This is the ultimate starting with chickens guide that you need to see!
I am not claiming to be a professional in this but I wanted to put a few things I learned about having baby chicks into this “starting with the chickens” guide!
I hope these tips help you as much as they did me!
This post is all about starting with chickens!
Starting With Chickens Guide (For layers)
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1) Decide What Age Chickens You Want
We were told by our local hatchery to start with baby chicks (we were beginners) just for the fact that you grow with them and really get to know them. If you are not wanting the hassle, start with juvenile or full adult chickens!
2) Decide On The Breed
There are so many different breeds of chickens that all lay different eggs. Do your research to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into!
These are the ones we have:
- Americana (blue and green eggs)
- Jersey Giant (dark brown eggs)
- Speckled Sussex (light brown eggs)
- Barred Rock (brown eggs)
2) Have a “chick starter pack” if starting with Baby Chicks
I watched a youtube video and these are the beginner items that were recommended and we got for our chicks!
- Box
The perfect box for baby chicks to start out in! Choose the size according to the number of chicks!
- Bedding
- Heater (lamp or brooder)
We used a brooder to mimic a mama hen! And it’s said that a brooder is safer than a heat lamp!
- Feeder and water container
- Chick feed
I would suggest asking your hatchery what feed they are already on and purchase that one for them. If you are not buying from a local hatchery, ask a local farm and/or do your research for the best feed for your chicks!
3) Figure Out The Chicken Coop (Buying vs Building)
If you are planning on building you can find different plans online depending on the style and size! We built ours using THIS plan mixed with some of my husband’s ideas.
4) Animal Proofing The Coop
The coop and run need to be as animal-proofed as much as possible to avoid animals eating eggs or chickens.
5) Know About The Details
~Pasty Butts
I only found out about pasty butts from my sister-in-law and discovered it could be the cause of death in chicks many times! When you know details like that you can sometimes prevent death amongst them!
~Chickens start laying eggs around 6 months
Knowing how long it takes for chickens to start laying eggs could play a role in you choosing the age when buying!
~Garlic in water can be a great immune booster
I freaked out when I saw some red in the chick’s excreta, after reaching out to the farmer she had said to add a couple of pinches of garlic into their water and sure enough- a few days later all was better!
Knowing small details like the ones listed above is really really helpful to you and to your chicks! Do your research and talk to local farms so when the chicks come to you you’re prepared!
This post was all about starting with chickens!
I hope some of these tips were helpful and you were able to take something for yourself before getting chickens! Let me know which tip was your favorite!
I’d love to hear from you!