Many people choose to raise chickens on their small acreage or hobby farm. Chickens on a farm produce delicious eggs and are also a healthy meat option. Starting your own flock at home may be done by purchasing a baby chicks and raising them through infancy and into adult hood! Baby chickens are very cute and cuddly, but there is more to their care than it appears. They are fragile animals that are often only days old when sold. They require gentle and specific care during their first few weeks.
Before purchasing your chicks you will need to prepare their living space. If you have a barn or shed you can set up a small confined area to keep the chickens in. Making a small pen with square bales or wooden planks is an easy option and may be done with the materials you have on hand. You will need to protect them from any predators and from the elements. If you do not have a barn, the best way to house your chickens is in a dog kennel. Metal kennels often have a bedding tray that you can slide out and change the bedding and will protect the chicks from harm. You can place the kennel in a shed, garage or even in your home if you choose. Covering the kennel with a towel will help the heat stay in with the chicks.
Baby chickens have very simple feeding habits. You can buy a feed called “chick starter” at any farm or livestock store. You should also purchase a chicken feeder to place the food in. These feeders are trough like and have a bar across the top that prevent the chicks from nesting in their feed. Their feed will stay clean and dry when placed in these feeders so they are worth the investment. Water also needs to be readily accessible for your baby chicks. Chickens are very sensitive to heat and dry conditions so they need access to fresh, clean water at all times. Chicken waterers are also sold at farm and livestock stores and should be purchased with the feeders. They are the best way to provide ample water for your chickens without the water becoming dirty.
The chickens will also need bedding. Soft straw is an option for your barn house, but if you have the chickens in a cage pine shavings make the best bedding. You will want to be sure than the bedding stays dry and need to remove and wet bedding. Bacteria will flourish in a wet chicken cage. Change the bedding at least every 4-5 days to maintain a fresh layer for the chicks to nest in.
Very young chickens cannot regulate their body temperature, so you will need to provide a heat source. The most simple way to do this is hang a heat lamp over their nesting area. Heat lamps and bulbs are sold at any pet store as well as the farm and livestock stores. These inexpensive lamps will provide the necessary heat to keep the chicks warm. It is very important to hang the lamp at least 2 feet above the chickens. You will also want to be very careful to avoid flammable materials from coming in contact with the lamp. If you are housing your chickens in the barn, be sure the pole or stand your heat lamp is hanging from is very sturdy. In a dog kennel, you can simply hang the heat lamp from the top of the kennel. If your chickens are in your home the temperatures will probably be warm enough that you don’t need to provide additional heat. If the chickens are too cold they will lay together and not eat or drink. Watch for these signs and if you need more heat, get a heat lamp! If the chicks are over heated the will also lay around and not eat, so watch for signs of overheating as well. If you find a dead chicken in the cage, check the temperature of the kennel. The temperature should be between 68 and 75 degrees ideally. As long as water is provided, chickens can handle the temperatures around this area.
It is also very important to keep the chicks away from any drafty areas. If the barn has open doors, protect the chicks with many hay bales to block out the wind. If the chicks are in a kennel you can place cardboard around the sides and cover the kennel with a blanket or heavy towel. You will also need to be sure the rain will not be able to get into the chicks home. Damp and drafty living conditions will ensure dead chickens by the morning.
Once you have your homework done and the chick’s home is ready, you can purchase your baby chicks. Standard breed chicks include meat breeds, white egg laying breeds, and brown egg laying breeds. Some common chicken breeds include: Rhode Island Red, Pearl-White Leg horn, Cornish Chickens, Black Australorps and Barred Rocks. Bantam breeds are smaller chickens that require less room and eat less. Bantams make good pets if you are desiring your chickens to be pets.
Young chickens may be handled, but you need to be very gentle with them. Be sure not to squeeze or drop them. If the chickens are too stressed they may die. Chickens are a great hobby, and when purchased as baby chicks will grow up to become beautiful pets around the farm!
