Having chickens can be one of the most gratifying uses of your own backyard. We bought our first batch of chicks sixteen years ago and were hooked for good. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy, but it’s honestly rarely hard. There are a hundred joys for every pain.
We are going to attempt to cover every single aspect of chicken farming we can. And although some of this knowledge came from reading books, articles and talking to experienced chicken people, most of it came from the live and learn school with quite a bit in the hard knocks department.
So, without further ado, let’s get you on your way to becoming a Chicken Farmer!
Local Laws
Unfortunately, there are still many municipalities and neighborhood/homeowners associations that ban chickens altogether. Many though allow them without restrictions. Because we live on land zoned agricultural and are in an unincorporated part of our county, we basically are unregulated. Some cities that do allow you to keep chickens ban roosters and often only allow you to have a limited number of hens. You will definitely want to make sure you know what you’re allowed to do before making a big investment.
Choosing Breeds
I find this topic the least important of all, although there are two different factors to keep in mind when choosing what kind of chickens to get; personality and egg color. Some chickens like Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds have been selectively bred for high egg production which seems to result in hens that are less likely to become broody (sit a nest) and have less personality. We still have both, but also have several other breeds. A few of my favorites are Araucanas which are extremely pretty birds and lay green or blue eggs, Silkies, which are FULL of personality, lay very small eggs and very broody and Buff Orpingtons which are also very brood and full of personality. I can tell you, I have been happy with all of our breeds except for Marans. The few times we have had a predator make it into the yard they have always got a Maran first. It could be that their dark color makes them a target, or they aren’t the sharpest tool in the box. Safely kept, they lay a beautiful dark chocolate colored egg.
Where To Get Chicks
This step can be VERY important. There are three ways to get chicks, you can order them, purchase them at a store or from a breeder or hatch them yourself. If you order your chicks online you will have minimum orders depending on the breed. You will also see that some chicks are straight run (can be both male and female) or pullets (are all female, although it is possible for a male to be included on accident). Pay the additional fee to have your chicks inoculated for Marek’s disease. It is a horrible and fatal disease that can be fully prevented. The chicks will be mailed to your post office and you will HAVE TO make sure someone can pick them up when they come in. Purchasing them from a store or local breeder is a fine choice as well, especially if you only want a few chicks. Again, I suggest making sure the chicks are inoculated for Marek’s. If you incubate eggs you will have plenty options for incubators. We have personally had the best luck with the kind that does not automatically turn the eggs. Follow the instructions exactly, especially regarding temperature and humidity. Also make sure your hands are very clean before touching the eggs and don’t handle them more than you need to. If turning yourself, use a pencil, not a marker or pen to mark your eggs. Eggshells are extremely porous and even the tiniest amount of bacteria can easily make it to your developing chick.
Setting Up the Brooder
Once you have those adorable, peeping little balls of fluff you’re going to have to get them in a brooder right away. From the time they hatch they can go 24 hours without food or water, after that they’re ready to eat and drink. Here’s your shopping or finding list:
A thick container (we use a storage tub until they are too big for the brooder then transfer them to an metal feed tub). I also recommend covering the brooder with chicken wire to keep chicks in and pets out. We put heavy pieces of wood on each end to keep the wire in place.
A heat lamp that can be safely set above the chicks with no possibility of falling or slipping too close to the brooder. You don’t want your chicks to get too hot and you if using a plastic brooder, you don’t want it to melt. If chicks are huddled together for long amounts of time it is too cold. If they are laying sprawled out, it is too hot.
A small waterer. This can go on the bottom of the brooder or hung above it. Eventually, as the chicks get bigger you will have to get it up off the ground or it will always be filled with bedding and chicken poop.
A small feeder. We start with glass custard bowls until they get bigger then switch to a purchased feeder. When they are able to, they will get on top of the feeders which is a good reason to hang them or use long feeders.
Bedding. Newspaper can actually cause chicks to slip and hurt themselves so pine bedding is best. You will want to make sure the bedding is in large pieces as anything small enough will get eaten by a chick and can get stuck in its crop (part of a chickens digestion system). We actually lost a chick because of this once. Some people only use sand because of concerns of wood toxicity.
You will need to keep the brooder clean and dry which will require some fairly constant maintenance. You’ll also want to watch for a few potential and common health concerns. The first is a dirty bum. Baby chicks often get feces stuck to their bum and it will have to be cleaned off. A chick with this issue will likely continue to need cleaning for up to several weeks. Use a warm wet cloth to dampen the feces until it easily can be removed without pulling on the chicks skin and feathers. The other concern is pecking. Chicks peck at EVERYTHING, sometimes each other. They aren’t doing it to be mean. It is much like a toddler putting everything in their mouth. Its how they learn. Once a chick is injured by pecking you might have to remove it until it is healed. Anything red will attract the chicks to peck even more. Chicks need each other, so put the healing chick close enough to hear its siblings (and make sure it is warm). I will even add a tiny stuffed animal for it to cuddle up to.
Our next blog will cover setting up your coop and yard.
Welcome to the wonderful world of becoming a chicken owner!
Fourteen Acre Wood
Audrey L Elder
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