Chicks have what they need.

When chicks are newly hatched, they have some basic requirements. If chicks are not being raised by a hen, “the humans” will have to provide them with all the things a hen would give them. When we brought our “less than three-day-old chicks” home from the farm supply store, they were tiny fluff balls with no hovering hen to watch out for them. They needed to be kept warm, help in finding food and water, and protection from predators. Humans were in charge of all that.

Chicks, whether being raised by a hen or humans, have five basic needs:

• heat
• food and water
• adequate space
• freedom from drafts
• safety from predators

Raising a handful of chicks for your backyard hen project requires some basic investment in equipment. Because the chicks are housed in something called a “brooder” for the first weeks of their lives, you will need to buy or build a place where chicks can thrive until they are ready to be put outside (at about 9-10 weeks, depending on your climate) in a coop or a henhouse.

There are directions everywhere on how to make homemade brooders. We used a 2′x3′x3″ plastic tray set inside a wood surround for the first 3 weeks the chicks were with us. We kept this in the living room of our home (yes, you heard me right) until the chicks could be moved to the garage. Not everyone wants a chick brooder in their house but I wanted to get to know these chicks and to handle them so that when they grew up, they would be not only egg-layers but also pets. When the chicks were ready to be moved to the garage, we borrowed a larger brooding pen (about 4′x4′ with 24″ wood sides and a wire lid) where the chicks lived until they could be put outside in their permanent coop.

Brooders can be exotic or as simple as you want, and chicks are not particular if you keep in mind their basic needs. Brooders can be a large plastic container with wire on top or even a large cardboard box will do. You will need about 6 square inches of space per chick until they are 2 weeks of age, then you will have to increase that to a square foot for each chick. We went slightly larger than the minimum requirement just because it seemed the “right thing to do”. But don’t make your brooder too large or your chicks may find it hard to stay warm.

We used a towel on the floor of the brooder for the first few days so that the chicks would have something to “grip” with their tiny feet. After that I used newspaper with PINE (not cedar) shavings on top. The chicks loved scratching through the shaving as if they were out in the garden foraging for food.

Make your brooder before your chick arrive. Set it up and test it with a thermometer so that you know it stays in the 95-100 degree range. When your chicks come home, show them where the water and food is. Dip their little beaks into the water once or twice as they will be dehydrated from their journey. Let them settle in and enjoy their company.

Four-day-old chicks

There has been a movement in recent years to raise a few chickens in the backyards of both city and suburban dwellers. Producing your own eggs from a few hens, neatly tucked into your garden is a trend that I don’t think will go away. Why? It is fun and hens provide you with tasty fresh eggs that are downright addictive!

If you have been thinking about taking on this project, you might want to consider the following:

• Will they be a disturbance to neighbors?
• Is it legal in your community for you to have a small backyard flock?
• Will you have the time to keep their coop clean and tend them properly?
• Do you have the resources to build a sturdy and safe coop to protect hens from predators and dogs?
• Do you have the space required?
• How many hens will you be able to safely house?

A little research is in order before you go out and buy chicks.

We raised chicks from day-olds to hens this past year. They have provided us with hours of entertainment, fresh eggs each day, and fertilizer for our garden. It has been rewarding and fun.

For whatever reasons you have thought about getting chickens for your backyard project, start now in preparation. The chicks will be arriving at the feed stores soon and they are irresistible! Be prepared.

Chicks grow from tiny fluffy balls to egg-laying hens in five months. It is amazing how their little bodies turn chicken feed into feathers, muscle, and energy. It is important that they’re fed the highest quality feed to meet their needs. While we feed our hens scraps from the kitchen and a handful of cracked corn each day to supplement their diet (and make them happy), we were careful to have the chicks stick to the recommended diet (with a few healthy exceptions).

Feed companies spend millions researching and preparing mixtures that provide optimum support for growing chicks. Most feed stores carry the proper mix for your young chicks. It is called “starter”. It should have sufficient protein, carbohydrates, and thirteen vitamins to support growth. Vitamins will help chicks build strong bones and healthy blood cells, and fats to provide energy and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Unless you wish to feed a vegetarian diet to your animals, don’t try to mix your own feed. Use a commercial chick starter for the first 6-8 weeks.

Commercial feed comes with medication to prevent the dreaded coccidiosis, an intestinal disease that interferes with nutrient absorption. You shouldn’t need a medicated starter if you raise your chicks before warm, humid weather allows coccidia to flourish. Your decision of whether or not you choose to use a medicated starter for chicks should be based on the size of your flock (a handful of chicks raised in a clean brooder are less likely to be infected) and the condition of the environment. If you have no adverse feelings about using medication in food and want to be on the safe side, I recommend you use the medicated starter. If you are raising poultry for meat, there are “natural” commercial feeds available.

Even chicks like treats. From about a week on, we gave our chicks some treats each day, to keep them active, and to relieve boredom. Yes, even little minds get bored. They were fed tiny portions of shredded apples, a cooked egg yolk, a pinch of oatmeal sprinkled in their litter, and a bug or two we brought in from outdoors. Do not supplement their diet to the extent that they ignore their food. This could bring on ill health.

At about six weeks you can slowly introduce a “grower” mixture into your chick feed. This feed will help them put on weight that hens need to begin laying and that fryers need to be……well, to be eaten.

Water is such an important part of a chick’s diet. I just can’t ignore it in my writing about feed. When chicks first arrive, they often have been without water for 1-3 days. Their little bodies have been living off the yolk sac that was absorbed into their bodies before hatching. When you bring your chicks home, give them a little water with an eyedropper or fingertip. A drop or two will revive them. Some people use a mixture of a few tablespoons of sugar in the water for the first few days to give the chicks energy and encourage hydration. Even chicks like sweets. Show them where the waterer is located in the brooder and dip each beak into it so they will know where to go when they are thirsty.

If you are worried about dehydration, commercial electrolytes (available in feed stores) can be added to the water the first week. Beware, this mixture can make chicks hyperactive so use it for a few days only, then fill waterers with fresh water.

For a handful of chicks, inexpensive feeders and waters with quart jars attached can be used until the chicks are ready for their permanent home outdoors. If you use cedar chips in the bottom of your brooder, you may want to raise the waterer up an inch or two (no further than shoulder height of your chicks) on a paver, as the chips tend to get in the waterer, preventing the chicks from access to drinking properly. We put little pebbles in the waterer to prevent the chicks from standing (and invariably pooping) in it. It is essential that they have fresh, clean water at all times to prevent diseases. This requires constant monitoring.

Scrub the feeders and waterer once a week with diluted bleach. Keep the brooder clean and feed your chicks quality food. Healthy chicks are happy chicks. It seems like overnight these precious little birds turn into beautiful egg-layers.

We do not live on a farm, nor do we want to turn over our garden to foraging chickens, so we designed a small coop with a partially covered run that nestles in a far corner of our half-acre next to “open space”. It has worked out fairly well. Had I stuck to my original plan for having four hens, instead of six, (see my entry on a “problem chicken”) it would have been even better.

When designing a coop and run for your backyard, consider this. Will your chickens be able to be outside most of the day? In our temperate climate, the hens go inside only to lay eggs or to run from a hawk flying over their pen, so inside space is relatively small. Even in the rain they prefer to be in the outdoor sheltered area of the run rather than indoors. Do you have predators that would threaten your birds, or could they free range (with only a shelter for food, water, and nesting boxes)?

According to most books, large breed hens only need four square feet of space per bird and 12″-18″ of roostingspace. While this is adequate, giving hens a little more space than the minimum requirements, makes for happy layers (you know how girls are). Design your coop for easy cleaning (it is inevitable). Provide a nest box for every four hens (even at that, ours have had to “double up” occasionally during a busy spell). Consider climate, lighting, ventilation and your neighbors, when designing a coop. A little research now will make for happy hens later.