Yes, they really are that fluffy and cute.
You have decided to get chicks, but wondering where to begin.
1. Brooder - Set up the brooder before getting chicks. It's not as stressful for you when you get them home and it's not stressful for them. Brooders are where they are going to live till their fluffy feathers are gone.
Containers - galvanized tanks, soft pet play pens, storage tubs, or cardboard boxes.
Think of a way to cover the top of the container with something like chicken wire as the chicks will use their wings at a certain point.
Area to set up - inside house, garage, or a very safe barn. A place to help maintain safety and warmth is best.
Heat Source - heat lamp or brooder plate are the main options.
Brooder plates are safer and gives the chicks a place to hide as well as a place to jump up on as they get older. If you do get heat lamps, get the red infrared bulb as it will prevent any red 'owies' from becoming a peck fest by other chicks. Chickens and chicks like to peck and can peck to death (that's just the truth). I haven’t experienced this, but I have heard.
I like a combo as I have a chilly garage, so the heat lamp helps and I can rely on the brooder plate mainly.
You cannot use a regular light bulb. It does not supply enough heat.
Above picture: Brooder using a foldable play pen with brooder plate and some heat lamp.
Above Picture: Brooder using a oval galvanized water tank. Main heat is a heat lamp (moved brooder plate to younger chicks). Using a rod with clamps to hang waterer and treats (chick stick and kale). There’s wire and towels covering the top because they were escaping via those wings! :)
2. Supplies - again set up and purchase in advance of chick arrival
Water
Chick Waterer - purchased online or any farm supply store *Recommend 2 for cleaning rotation.
*Recommend hanging waterers with water nipples to reduce mess! I recommend getting extra nipples in case they stop working.
Feed - Medicated Chick Crumbles can be purchased at any farm supply, Amazon, or Chewy. Also you’ll need a feeder which can be purchased online or a farm supply. :)
Bedding
Shavings - I like the small ones as they are softer. Also, when purchasing at farm supply stores notify them it is for chicks as they don't charge sales tax on supplies for livestock in California.
Electrolytes & Probiotics - any farm supply store will carry and it is good to help the chicks out the first few days/week to being home. These are put in the water. Recommend having one waterer with the additives and one without.
3. What chicken breed? Decide what breed you want. There are many sites with great info on the various breeds. You can decide between layer vs meat (or both) and breeding vs just laying. If your plan is to breed chickens, you will need roosters for that. Chickens do not lay eggs with chicks on their own. Quick fact, chickens are born with all their eggs that they are going to lay.
One important aspect of breeds to look at is temperament. Some breeds are aggressive and loud. I just gave away a Black Star (Sexlink) and it was a bully as well as loud. I sometimes thought I had a jungle in the coop. I tried to reform her from bullying and it didn’t pan out. Some people love that breed, but it wasn’t for me.
Above Picture: An Astralorp Chick
I’m currently an Orp house. I love my Buff Orpingtons as they are sweet and pretty good layers. I just got Black Astralorps (Australian cousin of Orpington) that are great layers and should have calm temperaments. And I got two more Orpingtons that are lavender (gray with slight lavender hues).
4. Think and plan for the future. The transfer outside time shows up before you know it.
What coop will they live in and where?
How will you secure the coop?
What run will you have for them? Some fabricated coops come with runs.
What will you transition them in from brooder to coop? It’s good to do short outside trips (weather permitting, not to cold) with the chicks to get them ready for coop life. I use a dog crate.
5. Once ready, get your chicks! You can check out your local farm supply, or go online. Yes, they can come in the mail…here’s some sites:
In person and in SLO County, I prefer Farm Supply that has several locations and has an online list here. I also had a great experience with Premier Ag in Paso Robles.
That way you can plan. Some places do not separate the breeds well and you may end up with a different breed…or a duckling, no, I’m kidding. I recommend printing out photos of the chicks so you know what you are getting at the time.
6. Go time! You’re set up and you have the chicks. Now what?
Put the chicks in the brooder with their water, food, and heat.
Heat. The brooder plate is what it is just make sure it’s on, but if using a heat lamp, you’ll move it as they age (closer and then further away):
Hatching-1st week: 90F
2nd-3rd week: 80F
4th-5th week: 75F (depending on weather, can start short/safe trips outside)
6th week: 65-75F
9th-12th week: Outdoor Coop
Be sure to dip their beaks in the water so they understand where their H2O is. I also tap their feed too.
Let them chill their first day with less interaction to avoid stressing them out.
Definitely use electrolytes and probiotics the first few days to a week.
Pick them up after that first day and hold them for a couple minutes a couple times a day. This helps them get used to you as you’ll need to handle them as hens. I like to rub their tummies, heads, neck, and back. I also touch their feet. If they freak out, I hold them like a boat in my hand. I‘ll sing or hum (more like a “doot doo”) as chickens do like singing…supposedly classical music is great for laying although I don’t know personally. One note is when they are young (days to 1 week) be shorter on your holding time (eyes closing is a good indicator).
I start after a few days putting my hand down into the brooder with feed in my palm to help get them comfortable with me. They peck at my hand, or climb on, but sometimes it doesn’t work as it can take a little time.
Change their water daily, or more as needed. Refill their feed as needed.
7. Cohabiting different aged chicks. My first year the chicks were close in age despite breed differences, but this year the chicks are weeks apart. I read on a chicken board that some people put them in the same brooder with no problems while others had pecking problems. So, I did separate brooders to be on the safe side. More work, but my 1ish weeks are too small compared to the 5 week olds.
8. Treats, oh my! This is not to replace the chick feed, but I did start giving the chicks small bits of kale at week 3-4. It gave them a source of entertainment. I chopped it tiny at first and now its chunks that they chase around each other. I started hanging them in a chicken treat bag to train them to not be afraid of hanging things. My hens don't like hanging treats in the coop, so training the young’ns in hopes it will reform the older hens.
You can do any green veggie, but allium and night shade fams (not good for all ages). I personally like leafy greens. Also, cannot be rotten or moldy.
Lastly, you can also get chick sticks in stores which is another treat they can slowly work on. I’d say wait till week 2 as they’ll be way more active at that time.
7. Cleanliness. Stay on top of cleaning for their health. How often depends on how many chicks. There’s a couple of things I recommend for cleaning.
Yard size Trash Bags - also a garbage can to hold the bag is helpful (with a lid is even better!)
A plastic cup or small dust pan for getting out the poos. They only release via poo (no pee spots in other words).
Poop Off is a spray you can get on Amazon. It’s awesome. It works on concrete, plastic, you name it.
Lastly, good rule of thumb is to wash your hands before and after handling chicks. I wash between handling the different ages as well.
8. Watch for illness. Generally they do fine, but sometimes things happen. The below were things that just happened this year with my lavender Orps. They are fine, but I think their journey was a stressful one before I got them as one had the pasty butt and vent and the other a broken nail.
Pasty Butt - Common. Build up of droppings on their bum. Don’t want them to get to the point where things can’t come out. So you will need to take a paper towel with warm water and hold to the area for a few minutes. Then clean, very carefully and gently, trying to pull off the poop.
Protruding Vent (the back hole) - You can put Vaseline on their rear to help reduce irritation.
Broken Nail - It was a clean break thankfully and I used cornstarch to stop The bleeding and neosporin for the healing. After a day, it was fine. If more bleeding occurs, would need to get on it and call a vet.
Heres an online chicken board I use for other health questions: https://www.backyardchickens.com/
You can expect an everyday routine that’s a little more work then when they are hens. This time is important for them and you. Hopefully, this helps with some of the first time jitters of raising chicks. This, of course, is for backyard chickens as farm life can be different if you have 20+ chicks at a time. Backyard chickens a lot of times are pets (mine are), but they are useful pets as they will supply you with food!
Feeling wobbly? There’s great resources online as well as books, so don’t stress. Just read up.
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