Many have been starting their spring this year with bringing home new chicks for their flocks. This is one of the most enjoyable parts of spring that we love to be a part of here at the Co-op! Chickens are a growing practice in the average home for good reason! They are easy to keep, take up little room, they produce manure that you can utilize as fertilizer for your gardens, and the abundant healthy food supply they offer are just a few reasons why so many have turned to this practice.
For some bringing home new chicks is “old-hat” and you are seasoned in how to adjust and accommodate as they grow and develop but for many this may be all new! So now that you have chicks, let's go over the next steps to get them from the palm-sized fluffball to an egg laying hen!
Chick Stage
At the chick stage your chick will be feeding chick starter/grower. This is the ideal formulation for them at this age due to its high protein to support the rapid growth birds go through. It also has low calcium. There is enough calcium supplied to support the growth of the skeletal structure as they develop but since they are not producing egg shells (calcium) yet, they do not need high levels. In fact, since they are not laying eggs, the calcium has no way to exit the bird effectively and will build up in the filtering organs like the kidney and can cause major organ damage and health problems if they are ingesting high levels of calcium at this stage of life!
These chicks will be utilizing a brooder that will create a controlled and safe environment. The brooder is kept at high temperatures while the chicks begin to grow their feathers. Only once the birds are fully feathered they will be able to regulate their own body heat but until that point they need to have that heat supplemented. As the birds age in the chick stage the necessary ambient temperature of the brooder decreases:
This is important to monitor and make sure that the heat source is positioned in a way so if the heat becomes excessive the chicks can get out of the direct heat.
They will begin to progressively eat and drink more as they grow so monitoring feed and water availability is key. As size permits consider elevating their feed and water dishes to reduce waste and mess. Clean them often.
The next thing you will notice is that they will begin to outgrow their brooder usually around the age of 4 weeks. They begin to try and spread their wings and test the boundaries of the enclosure. They can remain in a small contained brooder for quite a while and note that controlling the temperature through their development is more vital that space restrictions at this point if you have to choose between the two. Increasing the brooder size or splitting the group into two brooders may be the most necessary as they grow depending on your individual situation.
You will also need to have a dish or feeder with chick grit in it. Remember this is how they chew their food and is a major part of their digestive system. Don’t increase the size of the grit until they are around 16 weeks old. The grit may be too large and the risk of choking is not worth it. Chick grit will be sufficient at this stage.
To begin building a report with your birds you can always handle them and consider feeding them mealworms as a treat (not scratch!). This is a great way for them to associate you with good things. When handling the chicks make sure it is only for a limited time as they should not be restricted from food and water and they really do need the heat the brooder provides.
Molting is a normal part of a chicken's life at every stage but can be quite alarming , especially for new chicken owners! Molting is just a process of how a bird replaces old and existing feathers with new feathers. In the Juvenile stage the birds will go through this process multiple times as they get bigger and they outgrow their feathers rapidly. Between 12-18 months they will begin their seasonal molting cycle which will typically be a fall and spring cycle where they replace their feathers in the fall to prepare for winter and they shed their thick winter layers as they prepare for summer.
Integration Stage
Integrating your birds can be a tense time. There are a lot of changes and if you have an existing flock there are even more uncertainties. After removing the heat lamps from the birds for a number of days in their brooder to acclimate them in a controlled setting, it is time for them to relocate into their long term home: the coop. If you have an existing flock, the best thing to do is create a separate area where they can begin to see and hear and smell the newcomers without the ability to exercise their authority. Pecking order is a real thing. They will find their places in the flock but this will help reduce the shock as they are already exposed to each other.
Chicks begin laying after 18 weeks on average. Some will be early and some later. Integrating as close to this period in which they are laying is ideal based on your specific setup and circumstance. Most will integrate around the 15 week point to give them a few weeks to settle in before the laying begins.
Your coop should be large enough for all of your birds. The coop should be 4 square feet for each bird and their run should be 8 square feet for each bird. Nesting boxes are typically shared by 3-4 birds.
Hen Stage
The Hen sage is where all your work pays off. Your birds are much less dependent, and they start paying you back in eggs!
Ensure at this stage the chickens are on layer feed as it meets all of their nutritional requirements. Keep their nesting boxes and coop clean. Consider moving their coop around if it’s mobile (this is good for your chickens and for your ground!) provide scratch at this stage of life to encourage exercise and increase calorie consumption (mealworms are great too!)
Chickens in this stage of life will be big eaters and drinkers so be attentive to their needs and consider providing larger ones for the safety of your birds and the convenience it will offer for you!
In all of these stages providing electrolytes and probiotics is always recommended. Supplying other needs like bedding, heat, or water management as needed is part of being a chicken owner!
It is also highly recommended to have an area prepared to quarantine. If you have a bird that is sickly or even injured it is recommended to separate them immediately from the rest of the flock for their protection and for the protection of the rest of the flock. Birds can be ruthless and they often attack an injured bird, especially if there is a visible wound. In addition, many diseases that affect the flocks are highly contagious and can also spread through the other animals at your property as well, oftentimes. When in doubt, quarantine the bird and don’t take the risk.
Once your hens are ready to retire, and stop laying you should take them off of layer feed. They are no longer in need of the high calcium levels. Many will feed a high end scratch at this point, monitor their health and provide vitamin and mineral supplementation if this is the option you choose as the scratch is generally void of these ingredients.
We live in a day and age where we have so much information available and it is a really great thing. So many people give great ideas of how to accommodate specific needs that may be more specific to your situation. Have fun with your chickens and try out some different things! Also make sure you sop in and talk with our staff about our different feed options and all of your chicken needs at both of our Snohomish and Monroe locations!
We’ll see you at the Co-op!
