Posts Tagged Raising Chicks

Chicks have what they need.

When chicks are newly hatched, they have some basic requirements, one of them being a brooder. If chicks are not being raised by a hen, “the humans” will have to provide them with all the things a hen would give them. When we brought our “less than three-day-old chicks” home from the farm supply store, they were tiny fluff balls with no hovering hen to watch out for them. They needed to be kept warm, help in finding food and water, and protection from predators. Humans were in charge of all that.

Chicks, whether being raised by a hen or humans, have five basic needs:

• heat
• food and water
• adequate space
• freedom from drafts
• safety from predators

To provide all of these for your baby chicks, a little preparation is recommended. A brooder can be expensive or cheap but is something you will need for the first few weeks of your chicks lives. For the complete article on making a brooder, see “Chicks Need a Brooder” at https://www.backyardhencam.com/?page_id=249 on this site. Hopefully it will get you started on making a brooder that will meet the needs of your tiny flock.

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.