“Daisy” is a fluffy Buff Orpington. A big, beautiful blond. Sweet, tame, the first to greet us, the first to be on our laps when we sit nearby. She is somewhat “motherly” to the other hens, although she’ll never hatch eggs and be a mother because we have no rooster. She was the first to lay an egg and has laid an egg every day for the first three months of her adulthood. If I had to pick one breed of chicken for a backyard hen project, I’d pick Buff Orpingtons. Daisy died at the age of 5 1/2 years. She remained sweet, friendly, and calm her whole life. We miss her.

“Sweetpea” is just as her name implies. A cuddler by nature, she’s the only hen who will sit still for any length of time, sometimes closing her eyes and enjoying the lap of a human as her coop-mates hop off and on human knees. Her breed, Barred (or Plymouth) Rock, are known to be good layers of light-brown eggs, steady and quiet hens. If you look carefully at Sweetpeas’s comb, you can see a chunk missing in the back. One of the other hens became annoyed with Sweetpea, pecked her, and tore off a piece of her comb. We encourage Sweetpea to stand up to the Wyandottes but it is not in her nature. At age six now, she is still friendly and gets along well with her two younger companions, Penny and Ginger.

“Poppy” is strickingly beautiful. A Silver-laced Wyandotte with black and white feathers, she is also the most temperamental of our six hens (see story “A Problem Chicken”). Poppy likes to have her back scratched by humans since there is no rooster around to do it for her. She is still high-strung and has a tendency to chase the chickens that are lower on the “pecking order”. Poppy lays beautiful light-brown eggs. She passed away at the age of five.

“Rosie” is our little Rhode Island Red. No flock is complete without this standard breed. She lays eggs that are medium brown in color. Rosie is our little “chow hound”. When we are in the garden, she watches our every move, hoping we’ll find a tidbit such as a snail or a potato bug for her to devour. She grabs food away from the other hens and if we carry in a bowl of treats to the hens, she will jump into the air to reach for it. She reminds us of our “late” Chocolate Labrador Retriever who would do anything for food. Rosie is now “late” herself. She died in early January 2011 (see “Rosie Passed Away”). I can’t bear to take her picture off this site because she was so much a part of our flock. We miss her. I would like to get another Rhode Island Red. They are consistent layers and good pets.

The name “Petunia” sounds so sweet and Petunia looks sweet. But Petunia is not! She is the most timid of all the hens and is quick to run if we reach to pick her up. The pretty Golden-laced Wyandotte is quick to snap at other hens and can be downright cruel to Rosie and Sweetpea, pecking their heads if they come too close. Petunia could best be described as “edgy”, but she is a part of the flock and remarkably beautiful. Petunia was one of those chickens that caused such chaos in the coop that we made the difficult decision to re-home her. See the story of Petunia’s new home here.

“Tulip” was one of the first three chicks we bought. She was (and still is) an observer. She watches the other hens, the humans, and is ever alert to danger. Her Ameraucana breed is known for laying blue or green eggs. Tulip’s are a light olive-green, very subtle and “tasteful” in color. Tulip usual lets the other hens eat first. She is in no hurry to grab a snack. She is the first, however, to dip her beak into the yogurt bowl. Tulip loves yogurt and cottage cheese. Tulip passed away on April 26, 2012, after suffering from a common disease of hens called egg yolk peritonitis. She was very pretty and very dear.

Penelope “Penny” and Ginger

“Penelope”, who we call “Penny”, and “Ginger”, came to us at about five months of age. Our neighbor, Jacob, raised them as a school project. Jacob did not know that they were laying eggs because they were “free ranging” in his yard and were good at hiding them. We were down to two old hens so I was glad to have these wonderful young layers. It was hard for Daisy and Sweetpea to accept these two young “upstarts”. The young hens had to sleep on a lower roost and wait until the two older hens had finished eating at the “treat bowl” before they could approach. It took about three weeks before things settled in.

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Chicks grow from tiny fluffy balls to egg-laying hens in five months. It is amazing how their little bodies turn chicken feed into feathers, muscle, and energy. It is important that they’re fed the highest quality feed to meet their needs. While we feed our hens scraps from the kitchen and a handful of cracked corn each day to supplement their diet (and make them happy), we were careful to have the chicks stick to the recommended diet (with a few healthy exceptions).

Feed companies spend millions researching and preparing mixtures that provide optimum support for growing chicks. Most feed stores carry the proper mix for your young chicks. It is called “starter”. It should have sufficient protein, carbohydrates, and thirteen vitamins to support growth. Vitamins will help chicks build strong bones and healthy blood cells, and fats to provide energy and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Unless you wish to feed a vegetarian diet to your animals, don’t try to mix your own feed. Use a commercial chick starter for the first 6-8 weeks.

Commercial feed comes with medication to prevent the dreaded coccidiosis, an intestinal disease that interferes with nutrient absorption. You shouldn’t need a medicated starter if you raise your chicks before warm, humid weather allows coccidia to flourish. Your decision of whether or not you choose to use a medicated starter for chicks should be based on the size of your flock (a handful of chicks raised in a clean brooder are less likely to be infected) and the condition of the environment. If you have no adverse feelings about using medication in food and want to be on the safe side, I recommend you use the medicated starter. If you are raising poultry for meat, there are “natural” commercial feeds available.

Even chicks like treats. From about a week on, we gave our chicks some treats each day, to keep them active, and to relieve boredom. Yes, even little minds get bored. They were fed tiny portions of shredded apples, a cooked egg yolk, a pinch of oatmeal sprinkled in their litter, and a bug or two we brought in from outdoors. Do not supplement their diet to the extent that they ignore their food. This could bring on ill health.

At about six weeks you can slowly introduce a “grower” mixture into your chick feed. This feed will help them put on weight that hens need to begin laying and that fryers need to be……well, to be eaten.

Water is such an important part of a chick’s diet. I just can’t ignore it in my writing about feed. When chicks first arrive, they often have been without water for 1-3 days. Their little bodies have been living off the yolk sac that was absorbed into their bodies before hatching. When you bring your chicks home, give them a little water with an eyedropper or fingertip. A drop or two will revive them. Some people use a mixture of a few tablespoons of sugar in the water for the first few days to give the chicks energy and encourage hydration. Even chicks like sweets. Show them where the waterer is located in the brooder and dip each beak into it so they will know where to go when they are thirsty.

If you are worried about dehydration, commercial electrolytes (available in feed stores) can be added to the water the first week. Beware, this mixture can make chicks hyperactive so use it for a few days only, then fill waterers with fresh water.

For a handful of chicks, inexpensive feeders and waters with quart jars attached can be used until the chicks are ready for their permanent home outdoors. If you use cedar chips in the bottom of your brooder, you may want to raise the waterer up an inch or two (no further than shoulder height of your chicks) on a paver, as the chips tend to get in the waterer, preventing the chicks from access to drinking properly. We put little pebbles in the waterer to prevent the chicks from standing (and invariably pooping) in it. It is essential that they have fresh, clean water at all times to prevent diseases. This requires constant monitoring.

Scrub the feeders and waterer once a week with diluted bleach. Keep the brooder clean and feed your chicks quality food. Healthy chicks are happy chicks. It seems like overnight these precious little birds turn into beautiful egg-layers.

We do not live on a farm, nor do we want to turn over our garden to foraging chickens, so we designed a small coop with a partially covered run that nestles in a far corner of our half-acre next to “open space”. It has worked out fairly well. Had I stuck to my original plan for having four hens, instead of six, (see my entry on a “problem chicken”) it would have been even better.

When designing a coop and run for your backyard, consider this. Will your chickens be able to be outside most of the day? In our temperate climate, the hens go inside only to lay eggs or to run from a hawk flying over their pen, so inside space is relatively small. Even in the rain they prefer to be in the outdoor sheltered area of the run rather than indoors. Do you have predators that would threaten your birds, or could they free range (with only a shelter for food, water, and nesting boxes)?

According to most books, large breed hens only need four square feet of space per bird and 12″-18″ of roostingspace. While this is adequate, giving hens a little more space than the minimum requirements, makes for happy layers (you know how girls are). Design your coop for easy cleaning (it is inevitable). Provide a nest box for every four hens (even at that, ours have had to “double up” occasionally during a busy spell). Consider climate, lighting, ventilation and your neighbors, when designing a coop. A little research now will make for happy hens later.