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Raising chickens in your backyard

Raising Chickens...

Raising chicks into adult birds doesn't have to be hard.

Raising your own small flock of chickens from chicks is not hard at all and doesn't need to be. All chicks have the same basic needs. They need:

A brooder of some type whether it is a cardboard box, a finished hen house, a plastic tub or a warm spot in the garage with wire as a pen.
They need fresh water.
The proper chick starter feed.
Dry litter either shavings (not cedar), corn cob bedding, etc.
A 250 watt heat lamp that can keep them at 95 degrees the first week. After the first week, decrease the temperature 5 degrees each week until they fully feather out, about 6-8 weeks.
They need to be kept free of drafts but need fresh air circulation.
They need to be kept secure and away from predators. This includes other family pets you may now have.

Chicken Facts

Did you know the average egg laying bird lays around 300 eggs a year?

Birds raised for egg production can give your family about 300 eggs a year from each bird. A flock of just 6 can produce 1800 eggs a year. That is more than enough for your family and may even leave some to sell to friends. Look for breeds such as Productions Reds, Black Star and other brown egg layers that produce well.

Researchers say home grown eggs are healthier.

Recent research published by Mother Earth News, a magazine dedicated to self-reliant and healthy living, found that eggs from chickens allowed to forage naturally have, on average, seven times more beta carotene (which is what makes pastured egg yolks so orange), three times more vitamin E, two times more omega-3 fatty acids and two-thirds more vitamin A than factory farm birds. Pastured eggs also have one-third less cholesterol and one-quarter less saturated fat, on average.

Chickens are useful for pest control.

Allowing your chickens to free roam on your property will reduce the number of pests in your lawn and around your home. Chickens are excellent for natural pest control without having to resort to chemical pesticides.

Safety Tip

Running two heat lamps assures the safety of the birds. If one lamp burn out, the second light will continue to keep them warm.

Ordering healthy chicks...meat or egg birds?

The first decision you have to make is whether you want chickens for eggs or meat.

Starting out with healthy chicks from a reputable breeder is the first step in raising chickens.

Your first decision before placing your order is whether you want birds for eggs or meat. Once you decide on that, then do you want brown egg layers or white eggs. Unfortunately a duel purpose bird is just not available. Egg laying birds lack the large breast meat of a roaster and meat birds lack the ability to be large egg producers. The hatcheries listed below are your next stop so you can order your chicks.

Once the chicks are ordered, now is the time to start preparing for their arrival. Now is the time to decide what you will put them in. This can be a box or a tub or cardboard ring. Have it set up and ready to go. You will also need a brooder light available at a feed supply store (250 watt heat lamp bulb), chick starter feed, a waterier, a feeder and wood shavings.

When you setup your brooder box you want the heat lamp about 18" from the floor. You want the temperature to be 95 degrees under the lamp 24 hours a day. Do NOT turn the lamp off at night. Each week you will raise the lamp to reduce the temperature by 5 degrees until you get the temperature under the lamp at 70 degrees. By the time you get the temperature to 70 the birds should be well feathered out and no longer need a light to keep them warm.

When your new chicks arrive at your local post office they will call you to come and pick them up. Now is not the time to go and do other tasks. Go get the chicks and get them home. They have been in transit for a day or two, maybe even three and are thirsty and hungry. Take them out of the shipping box one at a time and dip their beaks into the water. Do this with each bird as you remove it from the shipping box. This will hydrate them from their long trip and show them where the water is.

For the next few weeks weeks all you need to do is keep the chicks warm, well fed, free from drafts and well watered. Feel free to handle them gently and let them get to know you. You will be surprised as they get older how they will get to know your voice and greet you when you come home.

While our chicks are eating and growing over the next few weeks, this is the time to start thinking about and preparing their permanent home which we will cover in out next section, housing.

Poultry Breeders

Below are resources for poultry breeders online. All will ship chickens direct to your local post office for pickup. I have not ordered chicks from all of the hatcheries listed below but I haven't heard anything negative about any of them. They are all good suppliers of healthy birds.


	McMurray Hatchery		Moyer's Chicks
	Ideal Hatchery		Healthy Chicks and More
	Welp Hatchery		Hoover's Hatchery
	Cackle Hatchery		Privett Hatchery

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