How to raise chickens

It’s been raining for about a week now, with just about no end in sight. This is great for my vegetable garden, but the turkeys were moved to the greenhouse and are already messing up the joint. They have to be kept clean or they’ll succumb to disease. The idea was to keep them in the greenhouse during the night and move them to pasture during the day. They’re too young yet to become chilled in the rain, so they’re confined to the greenhouse, with the windows open so that it does not get too moist in there for their breathing.

The chickens have been moved to the large dog kennel inside, which was the turkey cage until they out grew it. They’ve enjoying their new digs, but are clearly going to have to be moved or at least separated into two batches within the week, as they’ve already out grown the kennel. The nice thing about the set up we have with the dog kennel is that they are up on wire so any waste falls through to the bottom tray and can then be scooped and cleaned without the birds coming into contact with the waste material. Anything that can be done to minimize the work involved in keeping them healthy while still keeping us from losing our minds from lack of sleep is wonderful.

Martha is still sitting on eggs. She should have hatched them by now. We are going to give her another week and then decide that they are not fertile. We really were looking forward to baby ducklings. Ah, well. She may have been laying more eggs and we may have our timing off.

Anyway, we’re heading into financial territory where the Great Depression is one of the most searched terms on Google. People are unsure of how they’re going to live, where they’re going to get their food from, how they’re going to be able to sustain their lives. I’m here to tell you that not only can you sustain your family, you can do it well. NOW is the time to start, and we’re going to start with food production. Chickens are one of the most popular ways to raise food for your family. They don’t eat much, can forage for some of their own food, don’t take up much space, and will provide eggs, meat (if you choose), fertilizer, and pest control.

This is my how to raise baby chickens blog, which will be in two parts for space purposes. Anyone can do it. If you live in the city, check, it may be illegal to keep “livestock” but legal to keep up to a certain number of “pet” chickens. If it’s not legal at all, maybe you could share the duties with a friend that lives in an animal friendly area.

I order my chicks as day old (newly hatched) chicks from a hatchery. There are many good hatcheries around. You can also order from your local feed store, such as Agway, or Tractor Supply. You can often find chicks them on Craigslist – look for listings under Farm and Garden – and you may find a chicken swap around where you can buy from local people. You can raise your own from chicks, but you’ll need a broody hen (one with a mothering instinct) or an incubator for that, plus some fertilized eggs.

Before I receive my chicks, I prepare a Rubbermaid tote for them. Line the floor with cardboard and paper towels so that they don’t slip. If they do slip around, they can get permanent leg deformities. I like to put them in my living room because it’s warm and sunny there. Believe it or not, natural light seems to help them grow and thrive, just like plants. They’ll need a small feeder with a cover (or they will poop in the food) and holes around it. I use the kind that is round and screws to a Mason jar. This allows you to go longer in between feeding chores. I also use a waterer that has the Mason jar screwed onto it. You’ll need a heat lamp for them, which is cheaper at a big box store like Home Depot rather than at the feed store. You’ll want an infrared light at 250W and a fixture with a wire protector in front of the light so it won’t fall on them and burn them. You’ll also want a way to keep the light above them and move it up each week as they grow their feathers. Chicks want it very warm as they are born cold blooded (unable to regulate their own temperature) They need it to be 95 degrees for the first week. After that, you’ll want to decrease it by 5 degrees each week. You’ll be able to tell how your chicks are doing easily, though. If they are all huddled under the light, they need it warmer. If they are huddled far away from the light, it’s too hot. If they are spread all over the brooder box, its’ just right. Later, I’ll post the rest of this two part series.