This year, despite the HH’s raised eyebrows, I will be adding to my flock. The Girl and I ordered 3 Blue Cochin chicks from Lisa at The Garden Sphere awhile ago, and they’ll be arriving in a few weeks. But since baby chicks are starting to arrive at local garden centers and feed stores right now, I wanted to make sure you knew what to do with them in case you brought some home. Because really, who can resist?
If you have been thinking about getting baby chicks, I highly recommend it. I love my little ladies–they make great pets, plus they provide uh-mazingly tasty eggs. I’m telling you, it makes my day when I see them running toward me to say hello and nose around in whatever I am doing–plus their run is still so funny to me, I don’t know if that will ever wear off, but I hope not.
The first step in backyard chickening {that’s a verb, right?} is to decide what type of chicken you would like and order them up. Next, prepare their home. While they are chicks {the first 4-5 weeks anyway}, they will need a super warm place to grow.
Here is what you will need:
- A brooder {a place to keep the chicks}. This can be a simple as a cardboard box, a rubbermaid container, a stock tank {that’s what I’ll be using}, or an old children’s swimming pool. Just make sure whatever it is, it doesn’t allow too much of a draft.
- A warming light and thermometer
- Absorbent bedding {chicks are pooping machines, so you will want to change this frequently}
- A feeder
- Waterer
- Feed
- Grit
- Netting or chicken wire for the top to prevent escapees
4-5 weeks flies by, so have their outdoor home ready too. It will make your life easier in the long run.
To prepare your brooder, line whatever container you decided on with newspaper. Then place bedding material over the top {typically pine shavings or pellets}. Turn on warming light, new chicks will need a temperature of 95 degrees to start, and you can drop it by 5 degrees for each week of age, until you get to 70 degrees, then you can keep it constant. Sprinkle some feed {a chick-starter feed is best for the first several weeks} on the ground to encourage scratching.
When your baby chicks first arrive, they may be worn out–depending on how long they had to travel to get to you. Make a sugar water mixture and dip their little beaks into it. This is like baby chick Gatorade–it will give them a little much needed energy while they adjust to their new digs. Then, put the remaining mixture into their waterer. Make sure to put the water on the opposite side of the brooder as the warming light. From here on out, food and fresh water is CRUCIAL to baby chicks. They will self-regulate their hunger and thirst, so make sure they have access 24/7 to both food and water. Also, be prepared for them to eat a ton–seriously, they will put a teenage boy to shame.
After 4 weeks, begin transitioning your chicks to the outdoors. Start by opening windows, or placing their brooder in a doorway where they may get a breeze or at least be subject to fluctuating weather. Depending on your climate, you can begin allowing the birds to be outside in the day around 5 weeks, by 8 weeks {again, as long as the weather is warm enough} they should be big and strong enough to live in their outside coop full time.
If you are thinking about getting a flock of your own, check out the book Homemade Living: Keeping Chickens with Ashley English: All You Need to Know to Care for a Happy, Healthy Flock. Amazon currently has the book in stock and ready to ship.
Will YOU be getting baby chicks this spring?
~Mavis
