. Bantam chickens require about one square foot of coop space and about four square feet of open pen space, whereas larger (standard) birds need about two square feet of coop space and about eight square feet of pen space. Inadequate coop space can result in stress for the birds which may lead to pecking or cannibalism. Make sure your coop has plenty of space for the birds you have and even more if you plan to expand.

Don't rush! Give yourself time to fall into the new rhythm of caring for your chickens once they move to the coop. Soon enough you'll feel like an old pro and find yourself itching to get more chicks.

Do you have an expert chick tip for the first-timer? We bet you do! Tell us in the comments! Do you still have some questions, or need some advice from our experts? Give us a call at 888-433-5275 today!

Check out this video on Buying Your First Spring Chicks! Looking for additional poultry or gamebird equipment? Check out our selection here.