Chicken-planning season is here and Spring will arrive before we know it! Have you placed your order for new baby chicks? Now’s the time! If you’re planning to add some backyard chickens to your farm or urban homestead this year, here are some tips to get you through.
Like all babies, the first few months of a chick’s life are fundamental. Make the most of them by properly planning for your young flock with these helpful tips! Pre-planning is crucial when choosing to make a commitment like this.
- Familiarize yourself with local laws, city ordinances, or homeowner’s associations rules. Find out if you need to apply for any permits. Find out how many chickens are allowed on your property and if you are allowed to have only hens, only roosters, or both.
- Check your area if you have enough space to raise chickens. Each chicken would need 4 feet of coop space and 10 feet for grazing.
- Gather your supplies and start setting up. You can choose to build your own brooder or buy a brooder kit. A brooder is a nursery for baby chicks. Pick a brooder that can provide protection from wild animals and is secure enough that the chicks cannot escape. Add a heat lamp or a safer ambient heat source to a section of the brooder, and a cooler area in case the chicks get too warm. Provide soft or warm beddings for the chicks to rest in and avoid newspapers or other slippery materials so that young chicks would not develop splayed legs.
- Make sure there is enough chicken feed and water nearby. Here at Martin’s Feed Mill we have a wide variety of chicken feed for old and young flocks as well as all the supplies you need to care for them.
- Educate other people who will handle the chicks such as holding the chicks firmly but gently. Don’t hesitate to hold your cute new chicks so they get used to human contact. Just make sure you wash your hands first. Over time, some gentle petting and handling will help to imprint and socialize them.
- When the chicks arrive, move them to the brooder immediately. Chicks get easily stressed out in transport, so make sure that you provide enough water, food, and healthcare the moment they arrive. Check immediately for a pasty behind, which happens when poop dries and creates a plug. If this happens, soak the chicks bottom in warm water. When the poop dissolves, rub it off and pat dry the chick’s bottom and place the chick near a heat source so it can warm up and dry off. Check the entire flock for the first few weeks to prevent this.
- Order early from hatcheries near you so you can get the breed that you want. As the demand for chickens grows, the faster certain favorite breeds become unavailable. Martin’s has two options for chick orders this year. Order by March 18th, for delivery on April 21st. The second order is due May 6th for delivery on June 9th. You can check out the selection at www.mthealthy.com. Contact Martin’s Feed Mill today to reserve your chicks. Call us: 814-349-8787
Moving forward, make sure to add these to your daily chore list:
- Clean feeders and waters, removing bedding scraps. (Use gentle soap and water for a full scrub once a week)
- Change wet or soiled bedding and replace with fresh pine shavings.
- Listen for shrill or rapid chirping, which can indicate a problem among the flock.
- Observe their nesting habits. If they’re huddled in one area, use a thermometer to check the temp. Chicks scattering to the outer edges of the brooder guard usually mean the heat lamp is too hot. Alternately, if they’re huddled together at the center, it’s not warm enough. All to one side can indicate a draft.
Taking care of chickens is a commitment. If they are well cared for, they can live up to 10 years or more. You can do advanced research by visiting a farm with chickens to find out how to properly care for chickens before placing a hatchery order. We hope you’ve found these tips helpful so you can begin to create a happy home for your future egg layers.
Place your chick order with Martin’s Feed Mill by March 18th and receive your chicks in April. Call us today 814-349-8787 to reserve yours.