Raising Backyard Chickens

Many people think that raising chickens is only something that can be done on a farm, but this isn't true. Many cities will allow someone to raise hens although usually not roosters due to the noise factor. With spring coming, many farm supplies stores are starting to get chicks in and either sell them cheap or even give them away when you buy a bag of food.

While free chicks sound good, they probably won't be sexed so you have a 50/50 chance of ending up with a rooster. If you bought these chicks for meat and you end up with this problem, at least you won't have to decide which one to cook first. You can buy a guaranteed female for under $2 from these stores or shop online and get a wider variety for a higher price.

If you're getting chicks for the first time, you'll also need some supplies. You can usually get everything you need for $20-$30.

You'll need a container to put them in. You're going to want about 2 square feet of space for every chick. While it may look like too much when you first get them, they'll fill it up soon enough and if it's too small they'll start fighting due to the overcrowding. I just use a large Rubbermaid container.

You're also going to need a heat lamp. I recommend a red bulb because it makes it easier for the chicks to sleep at night. You also need an attachment you can screw the bulb into and also be able to either clip to the container or some other way to use it with the container.

When the chicks are first born, they need to be kept at 95 degrees for that week with a 5 degree decrease every week after. You could buy a thermometer but the easiest way to tell if they're too hot or too cold is to just look at the chicks. If their too cold they'll probably be peeping loudly as well as forming a tight group where the light shines. If it's too hot, they'll be everywhere but where the light's shining and spread out. So if they sleep together under the light without really bunching up, you're fine. Remember you just need one spot, where the light's shining, that's warm. They'll sometimes want to cool off and move out from under it, so you don't actually need the entire container as hot as that one spot.

You'll need some bedding. You can pick up a large bag of pine bedding for under $10 either at a farm supply store or pet store. You'll want to change the bedding at least once a week. Some people use newspaper but the chicks will get dirty from the ink and there is a risk of them getting splayed legs due to the slickness of newspaper.

For a food dish you'll want to pick up a feed tray. You don't want to use a dish because they'll knock it over and/or spill the food everywhere. Unlike a dog, you want to give the chicks as much as they can eat. They have medicated and un-medicated feed. It costs about the same for both, so unless you have any objections it's safer to get the medicated.

For water they have a base you can screw a one quart mason jar onto. The jar is upside down and fills up the tray as it empties. You can get one that hangs or sits on the ground. If you get a hanging one, keep it about one inch off the ground. With either one, the chicks will get bedding and poop in it so you'll have to check it often to keep it clean.

One thing you'll have to check the chicks for is pasting up. This is when poop gets dried on their bottom which can cause blockage so they can't poop anymore. It will be very obvious when this occurs, you won't need to pick them up and go in for a deeper look to see it. This will kill them if you don't help them. To fix them, get a paper towel wet with warm water and hold it to their bottom to loosen it. Once it's loose, you can use a toothpick to remove it. In a severe case you can hold the rear end of the chick in warm water to loosen it.

Once your chicks reach about 6 weeks of age they'll be ready to get out of your house and start living outside. Make sure they have a nice home in your back yard secure from predators and you've just started your backyard chicken adventures.