Simple guidelines to set you up for success raising chicks

This past week brought the official start of spring and with it, a nice snowstorm. At this point, having lived my whole life in the Midwest, I have grown to expect a remnant of winter creeping into spring. But while winter is clinging on, spring is proclaiming its presence – the tulips are pushing through the ground, maples have their beautiful red buds, and we have five new chicks chirping their hearts out that yes, spring is here.

I am so excited that this year we are blessed with being able to have chickens at Apricity House. I love raising them – not only are they cute and curious animals, but I so enjoy the ability to step outside my back door and gather fresh eggs for my kitchen.

During recent years there has been a growing trend in raising backyard chickens. But, if you have never lived on a farm or raised young birds before, taking the step and purchasing your chicks can be daunting. The wonderful fact about chickens is, they are very self-sufficient and with a little knowledge, you can easily raise them. So if you are thinking about getting chicks this spring, read on for practical tips on starting your chicks out right.

• Know your local ordinances
  • If you live in the city or town, make sure you know if there are any local rules regarding the ability to raise chickens on your property. Cities frequently will have rules on the number allowed, rules about roosters, and other related ordinances.
• Prepare a starting home
  • While you will want a coop for your chickens in the long term, when they first arrive as chicks, you will need to make sure they are in a warm contained space. A large cardboard box is the perfect starting place for your chickens. Placing the box in a location that won’t get too cold like a basement, mud room, or garage is ideal to keep your chickens happy and healthy.
• Deck out the starter home
  • To create a cozy space for your new chickens purchase the following items to add to your cardboard box. Check out your local farm/hardware store to purchase these items.
    • Waterer – you can get a small attachment that fits onto a mason quart jar that dispenses water for your chicks.
    • Electrolytes – these will give your chickens a health boost and are added their water.
    • Feeder – similar to the waterer, you can get an attachment for a mason jar to easily dispense food.
    • Chick feed – make sure to choose feed specifically for chicks as it will have a higher protein content to help them grow
    • Heat lamp with a red bulb – this will keep your chickens nice and warm; a red bulb to helps prevent the chickens pecking each other.
    • Towel – place an old towel in the bottom of your box. In about a week, you can upgrade to wood shavings, but starting out, a towel helps with keeping the chicks steady and developing strong legs.
• Prepare finishing touches
  • The day you get your chickens, you need to make sure your starter home is ready to go.
    • The morning of, make sure the heat lamp is on and placed at an appropriate height above the box. Chicks like it warm (around 90 degrees Fahrenheit starting out). Be sure to turn the lamp on in advance of getting the chick to make sure the space has time to warm up.
    • Prepare the water early, adding electrolytes, and place it in the box. Since they are so small, it is important the water is warm for the chicks when they arrive. Placing the water in the box as it is warming up, also allows the water to be at an ideal temperature for them. When you place your waterer in the box, make sure the outlet for the water is pointed towards the lowest point. If not, the water can spill over the sides of the waterer.
    • Have the food ready for the chicks as well to make sure they can eat as soon as they are ready.
• Pick up the chicks
  • Depending on where you are picking up your chicks, they may or may not provide a box to carry them home in. If not or you are going to be traveling a far distance (over 30 minutes), prep a traveling container for them.
    • Use a shoebox or other small cardboard box. Warm up a small plastic water bottle and tape it inside the box with duct tape to keep the chickens warm on a long ride home. Place an old towel in the bottom of the box.
    • When you pick up your chickens, be sure to keep the warm air going in your car to provide a comfortable ride back home for your new little babies.
• Introduce your chickens to their home
  • When you first introduce your chickens to their home, gently dip their beaks in the water and food, to introduce them to it.
  • Watch to see how they are adjusting to your new home. They should be curious about their new environment but also will be tired and frequently will take a nap soon after they settle into their new homes. Check in on them every couple of hours to make sure:
    • They start drinking water and start going to the bathroom.
    • They are not too warm or cold. If they huddle under the heat lamp, chances are, they are cold. If they are spread apart and at the very edges of the box and are breathing heavily or panting, they are too hot. Raise or lower the lamp accordingly.
    • While you don’t want to remove them for too long from the heat, be sure to start handling your chicks from a young age to ensure they become friendly and used to being handled.
• Grow your chicks
  • Once your chicks are settled in, they require very little maintenance. Over the course of the following days you simply need to do the following:
    • Check food and water to make sure it is clean and full
    • Raise the heat lamp as needed. You will start to raise it after about a week in and every week after as they begin to grow and develop feathers.
    • Change the bedding as it becomes dirty. You can use towels for about the first week then change to pine shavings.
    • Make sure there are no signs of illness – lethargy or diarrhea would be common indicators something may not be right.
• Upgrade as needed
  • As the birds get larger, they will be ready to upgrade to either a larger box or the coop. They also will go through more water and food; you can upgrade to a larger size feeder and waterer as needed.

With these simple steps, you will be well on your way to raising happy, healthy chicks. I hope you are encouraged to consider starting your own flock and that you feel equipped to nurture your little chicks when they come.