Raising Chicks Archives ~ Homestead and Chill https://homesteadandchill.com/category/chickens/chicks/ Organic Gardening | Real Food | Natural Health | Good Vibes Tue, 29 Aug 2023 23:29:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://homesteadandchill.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/H-75x75.png Raising Chicks Archives ~ Homestead and Chill https://homesteadandchill.com/category/chickens/chicks/ 32 32 155825441 Male or Female Chicks? 5 Ways to Tell the Difference https://homesteadandchill.com/sexing-chicks-male-female-differences/ https://homesteadandchill.com/sexing-chicks-male-female-differences/#comments Wed, 29 Mar 2023 17:08:34 +0000 https://homesteadandchill.com/?p=2056841 Are you wondering if a chick is a rooster or a hen? Read along to learn about sexing chicks - with 5 ways to tell the difference between male and female chicks. Handy reference chart and photos included!

The post Male or Female Chicks? 5 Ways to Tell the Difference appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
Are you wondering if your chick is a female or a male? Well, you won’t really know until they crow… or, lay an egg! Jokes aside, it can sometimes be tough to say if a young chick is going to grow up to be a rooster or hen, yet there are a number of hints and signs that can give you a good clue. Read along to learn about sexing chicks – with 5 ways to tell the difference between male and female chicks, along with a handy reference chart at the end.



Sexing Chicks


Young female chickens are referred to as pullets and young male chickens are called cockerels. At hatcheries, trained professionals usually determine the sex of chicks by examining their cloaca (vent opening and sex parts) just after hatching. Autosexing breeds can be distinguished by more apparent physical features such as color. Then the sought-after female chicks head off to farm centers or customers – but the sexing process isn’t foolproof! It’s not uncommon for folks to end up with an occasional cockerel despite ordering all females.


Speculation and Time


When raising chicks, there’s always a lot of speculation and guessing around chick sex – especially before they reach 8 to 10 weeks old (when the differences become much more apparent). Between imperfect sexing at the hatchery, androgynous individuals, early or late bloomers, those chicks really like to keep us on our toes! That said, there are always exceptions to the “rules” of sexing chicks outlined in this post.

Every backyard chicken keeper has had a suspected cockerel in the group, though it often turns out to be a hen. As a chick, I was pretty darn convinced that Zoey (our current Barred Rock) was a cockerel for many, many weeks. She had really thick legs, stood tall and proud, and was much larger than her sisters. Turns out she’s just a huge bird! So much so, I often call her Big Bertha instead of Zoey nowadays. 

Be patient, give it time, and enjoy those little nuggets while you can. Chicks grow SO darn fast!


Four young chickens sit along a saw horse structure, one is dark black with copper orange feathers around their head, another is golden red, the third is black and white, while the fourth bird is mostly brown with blonde and black accents. A grapefruit tree stands behind them offering protection from predators.
The same four chicks shown in the feature image above – at 15 or 16 weeks old here.


5 WAYS TO SEX CHICKS


1) Autosexing breeds 


With some chicken breeds, you can easily tell the difference between male and female chicks just by looking at them! Certain breeds are considered “autosexing”, where it’s easy to distinguish male vs female chicks by different physical features or markings, even when they’re tiny fluffballs. In the animal kingdom, this is known as sexual dimorphism. Many hatcheries offer autosexing breeds as an easy way to guarantee females.

Autosexing chicken breeds include Dorkings, Crested Cream Legbars, Welsummers, Bielefelders, Rhodebars, and many other less common breeds. Some autosexing chick characteristics are quite obvious: like the distinct dark chipmunk stripes down the back of female Crested Cream Legbars, compared to the lighter body color and yellow head dot found on males. 

Other examples of sexual dimorphism are more subtle, and therefore may be more difficult to rely on. For instance, male barred rock chicks usually have larger, scattered or irregular white spots on their head, while female barred rock chicks have a smaller, more distinct white head spot. Yet this can be hard to quantify or compare – especially if you only have one barred rock chick in your flock! (Our girl Zoey had a very large irregular white spot.) Male barred rock chicks also usually have more evenly yellow legs than female barred rocks, who have subtle black or gray on the front of their legs instead.


A birds eye view of two autosexing Crested Cream Legbar chicks. The female has a more prominent brown stripe down the middle of her back while the male is less defined. Autosexing breeds make sexing chicks a breeze.
Crested Cream Legbar chicks (autosexing): female on the left male on the right (image source)


2) Size, Stance, and Legs


Compared to female chicks of the same age, male chicks tend to grow larger and faster. They often stand up taller than their female counterparts too… you know, practicing puffing out their big impressive chests and all! Male chicks also tend to have thicker legs and feet than female chicks.


Four very young chicks all stand next to each other side by side, three of them are all standing about the same height while the chick on the end is standing upright and tall, a possible sign that this chick may be a rooster.
The same chicken is shown at various stages of their life starting at 1 week old and ending at 30 weeks old to show how quickly a chicken can grow.
Pullet development timeline by week (source)


3) Combs and Wattles


Another way to tell the difference between female and male chicks is by watching their combs and wattles develop. Both hens and roosters have combs and wattles. Some hens have impressively large combs, even bigger than roosters! For either sex, a bright red comb is a sign that the chicken is healthy and sexually mature.

Yet the comb and/or wattles on male chicks usually grow sooner and larger (noticeable around 6 to 8 weeks of age) and turn bright red earlier. On the other hand, female chicks combs and wattles usually grow in later (10 weeks or older) and become significantly more red and enlarged in the weeks before they start laying eggs. Hens start to lay eggs around 18 to 20 weeks of age at the earliest.

Sex aside, comb and wattle size varies greatly depending on breed and comb type. For instance, Ameraucanas and “Easter Egger” hens and roosters both have very small pea combs. Their combs look like a piece of chewed up gum stuck between their eyes, rather than a classic tall pointed single comb. Pea combs, cushion combs, rose combs, and other petite combs can make sexing chicks more difficult than other comb types.


Two young chicks are standing erect with their heads up, looking towards something. One of them is lighter brown and gold while the other one is more molted black and white who already as a larger comb growing.
My friend Katja (@my_urban_edible_garden) 6-week old Dorking chicks: female on the left, male on the right. Note the significantly larger comb. It’s hard to tell in the photo, but Katja said his feathers were growing in more slowly than the others too.
A close up image on a baby chick who is 6 weeks old. He already has a fairly developed red comb for being such a young bird, correctly sexing chicks with a comb like this at such an early age is much easier.
This little guy had quite the developed comb at 6-weeks old! Photo via @my_urban_edible_garden
A 6 part image collage of a progression of age for one of our Barred Rock hens. The first image shows a tiny black fluff ball chick at 5 days old. The second image shows the chick at 5 weeks old, some white specks are starting to show up in the black, white spots are visible on the back of her head and her throat area. The third image shows the hen at 16 weeks, more fully covered in the white and black pattern that Barred Rock chickens are known for, however she still doesn't have much for a comb and wattles. The fourth image shows the bird at 26 weeks, a more developed comb and wattles are present but still not fully grown out. The fifth image shows the bird at 29 weeks after he laying her first egg, her comb and wattles are more grown in and have turned a darker red in color. The last image shows the bird fully mature, her comb and wattles fully grown in.
Comb and wattle development by week in our barred rock female Zoey


4) Sexing Chicks by Feathers


Another key difference between male and female chicks is their feathers. Imagine a full grown rooster, with his long majestic neck, back, and tail feathers (also known as hackle, saddle, and sickle feathers respectively). Around the age of 9 to 12 weeks old, male chicks will start to show noticeably longer and pointed saddle feathers. Hackle and sickle feathers start to show around 14 weeks or older.

Hen feathers stay more uniform, short, and blunt compared to rooster feathers. Many female chick feathers grow in more quickly than males however, including faster tail development, so they can appear fully-feathered sooner.

There is another form of feather sexing that allows poultry professionals to distinguish between cockerels and pullets by examining wing feathers just after hatching. With this method, the feathers on male chick wings are even lengths while female chicks have irregular or alternating feather lengths on their wings. See image below. 

Some backyard chicken keepers like to try to apply this method to their home flock, but further research reveals that wing feather sexing is only reliable in controlled environments where sex-linked chickens are bred to retain this trait (e.g. as part of a commercial poultry operation) though it can occasionally apply to backyard chickens successfully as well.


A Blue Copper Marans cockeral wih blueish black feathers and copper colored neck feathers is strutting along. Red arrows point to his hackle and saddle feathers which are more elongated than a hens. Sexing chicks with longer hackle and saddle feathers may be easier to determine.
A 12 week old Blue Copper Marans cockerel, starting to display his elongated, pointed hackle and saddle feathers. (source)
A group of four chickens are visible, two of them being the Easter Egger variety, a red arrow is pointing at one of their long pointed saddle feathers which distinguishes them as being roosters. Sexing chicks by comparing saddle feathers can help tell the difference between a hen and a rooster.
Two 14-week old Easter Egger roosters, distinguished by their long pointed saddle feathers. (source)
A two way image collage showing the slight difference  in day old sex-linked chicks, a female is on the left and a male is on the right, the male being slightly more covered in fluff.
Wing differences in day-old sex-linked chicks (source)


5) Behavioral Differences


Cockerel behavior


Appearances aside, there are a number of behavioral traits that can give you a clue if chick is a rooster or hen. In addition to standing taller, male chicks may fight amongst each other more, trying to show off for the ladies or compete for the best roost. 

Male chicks may also start to practice “tidbitting”: where roosters scratch, dance, and give short, high-pitched clucks near food – a signal that he found some tasty treats and wants to share with his girls. Yes, roosters are quite the gentlemen! And despite their mean reputation, cockerels can also be the sweetest birds in the flock. In fact, male chicks are often the most friendly and readily-handled of the group.

And of course, the final and perhaps most obvious sign that a chick is male: he will start to crow. Though a rooster won’t belt out a respectable crow until he’s 4 or 5 months old, young male chicks usually start exercising their vocal cords and start trying to crow as early as 6 to 8 weeks old. 


A white and black rooster with iridescent green flashes showing on black tail feathers. His head is lifted upwards as he lets out a crow with his beak open. He has very large, bright red comb and wattles. Sexing chicks has past by the time one starts crowing.
Cock-a-doodle do!



Pullet behavior


One tell-tale behavior of older female chicks is the “submissive squat”. As pullets near maturity and are close to egg-laying age (16 weeks or older), they will often start to squat low and spread their wings as you approach. You can bend down and give them a nice little pet on the back, but it’s not pets they’re after… Female chickens squat as a sign they’re ready to mate with a rooster, and lay eggs! Check out this post with 5 signs that your pullet will start laying eggs soon.

Interestingly, pullets or hens may also exhibit “masculine” tendencies in the absence of a rooster, including tidbitting, issuing predator warning calls, or even crowing (though this usually happens far later than it would for males). Our eldest hen Hennifer regularly crows, and our Crested Cream Legbar hen Phoebe even grew spurs!


A dark golden orange chicken that is squatting down with her tail feather pointing upwards, the hen is so low to the ground she is almost touching the ground with her chest. DeannaCat's hand is poised over her, petting her along her back. By the time your chicken squats, you should no trouble sexing chicks correctly.
Miss Peach (RIP), giving me her best squat.


What to do with young roosters?


If you end up with a cockerel, please consider keeping him if you can! Roosters are excellent flock protectors, keeping watch and alerting the others when predators are around. Roosters are often very friendly with their favorite humans too! Otherwise, you can re-home your rooster to a nice farm where he can live out his life, or at least provide food for a family. Check your area for local animal or farm sanctuaries, or even “rooster rescues”. Listing the rooster on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace is another option. 


A chart which contains the differences between roosters and hens when it comes to size, combs and wattles, feathers, and behavior with a brief description of each for each sex.


And that’s the 411 on sexing chicks.


All in all, I hope this guide gave you plenty of tips to help identify male and female chicks. I also hope you have a blast raising them! I miss having them around so much. Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below, and consider pinning or sharing this post if you found it useful.


If you’re new to keeping chickens, be sure to check out these important related articles:



DeannaCat signature, keep on growing

The post Male or Female Chicks? 5 Ways to Tell the Difference appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
https://homesteadandchill.com/sexing-chicks-male-female-differences/feed/ 4 2056841
When Do Chickens Start Laying Eggs? 5 Tell-Tale Signs It’s Soon! https://homesteadandchill.com/when-chickens-start-laying-eggs/ https://homesteadandchill.com/when-chickens-start-laying-eggs/#comments Sat, 13 Jun 2020 14:44:37 +0000 https://homesteadandchill.com/?p=1019269 Waiting for those first few fresh eggs from your backyard chickens can feel like eternity! But don't worry, they're well worth the wait. Come learn when chickens usually start laying eggs, and 5 tell-tale signs that eggs are on the way!

The post When Do Chickens Start Laying Eggs? 5 Tell-Tale Signs It’s Soon! appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
Do you have young spring chickens at home? If so, I bet you’re eagerly waiting for those fresh eggs to arrive…. and I don’t blame you! Home-raised backyard chicken eggs can’t be beat. If you’re wondering when your chickens will start laying eggs, read along to learn the signs that signal eggs are on the way. We’ll talk about the average age that chickens start to lay eggs, how breed plays a role, and a few tell-tale signs that eggs are on the way.

Keep in mind that every chicken is different, and there is nothing you can do to rush them to grow up – so just be patient and enjoy the teenage years while they last. Be sure to check out the video of Phoebe laying an egg at the end of this post!


What age do chickens usually start laying eggs?


On average, young female chickens start laying eggs or “come into lay” around 6 months of age. Some chickens may start laying eggs as early as 16 to 18 weeks old, while others may take upwards of 28 to 32 weeks (closer to 8 months old)! Over the years, we have had some extra-early overachievers along with our fair share of late bloomers, but found that around 20 to 22 weeks was the most common age for our chickens to start laying eggs.

Learn 5 ways to tell the difference between young male and female chicks here.


Four young pullet Hens are roosting on a wooden saw horse perch. Each one is different in color, one is black and copper, one is bright orange to tan, another is black and white, and the last one is light brown with some black. There combs and battles are nearly non existent at their young age.
Some of our girls when they were sweet 16 (weeks) – and still looking too young to start laying eggs quite yet!


Chicken breeds and egg-laying


In addition to age, the particular breed of your chickens will also influence when eggs start to arrive. Certain breeds of chickens are known to start laying eggs earlier than others, and each breed has their own average age range for egg development.

Chickens that have historically been bred for the purpose of egg production often start laying eggs sooner (as early as 17 or 18 weeks old), including Leghorns, Golden Comets, Sex Links, Rhode Island Reds, and Australorps. On the other hand, heavier breeds like Wyandottes, Orpingtons, and Barred Rocks are known to take a bit longer. Our Easter Egger ladies are always last to add their colorful eggs to the basket, which is a known trait for their breed. 

See our “Top 18 Backyard Chicken Breeds” article to learn more about different breeds, including heat and cold-hardiness, general demeanor, egg color and laying frequency.


Time of year and egg-laying


The majority of young chickens will start laying eggs the first year that you have them. Yet if you happen to get your chicks later in the year (summer or fall) and they come into maturity during darker, colder days of fall or winter, they may wait until the following spring to start laying eggs! Reduced daylight hours in the wintertime usually signals mature hens to take a natural break from laying eggs, conserving their energy and nutrients to brace for the cold winter ahead. During a winter cessation of laying, you’ll also notice the chicken’s combs and wattles become smaller and pale again, swinging with their hormones. However, it isn’t uncommon for young chickens to continue laying eggs right through their first winter! Then, they’ll probably take a break the following winter after that.

Curious to learn more about caring for chickens in cold weather, including tips for winterizing their coop? Check out this article all about winter chicken care. Please note that we don’t suggest lighting the coop to “force” chickens to continue to lay eggs through winter. Their bodies know best, and need a natural break.


5 SIGNS A CHICKEN WILL START LAYING EGGS SOON


1) Enlarged Reddening Combs and Wattles


As a young chicken matures, their combs and/or wattles become increasingly large. If this happens very early on (under 8 weeks old) it could be a sign that the chicken is a young rooster! On the other hand, young female chickens develop their combs and wattles more slowly. As her hormones shift and she gets ready to start laying eggs, her combs, wattles, and face will change from light pink to brighter red in color. They will also swell and become larger.


A two part image collage of a Barred Rock hen. The first image shows the hen before she is mature enough to lay eggs. Her comb and wattle are pale in color and small in size. She is standing on a chair with a chicken coop in the background. The second image shows the same hen a few weeks later after she started laying eggs. Her comb and wattle have grown larger and they are deep red in color. She is standing on a perch underneath a lemon tree.
On the left: Zoey, our current barred rock at exactly 6 months old. She hadn’t started to lay yet, but was getting close. On the right: Zoey, about 3 weeks later, right after she laid her first egg. Look how much more bright red and enlarged her comb and wattles got in less than a month!


2) Start Exploring the Nesting Box Area


In the weeks leading up to the first egg, a young hen will usually start to show more interest in the nesting box area than ever before. She may even begin to test it out and sit inside, even if she isn’t quite ready to lay yet. One great way to encourage young chickens to lay eggs in their designated nesting boxes (as opposed to on the coop floor, or hiding them in the yard!) is to place false eggs inside the nest box. Chickens tend to like laying eggs in a clutch, where other eggs are. You could use specialty fake wood eggs, or what we’ve done in the past, golf balls!


The inside of a chicken coop nest box is shown from above. There are two boxes separated by a piece of plywood in the middle, each box has a nest pad and hay material for nesting. In one box there is three eggs, one green, one blue, and one brown. In the other box there is a black and tan Easter Egger chicken that has yet to lay an egg but is inspecting the nest boxes in anticipation of the day it will first lay.
Hennifer, an Easter Egger, was the last girl to start laying of the others her same age. Here she is starting to explore the nesting boxes and take interest in the other eggs. She laid her first egg a few days later!


3) She May Get Louder


Have you heard a chicken “egg song” yet? I find it funny that crowing roosters are banned in many urban areas, because hens can be damn vocal too! (Though I’ve read there is something more jarring and irritating about the tone of a rooster crow than hen songs to most people). Our chickens sing and squawk for hours before and after they lay an egg. So, before your young chickens start laying eggs, they may become increasingly talkative too.


4) Increased Appetite


As a young hen gears up to start laying eggs, her body will go through numerous changes – inside and out. The process of forming and laying eggs takes a lot of energy! So, you may notice your maturing chickens begin to eat more than usual. Laying hens have different nutritional needs than younger pullets or chicks. Younger birds eat “starter” and “grower” feeds that contain higher levels of protein to support their rapid growth. Layer feeds have slightly less protein, and a little extra calcium for proper eggshell formation. Therefore, gradually transition your chickens to a layer feed when they reach 18 weeks of age – or when the first egg arrives, whichever occurs first.

I also suggest putting out a source of free-choice calcium (such as crushed oyster shells or eggshells) either as soon as one hen starts laying eggs, or when you begin to notice the other tell-tale signs that eggs are coming soon. Check out this article to learn more about providing essential calcium for laying hens.


We love having this reliable autodoor on our chicken coop, which lets the girls in and out of their protected run each morning and night.


5) The Submissive Squat


Of all the signs that a chicken will start laying eggs soon, squatting behavior is the most telling in my opinion! As you walk by your young hen or reach out a hand to pet her, she may stop, squat, and put her wings out slightly to her sides. We lovingly call this “the submissive squat”.

Give the girl a good pet on the back, but keep in mind the biological reason for her squatting behavior isn’t about cuddling with humans! She is signaling that she is ready and willing to be mounted by a rooster to fertilize her forthcoming eggs. If there is no rooster around, she’ll submit to her human instead. Now, not every chicken will undoubtedly squat, but all of the girls in our flock did  – and started laying eggs within a week or two thereafter!


An orange and black Easter Egger chicken is squatting and being pet along her back by an outstretched arm. The submissive squat is a sure fire sign that the chicken will start laying eggs soon.
Peach, one of our old Easter Egger girls (no longer with us) – showing us her best submissive squat.


A hand is holding a dark brown egg in front of a Black Copper Marans chicken who just started laying eggs. Her comb and wattle is dark red, she has copper specks mixed into her black feathers along her neck.
Luna (Black Copper Marans) says… that came out of where?


The moment you’ve been waiting for: the first eggs have arrived!


When chickens start laying eggs, their first eggs will be significantly smaller than what they’ll regularly lay as fully mature hens. Before you know it, you’ll have baskets full of beautiful large fresh eggs – right from your backyard.

In all, I hope this article helped to clue you in on the signs to watch for as your chickens get ready to lay. Be sure to thank your ladies for their hard work! Next, check out this article about best practices for storing and washing fresh backyard chicken eggs. Please feel free to ask any questions, or spread the love by sharing or pinning this article!


Just for fun, here is a video of our girl Phoebe laying an egg:



DeannaCat signature keep on growing

The post When Do Chickens Start Laying Eggs? 5 Tell-Tale Signs It’s Soon! appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
https://homesteadandchill.com/when-chickens-start-laying-eggs/feed/ 24 1019269
10 Ways to Keep Chickens Cool During Hot Summer Weather or Heat Waves https://homesteadandchill.com/keep-chickens-cool-hot-summer-weather/ https://homesteadandchill.com/keep-chickens-cool-hot-summer-weather/#comments Wed, 20 May 2020 14:29:36 +0000 https://homesteadandchill.com/?p=1017807 Did you know that extreme heat is more life-threatening to chickens than cold conditions? Thankfully, there are many simple ways to keep chickens cool and safe during hot summer weather - including providing shade, water, and the right treats. Read along to learn more!

The post 10 Ways to Keep Chickens Cool During Hot Summer Weather or Heat Waves appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
Chickens are rockstars at a lot of things: laying eggs, throwing sass, making us laugh, digging holes… But one thing chickens aren’t great at is keeping themselves cool and collected in extreme heat. They need your help! In fact, your efforts could be life-saving. Did you know that extreme heat is more dangerous for chickens than freezing cold conditions? It sure is. I’ve heard SO many sad stories of friends losing their chickens to heat… Thankfully, there are many simple ways that you can help keep your flock of chickens cool and safe during hot summer weather. Read along to learn more!


How hot of temperatures is “too hot” for chickens?


In general, temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit increase the risk of heat stress and heat-related illness in chickens, including death. Prolonged hot temperatures combined with high humidity is an especially uncomfortable combination, for chickens and humans alike. The degree of heat stress depends on a number of factors, including the chicken’s living quarters, diet, and breed. Heavier chicken breeds may start to become overheated around 85°F. On the other hand, smaller or lighter chicken breeds generally do better in heat. 

Chickens can’t sweat to cool themselves. Instead, chickens dissipate excess heat from their combs, wattles, beaks, and feet. Meaning, any surface area that isn’t covered in their built-in down jackets! Therefore, chicken breeds with large combs and wattles are able to cool themselves more readily than those with small peacombs. Learn more characteristics of the Top 18 Backyard Chicken breeds here, including comb and body type, egg production, demeanor, and more.


Signs of heat stress and heat stroke in chickens


  • Overheating chickens will usually pant: breathing heavily through an open beak, often moving their tongues up and down.
  • Standing with wings held out away from their body
  • Droopy and lethargic behavior
  • Decreased appetite
  • Pale or discolored combs and wattles
  • Egg production may also decrease with prolonged heat exposure


A  brownish red chickens is standing next to a raised garden bed. Her beaks is agape and her wings are being held away from her body to keep herself cool. It is important to know how to keep chickens cool in hot weather.
This is Phoebe, and she is a hot bird. You can see she is panting, breathing with her beak open. Her wings are also held away from her sides in an effort to cool down. Don’t worry, she got some frozen strawberries right after this!


Many of these signs and symptoms sound pretty scary – but I don’t want you to worry! With the measures described below, it is fairly easy to keep your chickens cool during hot summer weather with minimal intervention. If your area is known for high heat, hopefully you set up your coop and run with cooling measures already in mind. Or, you can make some modifications as needed.  

Unusual heat waves pose the most risk for heat stress in chickens. Keep an eye on the weather forecast, monitor your chickens behavior, and be prepared to respond accordingly. Chickens that live in places with routinely hot conditions may become accustomed to the heat, and tolerate it better than those who are used to more temperate conditions. We have many Midwest and Southern friends who say their chickens do just fine with temperatures in the 90s. Here on the mild Central Coast of California, a heat wave of 90+ degree days is quite unusual, uncomfortable and risky for our flock.  


10 Ways to Keep Chickens Cool in Hot Weather


1) Provide Shade 


This is one of the most simple but crucial measures. Ensure that your chickens have a shady space to retreat on hot days. Our girls love to hang out under the trees in our yard. If your chicken run area is mostly sunny, create additional shade by draping black shade cloth over the run. Another option is to string one of these cool shade canopies between posts, fences, or trees.


Two saw horses are positioned below a grapefruit tree. Two chickens are roosting on one of them in the shade while a lone chicken is roosting on the other.
Resting in the shade on a warm day. We keep several roosts throughout the yard under the canopy of trees. It helps them feel secure (feeling less exposed to predators) as well as cool and comfortable.


2) Cold Fresh Water 


Provide a constant supply of cold fresh water. On the hottest days, that may mean refreshing their water a few times per day. Some chicken keepers add ice to their chicken waterers to keep them cool. Instead of ice, you could also throw some frozen treats in there – like frozen fruit or vegetables! Keep their waterers in a shady and readily accessible location (e.g. not inside the hot coop, especially if they aren’t hanging out in there during the day). If your chickens are showing signs of heat stress, adding electrolytes to their water can help them stay hydrated and healthy.


3) The Right Cold Treats


Did you know that some treats actually increase a chicken’s body temperature? As we explored in our “Keeping Chickens Warm in Winter” article, high-carb treats like dry cracked corn and scratch warm them up from the inside out as they work to digest them. Thus, cut back or avoid scratch during extreme heat. Rather, provide cold, refreshing, high-moisture treats such as watermelon and other fruits and veggies. 

Try freezing some treats! We like to give our girls frozen peas, corn, watermelon chunks, and chopped frozen strawberries on hot days. Another popular idea is to make frozen treat blocks. Fill a large “tupperware” type container with water and berries (or similar), freeze it overnight, and set it out the next day for the chickens to pick at as it thaws. 

As always, treats should only be fed in moderation – especially in hot conditions, as chickens are likely eating less in general. This makes it quite easy to become malnourished, adding to an already stressful situation. 


A hand is holding a bowl of frozen strawberry pieces, below the bowl are three chickens waiting intently for the frozen food that will help keep them cool.
Frozen chopped strawberries
Two brownish red and black colored chickens are standing around a blue bowl that contains frozen strawberry pieces. One of the chickens has their head inside the bowl inspecting the berries while the other. Chicken is standing and staring at the camera. There is a black and white chicken that is only partially visible off to the side of the image.
See? Phoebe is feeling better already.


4) Freeze their Feed


In order to maintain optimal health, encourage your chickens to continue to eat their usual nutritionally-balance chicken feed. Freezing their feed for an hour or so before putting it out is one way to make it potentially more appetizing, as well as cooling. When chickens consume frozen food (including frozen treats), having cold material in their crop actually lowers their body temperature from within!


5) Ventilate & Cool the Coop


It’s always recommended to provide good ventilation inside a chicken coop, but even more so in hot conditions. Ensure the coop has screened (but predator-proof!) openings that allow for a nice cross-breeze. If your coop is usually pretty buttoned-up for winter, are there any solid walls or doors that you could safely swap with wire fencing during the summer? If our girls go into the coop to lay eggs on hot days, we sometimes prop open the main “human” door to help cool thing down inside – but have to be diligent to remember to close it back up again at night!

Consider adding a fan in the coop if safe electricity is available, or use a solar-powered fan. Also, avoid overcrowding – in both the coop and run space. Nobody likes a crowd on hot days. Provide at least 4 square feet of indoor coop space and 10 square feet of outdoor space per chicken. 

Update: Another great life-saving tip and way to cool down the chicken coop is to fill large containers with water and freeze them (e.g. milk jugs, liter or 2-liter plastic bottles). Then, tuck the frozen containers in the coop around the chickens to keep them cool overnight.


We love having this reliable autodoor on our chicken coop, which lets the girls in and out of their protected run each morning and night.


6) Keep the Coop Clean (No Deep Litter Method)


During hot conditions, keep the coop as clean and tidy as possible. Reduce the bedding layer inside the coop to no more than 2 inches deep to prevent trapping in heat. Some chicken keepers use a “deep litter” method, which allows the bedding material (and chicken excrement) to form a deep pile on the coop floor. The built up material acts as an extra layer of insulation in the coop. As microbes work to break it down, the material physically heats up. While this is a clever way to keep the coop warmer during winter, it is less-than-ideal in hot summer conditions! 


7) Set up a Kiddie Pool (or Mud Puddle)


Chickens can lower their body temperature by keeping their feet cool. Some of them love to stand in cool water on a hot day! I know many people who set up little kiddie pools or wading pools for their chickens to enjoy. Yet other folks say their chickens won’t use them much. It depends on the flock, and their opportunity to become accustomed to the idea. For example, if extreme heat is the norm and you always have a pool out during the summer, I bet the chickens take to it! But if you don’t usually provide one and then whip out a blue kiddie pool during a random heat wave, your chickens will probably just look at it (and you) sideways. You can also add a few pavers/stepping stones in the pool, to give them a place to stand and feel more stable while inside.

Instead of a pool, another option to keep chickens feet cool is to create a muddle puddle area. Wet the ground and provide standing, muddy water. We all know how much chickens like dirt! Perhaps they’ll be more excited about getting their feet wet in mud if they aren’t keen on a water pool.  


Two chickens inside of a blue kiddie pool that is halfway filled with water. There are stones and brick pavers sitting in the water and these are what the chickens are standing on. One of the chickens is standing with their bewk agape while the other has its wings held away from its body.
Chickens enjoying a kiddie pool on a hot summer day. Photo courtesy of the Chicken Chick.


8) Use Misters (or Sprinklers)


Adding moisture to the air or ground around the coop and run will lower the surrounding temperature. As airborne water droplets evaporate, it immediately cools the air. Therefore, setting up a mister system is one effective way to help keep your chickens cool, and could be very worthwhile in places where regular hot days are common. Alternatively, you could use lawn sprinklers nearby, or simply spray down the ground with a hose on occasion. 

This popular, affordable and simple mister system connects right to a nearby faucet.


9) Provide Dust Bath Space


Wallowing in dirt may sound like an uncomfortable pursuit to us humans, but that is how chickens keep themselves clean – and cool! Soil a few inches below the sunny ground surface can be several degrees cooler. Like ventilation, providing a nice dust bath space is always a good idea. The layer of dust on their skin and feathers also helps them stay fluffed and cool.

On hot days, be sure your chickens have a place to dust bath in the shade. If their shaded run area doesn’t have suitable ground material for dust bathing, create a dust bath! Fill galvanized metal tubs (what we use), a sturdy tote bin, kiddie pool, or other container with fine dirt or sand. Add a sprinkle of lime, wood ash, or food-grade diatomaceous earth for added mite and lice control. If possible, add large holes to the bottom of the container for drainage on rainy days. 

Learn more here: How to Make a Chicken Dust Bath: Easy DIY Ideas


Three hens are inside a metal tub full of dirt, one of hens is laying in the dirt while the other two are busy pecking away at the soil.


10) Dunk the Chicken in Water


Okay, this sounds a little extreme… and that is because it kind of is! I suggest this option if your chickens are showing clear and persistent signs of heat stress, and the other ways we’ve explored to cool chickens down are not working (or possible). Truth be told, we have dunked our hot chickens in water on several occasions – and they seem to love it! Check out the video of Miss Ginger below. Before her bath, she couldn’t even stand up.

We are fortunate, and do not have regular hot weather where we live. Most summer days are in the 70s, and rarely over 85°F. However, that means that when we are hit with a random heat wave, our chickens are absolutely not accustomed to it. That also means we do not have misters, a kiddie pool, or other cooling methods readily available. 

So, when our chickens are looking miserable and I am worried for their safety, we gently submerge them (only up to their shoulders) in a bucket of cool to room temperature water for about one minute. That is sufficient time to rapidly cool their internal body temperature. Once they’re done, the evaporation from their wet feathers will also help keep them cool for a while.

Note that you should NOT dunk them in freezing cold or even notably cold water. That is just mean, and can be shocking in its own right. If the water coming out of your hose is really cold, let the bucket of water sit out in the sun for a half hour or so to slightly warm. When we’re having a heat wave, our tap water is usually plenty warm to use as-is. 


Press play. It was over 95F this particular afternoon, and Ginger wouldn’t even stand up before this! We acted quickly and gave each girl a one-minute dip in cool water.


And that is how to keep chickens cool, comfortable, and safe in extreme heat.


In all, no one knows your flock better than you do! When things start to heat up, monitor them and respond in your best judgement and ability. If a chicken becomes alarmingly listless, a final resort is to bring them inside to the cooling comfort of your home. Don’t laugh! I know many people who do. Set up a large crate, bring them into a cool basement, or designate a spare bathroom as a temporary chicken sanctuary to keep your friends safe. They’re relying on you, after all. 


Did I forget any good tips that you use to keep chickens cool in the summer? Add your experience (or ask questions) in the comments below! Also please feel free to spread the chicken love by sharing or pinning this article. Thank you for tuning in.


Interested in learning more about raising backyard chickens? You may enjoy these related articles:



DeannaCat signature,  keep on growing

The post 10 Ways to Keep Chickens Cool During Hot Summer Weather or Heat Waves appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
https://homesteadandchill.com/keep-chickens-cool-hot-summer-weather/feed/ 59 1017807
Baby Chick Care 101: Brooders, Heat, Health & More https://homesteadandchill.com/baby-chick-care-101-brooders/ https://homesteadandchill.com/baby-chick-care-101-brooders/#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2019 04:11:58 +0000 https://homesteadandchill.com/?p=4450 Spring is here! That means it is chick time! If you are bringing new little fuzzies into your lives, you’re in for a delightful experience. Raising baby chicks with your family is so fun, rewarding, and special. Let’s discuss all the things you need to know to give baby chicks the proper care needed, including tips for arrival day, food and water, brooder set-up, temperatures, cleaning, and health risks.

The post Baby Chick Care 101: Brooders, Heat, Health & More appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
It’s spring chick season! If you’re bringing fuzzy little chicks into your life for the first time, you’re in for a delightful experience. Raising baby chicks with your family is so fun, rewarding, and special. It’s nothing but sh*ts and giggles! Literally. But there are certainly some things you need to know to ensure they’re well cared for.

This post is geared around providing information for people raising baby chicks that will not have a mama hen present. Because guess what? That means YOU are their mama hen now! Yep. Those precious little fluff balls are going to imprint on you, follow you everywhere, and most importantly, look to you for love, protection, and proper care.

Let’s discuss all the things you need to know to give baby chicks the proper care needed, including tips for arrival day, food and water, brooder set-up, temperatures, cleaning, and health risks.

A close up of a DeannaCat, holding four chicks cupped in two hands against her. Two chicks are brown and two are black and white.
Welcome home, my sweets.


Baby Chick Arrival Day


Ensure you have all of their necessary supplies ready and waiting, including the brooder, heat source, food, and water.

When they arrive, before setting them loose in their brooder carefully dip each chick’s beak in their clean, slightly warm water. This shows them where their water is, and helps to trigger them to start drinking on their own. One of the most common causes of lost chicks during the first days is dehydration and cold. Providing slightly warm water instead of cold water helps prevent their internal body temperature from dropping too much.

Once they’re in their brooder, try your best not to handle them for the first day. Let them settle in. They’ve likely been on a stressful journey! I know it is really, really hard to resist – especially for the kiddos – but it is in the chick’s best interest.


Setting Up a Safe Chick Brooder


You should already have a chick brooder set up and waiting. This is their home for the next month, or longer! The duration they are inside the brooder will depend on the time of year and temperature outside. We’ll talk more about that in the temperature section to follow.


Here are the essential elements of a good chick brooder:

  • Structure: A brooder is made from a sturdy container. This could include a large plastic storage tote, plywood box, portable crib (like a Pack N Play) or a dog playpen. In the past, we have used a plastic tote (which they grow out of), as well as homemade plywood boxes with cardboard covering the floor.
  • Lid: A cover for the brooder, to keep them in, or keep your other animals out! They get pretty flighty around week three, and can jump out of most brooders if you’re not careful! The cover must be breathable. We usually place wire fencing securely over the top of the brooder.
  • Space: When they’re still tiny, an ideal brooder size is about 1-2 square feet per chick, minimum. Remember, they need room to move around, plus space for food and water. So if you had four small chicks, you’d want a minimum of a 4 square foot space.
  • More Space: Once they’re 4 weeks old or larger, it is best to upgrade to about 4 square feet of space per chick. When we set up a brooder, we make a 4×4 plywood box, 2 ft tall. For the first few weeks, we keep a divider in the middle, making their space half the size. Then at 3-4 weeks old, we remove the divider and give them free reign of the whole place – a 16 square foot chick palace!
  • Litter: The brooder will need litter on the floor. The most common choice is fine wood shavings made of pine, which can be found at your local farm supply or pet store. Do not use splintery wood chips, bark, or any material made from cedar. Cedar oils are toxic to chickens. One issue with pine shavings is that they make a hot mess. Chicks will fling them into their feed and water, which has to be kept as clean as possible. Newspaper is less messy, but isn’t a good choice. It is slippery and can cause a condition called splay leg. An option I learned of more recently are wood, sawdust, or paper pellets. They stay put better, make less of a mess, apparently are super absorbent, and are easy to clean! We plan to use these the next time we have chicks. We have also used puppy pads, taped down into place.
  • Location: Keep the brooder somewhere protected from the elements, such as indoors, or in a garage that won’t be subject to extreme temperature swings. Ours have always been in a spare room in the house, tucked away from the cats.
  • Other brooder necessities: heat, food, water, and daily cleaning – all discussed in more detail below.



An image of a 4x4 ft plywood box, two feet tall, sitting in the middle of a room. There is a patterned carpet below it, a heat lamp hanging over it, a chair nearby with a cat laying on it, and another cat inside the plywood box, peering up over the edges.
Our 4×4 foot brooder box, made from plywood. For the first few weeks, we keep a divider in the middle and the chicks in just half the space – opening it up for more room as they grow. Quincy is testing out the temperature for his new sisters, who weren’t here yet! He said, “it feels just right!” Figaro was supervising construction.


Chick Brooder Temperature & Heat Source


Baby chicks need a constant, safe heat source to keep them the correct temperature at different stages of development. This replaces the heat that they’d otherwise be provided by huddling under their mama hen.

Heat can be provided one of two ways: using a traditional heat lamp, or with a neat little radiant heating plate, made especially for chick brooders. They both have their pros and cons – so let’s discuss.


Heat Lamps


The most affordable option is using a heat lamp. It also warms the entire room and brooder, which some people prefer. However, you MUST ensure it is very, very securely hung. Meaning in way that it cannot tip over into the brooder, and cannot come in contact with other materials. Definitely get the fixture that has a wire cage around the bulb. Brooder lights can and do cause fires. I just heard about a local house fire caused by one a few weeks ago! I mean, think about it… they’re going to be on nearly 24/7 for over a month.

You must also be able to adjust the height of the light, to increase or decrease the temperature of the brooder as needed. In the past, we have used a heat lamp. Utilizing a cymbal stand from Aaron’s drum kit, we were able to hang the light over the brooder in a very sturdy and adjustable manner. We always preferred using a red 250-watt light bulb over the white/clear option. It seemed more mellow for nighttime and sleeping.


Radiant Heat Plate


When we had babies in the past, we hadn’t yet heard about brooder radiant heat plates, but I have seen them more and more recently on Instagram. We may give them a go next time! They’re basically a heated plate on stilts that can be raised as the chicks grow.  The chicks duck under it for warmth – simulating how they’d behave with a mother hen. They come out and play when they’re warm, and return under it to heat up as needed.

The heat plates reportedly use less energy than heat lamps, and pose exponentially less risk for fires. They also receive great reviews online. However, I am seeing suggestions to size up from how many chicks they claim it to be suited for. As chicks grow, they’ll need more space under the structure. Reviewers also suggest getting the version that has a cover on top, which prevents them from perching and pooping on it. I think these could be a great option for inside a house, but may not raise the ambient temperature enough for chicks to be comfortable in a cooler location like a mudroom or garage. They’d probably be under it all the time.

An image of five baby chicks huddled together under a radiant heat plate. It is elevated a few inches off the brooder floor and has yellow adjustable legs for changing the height.
Chicks warming themselves under a radiant heat plate. Photo courtesy of Heather J via YouTube


Chick Temperature Requirements


The brooder temperature requirement slowly decreases as chicks become older and their feathers fill in. Their behavior will give you a signal if they’re too cold or too hot! If you’re using a heat lamp and they are trying to get as far away from it as possible, such as staying around the perimeter of the brooder or sleeping away from the light, they are likely too warm. They also sprawl out and are more lethargic when overheated… though they do sprawl out and sleep a lot as babies, regardless! When too hot, they may even pant.

When they’re too cold, chicks may run around and chirp very loudly, or huddle together directly under the light. A comfortable chick will be a nice balance of active and sleepy, and should be able to get closer or further away from the light (or heat plate) freely. Maintain their food and water near the edge of their comfort zone, so they don’t need to be too heated or chilled to get to it.

To help you assess and adjust the temperature, it is important to have a thermometer inside the brooder at the chicks level – though their behavior trumps whatever the thermometer is telling you. Lower or raise your light to get it just right.


The target temperatures for a chick brooder are as follows:

  • Week 1: 90-95°F
  • Week 2: 85°F
  • Week 3: 80°F
  • Week 4: 75°F
  • Week 5: 70°F (We may start turning off their heat lamp during the day at this time, depending on the temperature in the house)
  • Week 6: 65°F (During the week leading up to their 6th birthday, we may remove their heat completely. But they’re still in the house, which is about the right temperature. At 6 weeks old, our weather allows them to move the heck out of their parents house!)


By 6 to 7 weeks old, chicks should be about fully feathered. If so, they can do without supplemental heat. If your outdoor temperatures are warm enough, they can move outside to their coop at this time. Even if the overnight temperatures are in the 50’s, as long as they are mostly fully feathered and are moved to a coop that is not drafty, they will be okay. They’ll huddle together for warmth.

However, if your nighttime temperatures are still in the 30s to low 40s, I would either add a night time heat source in the coop, or wait a little longer to move them out. When we felt bad or nervous about our babies being out that first week, we would warm up long-lasting rice heat packs to nestle down in the coop bedding and heat everything a tad.


Handling Baby Chicks


When chicks are young, it is the best time to form a strong bond with them that can last a lifetime! One tip I read about long ago was this: don’t just suddenly reach down in and pluck them out of their brooder, especially at first. Instead, set your hand down on the floor of the brooder with some crumble feed in it, and let them approach you to explore.

Once they become more comfortable with their surroundings and you, feel free to take them out of their brooder for cuddles, but be attentive to their behavior. Chicks will shriek when they are scared or cold. Find a warm spot where they can cuddle up with you, or put them back if they seem stressed. Some birds will enjoy being handled more than others! The two below were snuggle bugs.

Two chicks sitting on a lap. They're several weeks old and are getting their real feathers, though they still have some baby down sticking out. One is perched on each knee. One if black and white, and one is mostly black and with face.
Zoey and Luna – always wanting to sit with Mommy.


Water


Always provide fresh, clean water for chicks. This means changing their water at least daily – possibly twice per day if they really make of a mess of it. (See more notes about keeping water clean in the “cleaning” section to follow). Start with slightly warm water for the first few days to keep them warm and comfy. Many chicken keepers provide electrolytes, sugar and/or vitamins in their water for the first week or two. If they were shipped, this helps them recover from the stress of that ordeal. Additionally, it gives any chick a good boost for a strong start. We personally like this electrolyte nutrient powder, and use it in a basic chick waterer.


Chick Feed


Baby chicks need special food, called chick starter feed. It is nutritionally balanced for their needs and rapid development at this stage of life. As they mature, they will transition from a starter feed to a “grower” (intermediate) feed at around 8 weeks old. Some feeds are both a “starter” and a “grower” in one, which they can stay on until they graduate to a layer feed  – around 16 to 18 weeks old.

It is important to avoid giving your chicks regular “layer” feed until they’re coming into lay. It has too much calcium and too little protein for younger pullets. Pullets are young female chickens – no longer baby chicks but not yet adult hens. This can be tricky if your pullets come into lay at different ages. We usually wait until at least one of them starts showing signs of laying soon (e.g. doing the “submissive squat”, sitting in the nest box, deep reddening of their combo and wattles) and then start mixing half of their grower feed with layer feed, transitioning to layer-only over a couple of weeks. In the meantime, we also start putting out an additional free-choice calcium source on the side (like crushed eggshells or oyster shells) for any girls who happen to start laying.


Should I use medicated feed for my chicks?


A personal decision you’ll need to make is whether or not to start your chicks off with medicated feed. Medicated chick starter feed contains medicine that wards off a specific parasitic infection called coccidiosis, discussed below. It is not an antibiotic, and it doesn’t last in their system long. With our first-ever round of chicks, we went with the recommendation to use medicated feed for the first few weeks, then transition to unmedicated organic chick starter feed. They never got sick.

On the other hand, we decided to go completely natural and unmedicated for the next round of chicks. They all came down with coccidiosis after their first little adventure outdoors. It was not good. We ended up having to treat their water with CORID and go to medicated feed for a while to clear it up. Yet I know many people who don’t use medicated feed and their chicks don’t get sick! That was just our experience. Ultimately, this is a personal decision. If you want to read more about this great debate, see this chain in the Backyard Chickens forum.


Speaking of coccidia, let’s talk about chick butts.

Four chicks, all less than a week old, sitting on top of a dresser with a lace covering. They're fluffy. Two are black and white and two are brown and tan. There are plants and a ceramic chicken planter on the dresser top around them.
The cutest butts ever.


Chick Butts: Health & Illness


When it comes to baby chick health, there are a few issues that you’ll need to keep an eye out for. The most prominent ones have to do with their cute little fluffy butts. Or in proxy to their butts.


Coccidiosis


Coccidia is an intestinal parasite that can affect chickens of any age, but is particularly common and more deadly for baby chicks. Coccidiosis (caulk-sid-e-osis – the name for a coccidia infection) is actually the number one killer of baby chicks in a brooder. Feeding baby chicks medicated feed can help prevent it. Though there is also some argument against medicated feed, saying it prevents the chicks from developing their own natural immunity to it early on…

All chickens are exposed to and carry coccidia to a certain degree, but develop a natural immunity to it over time. Baby chicks are hit especially hard because they have not yet developed a natural immunity. Due to their small size, they’re easily overpowered by it. Cocciddia is carried and spread by infected chickens, wild birds, and their feces. It is present in the soil of many yards, particularly in wet conditions.  


Symptoms of Coccidiosis


The most obvious symptom of coccidiosis is bloody poop. However, some healthy poops can occasionally have a reddish tint to them, as chickens naturally shed a little bit of their internal linings from time to time. If bloody poops are persistent, present throughout the flock, and/or combined with diarrhea and other symptoms, it is likely coccidia at play. Other symptoms of coccidiosis include weakness, reduced food and water intake, pale comb, decreased growth rate, and ruffled feathers. Baby chicks infected with coccidia will usually stand still a lot, all fluffed up, closing their eyes.

The only way to know for sure if it is coccidia is to have their feces tested by a veterinary lab. However, because immediate intervention is needed to save their life, I wouldn’t suggest waiting for lab results if the situation seems dire. If you notice these symptoms in your babies, read this post on how to respond to a suspected coccidia outbreak.

A infographic to show the symptoms of coccidiosis. The drawing of the chick is huddled over, eyes closed, and different symptoms are written around it, like "pale comb" "slow growth", and "blood in stool".
Photo from Poultry DVM



Pasty Butt

Another potential issue that can inflict those adorable little tushies is something called pasty butt, or “pasting up”. It’s pretty much what it sounds like. When baby chicks are first getting their bowels moving, there is a chance for it to stick to their bottoms. It is even more common after a stressful journey like being shipped. The poop stuck on their rumps is an issue for several reasons. One, if it is stuck in their feathers against their skin, it can cause irritation and a skin infection. Two, it can form a plug over their cloaca (the name for chickens one hole) and actually block them from further being able to go to the bathroom!

Keep an eye on their butts, especially during the first week. We do a tushie check at least once per day. If you see a chick pasting up, DO NOT just pick it off. If it’s really stuck on good, it could bring other tender tissues off with it and cause injury. Instead, soak a cloth in warm water and apply a warm wet compress to the area for several minutes to soften everything up. You should be able to wipe it away soon.


Salmonella


The last icky thing to be conscious of that may be lurking on chicks behinds (moreso in their poop) is salmonella. Not all birds will be infected! But there is a chance. They can carry it without making themselves sick, so it won’t be obvious like coccidia. The chicks don’t need treatment for it, but you need to be conscientious to protect yourself and your family.

As a best practice and precaution, it is always recommended to wash your hands well after handling chicks. Especially before touching your face, mouth, food, or other things around the house. This is particularly important for the kiddos, who are much more likely to ignore common sense hygiene.

On the note of hygiene…


Brooder Cleaning


When I was talking to Aaron about this post, the first words out of his mouth were: “Little chicks can make one big mess!” Truth. They poop a lot. Their poops are tiny at first, easily picked up after with a little piece of paper towel. Then their poops get bigger, and bigger… Do your best to keep the brooder as clean as possible! This will keep your birdies happy and healthy, and also keep them cleaner for snuggles! We usually did a poop clean-up once or twice per day, doing spot cleaning as long as possible until we felt the whole bedding needed to be switched out – maybe once a week.

Four chicks are sitting on top of a lace-covered dresser. There are mini red cups, dice, streamers, beer caps, and food bits spread about and knocked over. Balloons hang in the background.
See! Look at what a mess these crazy girls can make. This was after their one-week birthday party “rager”. Call in the house cleaner!

In addition to pooping, they also take great pride and joy in flinging crap in their water. Not literal crap! Well, actually… sometimes that too. If shavings are in their water, scoop them out of there. If you see poop in it, change out the water and sanitize the container with hot water and vinegar. Keeping their water slightly elevated above the brooder floor (such as on a short wood block) will help keep it cleaner, but make sure they can still reach it easily!

Some folks like to use chicken nipple waterers, kinda like what hamsters would use, but designed for little beaks. I have mixed feeling about them. They’re really clean, but I have heard they can be more difficult for the chicks to figure out and get ample water from… which is the last thing you want for day-old chicks. If yours can figure it out and thrive, more power to you! That pellet litter I mentioned will also help keep their water more clean.


Entertainment


Chickens like to roost, even bebe ones! We always provide a very short, stable, wide little roost inside the brooder that they can perch on if they’d like, made from random scrap wood. As they grow, we replace it with larger and taller versions. The chicks probably won’t figure it out right away, but once they do, it helps get them accustomed to roosting before they move into the coop. Furthermore, that means they’re that much less likely to try to sleep in the coop nest boxes later – which is a hard habit to break, and leads to poopy eggs.

Chickens are also vain little creatures. Believe it or not, they love checking themselves out in mirrors! For fun and entertainment, we have always put a little mirror in their brooder. You can try to add other little “toys” though ours have never taken much interest in them. For safety concerns, avoid adding any small items to the brooder that they could accidentally eat. Like toddlers, chicks explore the world with their beaks.

Four small fluffy chicks are inside a brooder. Three are standing on top of a roost made from wood and branches. It is low to the ground, but they're still enjoying it. There is also a small mirror in the end of the brooder. The ground is covered in pine shavings.
Our first flock of chicks, enjoying a little roost. The little brown fluff ball on the right is Hennifer! Our current OG.


Chicks & Treats


As tempting and cute as it is, treats should be mostly avoided early on. The chicks need to focus on their specialized food, and on growing big and strong! After they are at least a few weeks old, you can introduce a few treats here and there, but it should never be more than 10% of their diet. Extreme moderation is key!

When chicks eat anything but their feed, they need the addition of grit to help them digest. Grit is like coarse sand or tiny pebbles that they consume to help to break down food inside their crop. The exception is very soft foods like scrambled eggs, watermelon, or plain yogurt. Yep, you can feed chickens eggs! Our babies loved scrambled eggs, which we put in the food processor with some of their feed to make it small and manageable for them. Plain yogurt is a popular treat for chickens, but I have recently learned that they cannot properly digest dairy. It can give them diarrhea, so I would recommended avoiding it for small chicks.

For grit, you can either purchase some, use coarse sand, or simply wait until they are outside. Since we are not in the habit of giving them grit in addition to their food, we just wait to give them treats until they’re playing outside (not necessarily living outside yet). There, they can nibble on bits of dirt that provide the grit needed to accompany something like finely chopped garden greens.

Four young chickens are gathered around a slice of watermelon. They're fully feathered chicks about 8 weeks old now. One is orange, one brown, one light grey, and one black and white.
Here was our first flock of chicks, getting their first watermelon treat. By this time, I believe they were around 8 weeks old.


The Great Outdoors


Keep your chicks in their brooder for the first couple of weeks. Once they reach two or three weeks old, you can start bringing them outside for little adventures.  This should only be done if the temperature is at least 65 to 70 degrees outside, as they’re still very subject to getting chilled at this young age. Keep them safe and confined in a fenced area (that they can’t fit through the holes of!) or other temporary housing. Start with short durations, gradually increasing as the chicks get older. While they’re out, ensure they have access to water. An adventure spot that has both sun and shade is ideal, so they can choose what is most comfortable.

At first, we bring our girls out in a large pop-up doggie play pen. It can be used indoors or outdoors for play time, or even as a brooder itself! In the beginning, I always sit with the chicks to provide a sense of security, and so they can cuddle up if they’re cold. As the weeks go on, and they become larger and more comfortable with the outdoors, we expand their play area with wire fencing and let them roam further. But never leave them unsupervised! Especially if you have hawks or other birds of prey around. If you already have their secure, predator-proof run set up, that would be a great place for them to explore and play!

Two images in one. On the left, DeannaCat is sitting inside a pink dog playpen on the grass with four chicks that are about 2 weeks old. She is holding one, and the others are exploring on the ground. On the right, the same four chicks are a couple weeks older and larger. They're playing in a larger area with wire fencing around it.
Playtime!


In closing, enjoy these precious few weeks! Spend time with your babies. Take lots of photos! Your chicks are going to change from sweet little fluff balls to gangly, super-awkward, teenage dinosaurs in the blink of an eye!

If you are new to keeping chickens, you may also enjoy these articles:


I hope you enjoyed the read, and learned a few helpful tips on how to take care of chicks! Feel free to ask questions, and share the post.

DeannaCat's signature, with "keep on growing"



The post Baby Chick Care 101: Brooders, Heat, Health & More appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
https://homesteadandchill.com/baby-chick-care-101-brooders/feed/ 8 4450
The Top 18 Chicken Breeds for Your Backyard Flock https://homesteadandchill.com/backyard-chickens-top-18-breeds/ https://homesteadandchill.com/backyard-chickens-top-18-breeds/#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2019 04:06:43 +0000 https://homesteadandchill.com/?p=4030 Let’s talk about some of the best and most popular chicken breeds that you might want to consider including in your backyard flock! From temperament to eggs, this article will explore key information about the top 18 backyard chicken breeds. However, not every type of bird will be best suited for your climate, family, or yard. To help you examine and narrow down the chicken choices, here is the low-down on their reputation for demeanor, heat tolerance or cold hardiness, egg color, size, and laying frequency, along with any other notable characteristics. We have personal experience with many of the breeds on this list. Others are on our future “wish list” because of all the great things we have heard about them. I also included popular breeds that many of my insta-family of crazy chicken ladies love and have in their flocks. All of the descriptions provided below are in reference to the standard large fowl size (with exception of the Millie Fleur), though many of these breeds are also available in bantam (small) size. What breeds of chicken do you want? The Top 18 Backyard Chicken Breeds 1) Barred Rock Barred Plymouth Rocks, or just “barred rocks”, are some of the sweetest, most inquisitive, quirky birds we’ve ever had. They are very friendly, intelligent, and great with kids. I hate to play favorites, but of the nine different chickens we have had now, Dottie and Zoey take the cake. They’re the ones who always come running first, follow closest, and are most inclined to jump up for a cuddle. Barred Rocks also have a reputation for being talkative, but with a distinct sweet, softer coo and chatter, much different than the others in the flock. These black and white spotted cuties are steady layers of large, light brown eggs. You can expect an average of four to five eggs per week while they’re actively laying. Barred rocks have a large single comb, and are both heat and cold tolerant. This breed can take well to “confinement” but are happiest when they can range freely. 2) Marans This group includes Black Copper Marans, Blue Copper Marans, or Cuckoo Marans.  All of them are known to have the same great temperament. Sweet. Intelligent. Docile. Easily handled. Personally, I have a sizable soft spot for Black Copper Marans. Their bluish black iridescent feathers, copper gold neck feathers, feathered legs, and large red comb and wattles make them extremely striking, gorgeous birds. We had a Black Copper Marans named Luna. We lost her early due to a heart defect, but for the 6 months she blessed our lives with her presence, she was one of the best chickens we’d ever had. Marans are highly sought after for their dark chocolate brown eggs, which range from medium brown (blue copper), dark (cuckoo), to very very dark chocolate brown (black copper marans). They are good layers, averaging at least 3 large eggs per week. Though they’re quite cold hardy, Marans aren’t said to be especially tolerant to extreme heat. 3) Easter Eggers or Olive Eggers Easter Eggers are usually very friendly, docile, and in our experience, maybe a tad ditzy. But what chicken isn’t a little ditzy? Really. Not to be confused with a true-bred Ameraucanas or Araucanas, Easter Eggers are also commonly labeled as “Americanas”. Note the difference in spelling. Certain chicken enthusiasts get very irritated by the misleading nomenclature, because the Ameraucana breed (number 5 below) is quite different. Easter Eggers are the mutts of the chicken world; they are not a true recognized breed of chicken. But mutts can make for the best of pets! Instead, they’re usually a cross breed, dubbed and lumped into a generic category of “easter eggers” for the colorful eggs they’re bred to lay. The same is true for Olive Eggers. Most Easter Eggers have green legs, which helps make them easily distinguishable from true-bred Ameraucanas, who have slate gray to blue legs. True to their name, Easter Eggers can lay a rainbow of egg colors! It is most common to get green or blue eggs from Easter Egger hens, though their palette can range from pink to tan to purplish! You can eggspect at least 4 eggs per week from these gals. Outfitted with fluffy cheeks called muffs, or feathery little neck beards, I think these birds are absolutely adorable. They come in a wide variety of colors, including brown, orange, black, blonde, white or blue! We have had three Easter Eggers, Hennifer being our oldest gal in the current flock. Easter Eggers have small peacombs, making them a good cold-hardy bird. Peacombs do not have as high of a risk of frostbite as large single-comb types. They’re also known to be heat tolerant, and do not commonly become broody. 4) Orpington The Buff orpington is the quintessential backyard chicken. Imagine a big ginger-blonde fluff ball lazily meandering around your yard. With a reputation of being very sweet, docile, and patient, these birds are especially good with kids. The buff color Orpington is the most common, though they come in a variety of other color plumage! Blue, Black, White… A Lavender or Jubilee Orpington is on our wish list, most definitely! Orpingtons lay medium to large light brown eggs, averaging one every other day. Due to their fluffy plumage, this breed is especially cold-hardy. Also because of their heavy stature, they’re known to be less flighty once they’ve reached maturity. Orpingtons may go broody fairly often, and are very good mother hens. 5)  Ameraucana Often confused with Easter Eggers, this recognized purebreed does have a lot of similar characteristics! With fluffy cheek muffs and a beard, their faces couldn’t get any cuter. Ameraucanas lay beautiful medium-size blue eggs in a wide range of shades, with an average of about 3 to 4 per week. But don’t expect eggs right away from this breed. On average, this breed will “come into lay” a couple months later than other hens. When talking about their Ameraucanas, most folks say they’re docile but very alert and predator savvy. Personality can vary with each unique bird – it seems they enjoy being around humans, but may be a little more on the skittish side, not necessarily enjoying cuddles as much as some chicken breeds.  Plumage color ranges from blue to buff and wheaten to lavender. A lavender or blue splash Ameraucana is on my dream flock list! Like many chickens, this breed is quite cold hardy but not particularly heat hardy. 6) Crested Cream Legbar Crested Cream Legbars, or just “cream legbars”, are a rare breed and highly sought after for their bright blue-green eggs. They will lay about 4 to 5 medium-size blue eggs per week. And their amazing little tufted head poufs, and big floppy combs? Yeah. Pretty stinking cute. This breed is known to be very sweet and inquisitive. Some of my friends have super friendly, cuddly CCL’s who love to be up-in-the-business, getting pet and being held. Our girl Phoebe is a little more skittish, but she’s still a quirky, beautiful, welcome addition to our flock. Cream Legbars are good foragers, and keen to spotting and avoiding predators when free ranging. Being on the smaller side for “large fowl”, they can move quick! They are tolerant to heat, cold, and confinement. One additional awesome trait these birds have going for them is that they’re auto-sexing. That means that as day-old chicks, you can easily tell the two sexes apart. So whether you’re ordering from a hatchery, picking some up from a local breeder, or hatching your own eggs at home, you know what you’re getting into right away! The baby males will have a light spot on the top of their head, which the females lack. 7)  Welsummer Welsummers are all-around awesome friends to have in the backyard! They are calm, sweet, beautiful, and steady, reliable layers. If you are looking for reddish brown eggs, most often with awesome dark brown speckles, look no further! Four large eggs per week is an expected average for Welsummers. Backyard chicken keepers have nothing but good things to say about this breed. We love our Welsummer girl, Ginger. She is more gentle in her digging than the others, though Welsummers are good foragers. Ginger is also our least assertive bird, when it comes time to competing for food or in the general pecking order with the rest of the flock, despite the stereotype that they can be more assertive with others. This breed is both cold and heat-hardy. 8)  Wyandotte Wyandottes have some of the most gorgeous feather patterns out there. Gold Laced and Silver Laced are the most common plumage colors, though they also come in blue, black, partridge, and more. With humans, Wyandottes are mostly calm and friendly birds, though a little aloof. They are not necessarily “lap chickens”. When it comes to demeanor around other chickens, they often rank high in the pecking order and can be bossy or even a little aggressive. In regards to eggs, Wyandottes will lay about 4 medium-to-large light brown eggs per week. They’re a heavy breed and therefore not usually as quick or flighty. With a rose comb and full plumage, they’re exceptionally suited for cold climates. Like many other chicken breeds, they’ll will need extra measures taken to keep them cool and comfortable in high-heat climates. They are good foragers and prefer free range. 9)  Cochin The adorable factor is so real with these birds. Fluffy feathered pantaloons, anyone? These birds are so fully feathered that you usually cannot see their feet. Cochins are not known to be the best of layers, averaging about 2 medium brown eggs per week. However, for what they lack in egg production, they more than make up for in personality! This leads them to be continually popular with backyard chicken keepers. Cochins have a reputation for being very friendly, docile, easily-handled, and overall peaceful, good-vibes only birds. Even their roosters are known to be pretty chill. Are you surprised to hear Cochins are on our dream flock list? Probably not. And to be honest, we get way more eggs than we can keep up with from our four “strong” laying hens. I wouldn’t mind some girls that lay less frequently. Given their heavy statue and immense fluff, Cochins are very cold hardy and easy to contain with minimal fencing. They aren’t aggressive foragers, and prefer the fat and lazy approach.  They’re not super heat tolerant, but that can be overcome with extra precautions like plenty of shade, cold water, frozen treats. In regards to colors, Cochins come in just about all of them! Buff, blue, gold laced, white, black, mottled, brown, red, and more. 10) Australorp This is the Australian-origin version of the Orpington, and have many of the same qualities! Australorp plumage can be blue, black, or white. I personally think the black is the most stunning, with an iridescent green, blue, and purple sheen in the right lighting. This breed is well-known for their high-volume egg laying abilities. Several world records for most number of eggs per year were set by Australorp hens. They will lay an average of 5 large light brown eggs per week. On the whole, Australorps are very docile, sweet, and friendly. Some may be a tad shy. Fluffy and large, these birds have great cold hardiness. As you can imagine, being that they originated in Australia and are very popular birds there, they are also quite heat tolerant. 11) Speckled Sussex Speckled Sussex chickens are curious, mild-mannered, and will probably follow you all over. As heavy dual-purpose birds, these chickens aren’t as prone to flying once they mature to full size, so they’re a little less likely to hop the fence into your garden! After each molt, they can become increasingly speckled and pretty. Add one of these to our future “I want you” list. Speckled Sussex lay about four light brown eggs four per week. They’re likely to lay through the coldest of winter weather. Speaking of...

The post The Top 18 Chicken Breeds for Your Backyard Flock appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
Let’s talk about some of the best and most popular chicken breeds that you might want to consider including in your backyard flock! From temperament to eggs, this article will explore key information about the top 18 backyard chicken breeds. However, not every type of bird will be best suited for your climate, family, or yard.

To help you examine and narrow down the chicken choices, here is the low-down on their reputation for demeanor, heat tolerance or cold hardiness, egg color, size, and laying frequency, along with any other notable characteristics.


We have personal experience with many of the breeds on this list. Others are on our future “wish list” because of all the great things we have heard about them. I also included popular breeds that many of my insta-family of crazy chicken ladies love and have in their flocks. All of the descriptions provided below are in reference to the standard large fowl size (with exception of the Millie Fleur), though many of these breeds are also available in bantam (small) size.


What breeds of chicken do you want?


The Top 18 Backyard Chicken Breeds


1) Barred Rock


Barred Plymouth Rocks, or just “barred rocks”, are some of the sweetest, most inquisitive, quirky birds we’ve ever had. They are very friendly, intelligent, and great with kids. I hate to play favorites, but of the nine different chickens we have had now, Dottie and Zoey take the cake. They’re the ones who always come running first, follow closest, and are most inclined to jump up for a cuddle.

Barred Rocks also have a reputation for being talkative, but with a distinct sweet, softer coo and chatter, much different than the others in the flock. These black and white spotted cuties are steady layers of large, light brown eggs. You can expect an average of four to five eggs per week while they’re actively laying. Barred rocks have a large single comb, and are both heat and cold tolerant. This breed can take well to “confinement” but are happiest when they can range freely.

Three photos of a barred rock chicken breed, with black and white stripes and a large red comb. One photo is when it is a tiny chick, sitting in a blue tea cup.
Our Barred Rock girls. On the top and lower right is Zoey, our current gal. On the lower left is Dottie, our OG. She was the most cuddly bird we’ve ever had! If I was sitting down, she was up in my lap, end of story. Heartbreakers, these birds.


2) Marans


This group includes Black Copper Marans, Blue Copper Marans, or Cuckoo Marans.  All of them are known to have the same great temperament. Sweet. Intelligent. Docile. Easily handled. Personally, I have a sizable soft spot for Black Copper Marans. Their bluish black iridescent feathers, copper gold neck feathers, feathered legs, and large red comb and wattles make them extremely striking, gorgeous birds. We had a Black Copper Marans named Luna. We lost her early due to a heart defect, but for the 6 months she blessed our lives with her presence, she was one of the best chickens we’d ever had.

Marans are highly sought after for their dark chocolate brown eggs, which range from medium brown (blue copper), dark (cuckoo), to very very dark chocolate brown (black copper marans). They are good layers, averaging at least 3 large eggs per week. Though they’re quite cold hardy, Marans aren’t said to be especially tolerant to extreme heat.

Four photos of a black copper marans breed of chicken, with dark black feathers, an orange neck, and large red comb. One photo of is a tiny black and white chick. Two are of the adult size bird. In the last photo, a young black copper pullet is being held by DeannaCat.
Black Copper Marans are SO gorgeous, in my opinion. Luna was exceedingly intelligent, aware, and friendly.


3) Easter Eggers or Olive Eggers


Easter Eggers are usually very friendly, docile, and in our experience, maybe a tad ditzy. But what chicken isn’t a little ditzy? Really. Not to be confused with a true-bred Ameraucanas or Araucanas, Easter Eggers are also commonly labeled as “Americanas”. Note the difference in spelling. Certain chicken enthusiasts get very irritated by the misleading nomenclature, because the Ameraucana breed (number 5 below) is quite different.

Easter Eggers are the mutts of the chicken world; they are not a true recognized breed of chicken. But mutts can make for the best of pets! Instead, they’re usually a cross breed, dubbed and lumped into a generic category of “easter eggers” for the colorful eggs they’re bred to lay. The same is true for Olive Eggers. Most Easter Eggers have green legs, which helps make them easily distinguishable from true-bred Ameraucanas, who have slate gray to blue legs.

True to their name, Easter Eggers can lay a rainbow of egg colors! It is most common to get green or blue eggs from Easter Egger hens, though their palette can range from pink to tan to purplish! You can eggspect at least 4 eggs per week from these gals. Outfitted with fluffy cheeks called muffs, or feathery little neck beards, I think these birds are absolutely adorable. They come in a wide variety of colors, including brown, orange, black, blonde, white or blue! We have had three Easter Eggers, Hennifer being our oldest gal in the current flock.

Easter Eggers have small peacombs, making them a good cold-hardy bird. Peacombs do not have as high of a risk of frostbite as large single-comb types. They’re also known to be heat tolerant, and do not commonly become broody.


Two easter egger chickens on a roost. One is brown with yellow neck feathers, and one is more blonde and orange with a blue grey beard.
Check out these fabulous bearded broads! Hennifer, our oldest girl of the current flock, and her little friend Crazy Blue Beard. Okay her name was Darcy, but I like her pirate name better. As you can see, Easter Eggers come in many colors!


4) Orpington


The Buff orpington is the quintessential backyard chicken. Imagine a big ginger-blonde fluff ball lazily meandering around your yard. With a reputation of being very sweet, docile, and patient, these birds are especially good with kids. The buff color Orpington is the most common, though they come in a variety of other color plumage! Blue, Black, White… A Lavender or Jubilee Orpington is on our wish list, most definitely! Orpingtons lay medium to large light brown eggs, averaging one every other day.

Due to their fluffy plumage, this breed is especially cold-hardy. Also because of their heavy stature, they’re known to be less flighty once they’ve reached maturity. Orpingtons may go broody fairly often, and are very good mother hens.

On the left, very fluffy orange buff Orpingtons. On the right, a light grey lavender Orpington.
Look at those fluffy bums! On the left, buff Orpingtons. On the right, a lavender Orpington.
Photo courtesy of My Pet Chicken


5)  Ameraucana


Often confused with Easter Eggers, this recognized purebreed does have a lot of similar characteristics! With fluffy cheek muffs and a beard, their faces couldn’t get any cuter. Ameraucanas lay beautiful medium-size blue eggs in a wide range of shades, with an average of about 3 to 4 per week. But don’t expect eggs right away from this breed. On average, this breed will “come into lay” a couple months later than other hens.

When talking about their Ameraucanas, most folks say they’re docile but very alert and predator savvy. Personality can vary with each unique bird – it seems they enjoy being around humans, but may be a little more on the skittish side, not necessarily enjoying cuddles as much as some chicken breeds.  Plumage color ranges from blue to buff and wheaten to lavender. A lavender or blue splash Ameraucana is on my dream flock list! Like many chickens, this breed is quite cold hardy but not particularly heat hardy.

A pretty light grey mama Lavender Ameraucana hen, and four lavender chicks around her feet. They're on the grass in an open field.
A pretty mama Lavender Ameraucana and her babes. Photo courtesy of Three Little Blackbirds, who sells hatching eggs for these beauties, along with French Black Copper Marans!


6) Crested Cream Legbar


Crested Cream Legbars, or just “cream legbars”, are a rare breed and highly sought after for their bright blue-green eggs. They will lay about 4 to 5 medium-size blue eggs per week. And their amazing little tufted head poufs, and big floppy combs? Yeah. Pretty stinking cute. This breed is known to be very sweet and inquisitive. Some of my friends have super friendly, cuddly CCL’s who love to be up-in-the-business, getting pet and being held. Our girl Phoebe is a little more skittish, but she’s still a quirky, beautiful, welcome addition to our flock.

Cream Legbars are good foragers, and keen to spotting and avoiding predators when free ranging. Being on the smaller side for “large fowl”, they can move quick! They are tolerant to heat, cold, and confinement. One additional awesome trait these birds have going for them is that they’re auto-sexing. That means that as day-old chicks, you can easily tell the two sexes apart. So whether you’re ordering from a hatchery, picking some up from a local breeder, or hatching your own eggs at home, you know what you’re getting into right away! The baby males will have a light spot on the top of their head, which the females lack.

Three photos of a crested cream legbar, two as an adult hen and one as a tiny day-old chick inside a teacup. The adult hen has a large red comb that flops over her eyes on one side, and a crest of head feathers.
Our Crested Cream Legbar, Phoebe. We call her Pheebs. She’s a little cray-cray, but we love her anyways!
We love having this reliable autodoor on our chicken coop, which lets the girls in and out of their protected run each morning and night.


7)  Welsummer


Welsummers are all-around awesome friends to have in the backyard! They are calm, sweet, beautiful, and steady, reliable layers. If you are looking for reddish brown eggs, most often with awesome dark brown speckles, look no further! Four large eggs per week is an expected average for Welsummers.

Backyard chicken keepers have nothing but good things to say about this breed. We love our Welsummer girl, Ginger. She is more gentle in her digging than the others, though Welsummers are good foragers. Ginger is also our least assertive bird, when it comes time to competing for food or in the general pecking order with the rest of the flock, despite the stereotype that they can be more assertive with others. This breed is both cold and heat-hardy.

Two images of a Welsummer. One is a day old chick, very tiny, brown, and fluffy. As an adult hen, she has bright yellow neck feathers, a reddish brown body, and large red comb and wattles.
Our Welsummer girl, Ginger. I call her Ginger-melon. Or Goonga-melon. Don’t ask. She’s a good girl!


8)  Wyandotte


Wyandottes have some of the most gorgeous feather patterns out there. Gold Laced and Silver Laced are the most common plumage colors, though they also come in blue, black, partridge, and more. With humans, Wyandottes are mostly calm and friendly birds, though a little aloof. They are not necessarily “lap chickens”. When it comes to demeanor around other chickens, they often rank high in the pecking order and can be bossy or even a little aggressive.

In regards to eggs, Wyandottes will lay about 4 medium-to-large light brown eggs per week. They’re a heavy breed and therefore not usually as quick or flighty. With a rose comb and full plumage, they’re exceptionally suited for cold climates. Like many other chicken breeds, they’ll will need extra measures taken to keep them cool and comfortable in high-heat climates. They are good foragers and prefer free range.

On the left, a silver laced Wyandotte., with black and white pattern feathers. 
Top right, a gorgeous gold laced girl, with orange and black feather. 
On the bottom right, two stunning blue laced red Wyandottes.
On the left, a silver laced Wyandotte. Photo courtesy of Happy Chicken Coop.
Top right, a gorgeous gold laced girl. Photo from Purely Poultry
On the bottom right, two stunning blue laced red Wyandottes. From the beautifully curated flock of @portlandchickens


9)  Cochin


The adorable factor is so real with these birds. Fluffy feathered pantaloons, anyone? These birds are so fully feathered that you usually cannot see their feet. Cochins are not known to be the best of layers, averaging about 2 medium brown eggs per week. However, for what they lack in egg production, they more than make up for in personality! This leads them to be continually popular with backyard chicken keepers.

Cochins have a reputation for being very friendly, docile, easily-handled, and overall peaceful, good-vibes only birds. Even their roosters are known to be pretty chill. Are you surprised to hear Cochins are on our dream flock list? Probably not. And to be honest, we get way more eggs than we can keep up with from our four “strong” laying hens. I wouldn’t mind some girls that lay less frequently.

Given their heavy statue and immense fluff, Cochins are very cold hardy and easy to contain with minimal fencing. They aren’t aggressive foragers, and prefer the fat and lazy approach.  They’re not super heat tolerant, but that can be overcome with extra precautions like plenty of shade, cold water, frozen treats. In regards to colors, Cochins come in just about all of them! Buff, blue, gold laced, white, black, mottled, brown, red, and more.

A large, very fluffy, Cochin, who is feathered from head-to-toe with grey blue feathers.
Holy junk in the trunk! This curvy bodacious babe of a Blue Cochin is named Sage. She lives with my friend Danielle and many other beautiful, unique birds over at @hotoffthenest


10) Australorp


This is the Australian-origin version of the Orpington, and have many of the same qualities! Australorp plumage can be blue, black, or white. I personally think the black is the most stunning, with an iridescent green, blue, and purple sheen in the right lighting. This breed is well-known for their high-volume egg laying abilities. Several world records for most number of eggs per year were set by Australorp hens. They will lay an average of 5 large light brown eggs per week.

On the whole, Australorps are very docile, sweet, and friendly. Some may be a tad shy. Fluffy and large, these birds have great cold hardiness. As you can imagine, being that they originated in Australia and are very popular birds there, they are also quite heat tolerant.

A beautiful black Australorp with red comb and wattles. This chicken breed has sheens of purple and green on the black feathers.
A beautiful black Australorp. Photo courtesy of Backyard Chicken Coops


11) Speckled Sussex


Speckled Sussex chickens are curious, mild-mannered, and will probably follow you all over. As heavy dual-purpose birds, these chickens aren’t as prone to flying once they mature to full size, so they’re a little less likely to hop the fence into your garden! After each molt, they can become increasingly speckled and pretty. Add one of these to our future “I want you” list.

Speckled Sussex lay about four light brown eggs four per week. They’re likely to lay through the coldest of winter weather. Speaking of winter, this breed is a good cold-hearty breed too. They aren’t necessarily heat sensitive, but also are not know to be exceptionally heat tolerant either.

A fluffy speckled sussex sits on a roots in a yard with fall-colors and fallen leaves.
How sweet is Fern Meadow? I just want to squeeze her. This pretty Speckled Sussex belongs to my friend Tarah @tarahharlin


12) Silkie


Silkies are like the teddy bears of the chicken world. Mostly kept as beloved pets over egg production, these birds are exceedingly friendly, easy to handle, and with their unique fluffy feathers, very adorable. They’re commonly raised as show birds. With Silkies, about 2 to 3 eggs per week is common. The eggs are small to medium size, usually cream in color. Speaking of color, their plumage variations include blue, black, white, grey, buff, partridge, and splash. Despite their fragile appearance, they take well to free ranging, and are quite heat tolerant! They go broody easily and make for excellent mothers.

Due to their unique silky feathers, there are a few things you need to know to properly care for them. First, because their feathers do not stick together, they cannot fly. This makes them easy to confine, but also easy targets for predators. Also because of their feathers, they are not waterproof like other chickens and cannot tolerate overly wet climates without some supplemental heat or blow drying. As a very docile and unique breed, they are an easy target for bullying and feather-plucking by other members of a mixed flock. Therefore, silkies may do best in flocks of their same kind or with similar breeds like Polish.

Two fuzzy silkie hens - one buff and one white - foraging in the back yard.
Two silkie hens – one buff and one white. Photo courtesy of Countryside Network.


13) Polish


Have you seen those adorable birds with pom-poms of feather afros on the their head? That’s a Polish. They are ridiculously adorable. The head pouf can be so full that it might need to be routinely trimmed or pulled back into a “hen bun” to help the birds otherwise impaired eyesight. Like Cochins and Silkies, this is a breed that is more sought after for appearance and cute-factor than egg production. They will lay medium to large white eggs, up to several per week. However, they are known to have more variation in laying frequency and therefore less dependable, if eggs are what you’re looking for. They are not known to go broody much.

Also like cochins and silkies, this breed is very tame, sweet, and will tolerate being held, making them a very good choice for a family with children. They fly well, and also may startle easily, which is thought to be attributed to their sometimes blocked eyesight. They are also very inquisitive and can get themselves into tricky situations because of it. Good thing they tolerate being confined well, because that may be the best option for these birds.  

Polish can be many different color combinations, including blue, black, buff, silver and gold laced, often with a different color poofy crest than the rest of their feathers. They are included on the My Pet Chicken heat-hardy chicken breeds list, and also do well with cold. Like Silkies, overly wet conditions are not ideal. Their crest should be dried if it becomes sopping wet.

When they’re in a flock with other more aggressive breeds like Rhode Island Reds, Polish chickens often fall to the bottom of the pecking order and can be easily bullied. Though adorable, their poofy head feathers can also get them into trouble – they can be irresistible, and other chickens may pick and pluck them. That said, I know of many mixed flocks that include polish and they do just fine!


Two polish chickens with puffy head feathers. One is golden buff, the other is black and white, showing the many color varieties of this chicken breed.
On the right, a buff polish. Her name is Corn, and she lives with the wondrous @drinkingwithchickens crew.
A silver laced Polish is on the right, via Pinterest


14) Rhode Island Red


Rhode Island Reds are production birds. They’re valued both for high egg laying frequency, providing about 5 eggs per week, and also for their heavy bodies for meat. Eggs are extra-large in size, brown in color.  They do well in most climates, and are especially cold hardy. The breed is recognized to be good foragers, but also take well to confinement. The Rhode Island Red is the official state bird of… you guessed it… Rhode Island.

There is a persistent rumor around the chicken keeping community that claims RIRs are a bit more rowdy and sometimes even aggressive. Honestly, this prevented us from getting Rhode Island Reds in the past, though I hate to stereotype! Every chicken is different. Rumors aside, upon reading through reviews on various backyard chicken online forums, it seems most folks have very positive things to say about their RIRs! I venture to guess they may have dominant personalities and often emerge as the “top hen” in the flock, but can be very friendly and even downright cuddly with their human companions. People claim they’re a particularly loud breed.

Three Rhode Island Red hens in the grass, a classic and common breed of chicken
Rhode Island Red hens, via Backyard Chicken Coops



15) Mille Fleur d’Uccle


In French, Mille Fleur means “thousand flowers.” This is probably in reference to the hundreds of little black and white flower petal-looking dots that cover these gorgeous, unique birds otherwise-orange feathers. In addition to the speckles, they have full beards and fluffy feathered feet. Millie Fleurs are very attractive-looking, sweet, calm, and enjoy being handled. Combined with their huge personalities, they are perfect pets as well as popular show birds. They’re only available as bantams.

Egg production isn’t their strong suit, laying just a few very small white eggs per week. Because they are small and light, they do well in heat. This also means they’re excellent fliers, so take that into consideration when you are planning their run or ranging space. Keeping them in a flock with larger, more assertive birds may be problematic, similarly to Polish or Silkies. A Millie Fleur has been on my “I want you” list for a long time.

A orange, white, and black speckled mille fleur chicken.
Crazy, or crazy beautiful? Maybe a little of both? Maybe that is why I want one? Photo from My Pet Chicken


16) Dominique


Dominiques are another all-around great addition to any backyard flock. They’re docile, sweet, gentle, and are likely to follow their favorite humans closely everywhere they go. They’re also good layers, averaging 3 to 4 medium-large light brown eggs per week. Like Cream Legbars, this breed is auto-sexing, making it easy to more accurately determine their sex as baby chicks just by looking at them. Head spots on male chicks are more scattered, while the female’s head spot will be smaller and uniform.

Though they look similar at first glance, don’t confuse this breed with a barred rock! Dominique chickens have the same black and white pattern, but a bit more mottled and less crisp than a barred rock. The most obvious tell-tale difference between the two breeds is the Dominque’s flattened rose comb. Instead, barred rocks have a single tall large comb. This rose comb gives them little risk of frostbite and excellent cold tolerance, though they aren’t particularly heat tolerant.

As a gentle, less aggressive breed, they make great companions for the similarly-sweet Cochins, Polish, or Silkies, and could be picked on by other more dominant types. They also make excellent, caring mothers.

A dominique hen, with similar black and white colors as the barred rock chicken breed.
Nope, not a barred rock! Note the difference in her comb. Photo courtesy of the Chick Hatchery


17) Barnevelder


With unique double-laced plumage reminiscent of a Wyandotte, and chocolate-colored eggs, Barnevelders are gorgeous all the way around. They’ll lay about three large medium to dark brown eggs per week. This breed is rumored to be active, good at foraging, and friendly, but also very easy-going, quiet, and will tolerate confinement well. They’re a cold hardy breed.

Since they’re fairly rare, you probably won’t see this breed during chick days at your local Farm Supply store, but are becoming increasingly available through large and small breeders alike. Much like other mellow chicken breeds, these gals can often fall to the bottom of the pecking order.

A barnvelder hen in a field of grass. She is black and gold speckles and hints of iridescent green.
Look at those feathers! Barnevelder hen photo from Omlet


18) Brahma


Last but not least, the Brahma. These are big, “dual-purpose” birds! So much so, they’ve been dubbed “The King of Chickens”. But they’re a gentle giant, known just as much for their calm disposition as they are for their size and productivity. As a fluffy, friendly, quiet, easily-handled breed, this is another great choice for families with children. They average three to four medium-large light brown eggs per week. A quirky trait is that they seem to prefer to lay October through May – the time when many other chicken breeds take a winter break – so they may help bring balance to your egg basket year round!

Brahmas have three recognized feather colors: buff, light, and dark. They are densely feathered, including feathery legs and feet. Due to their heavy body stature, they don’t fly well. Therefore, Brahams are generally easy to contain. Their great size also often keeps them near the top of the pecking order. Other birds don’t wanna check that! Cold temperatures aren’t an issue for these birds. However, being in overly wet conditions often could lead to issues with their feathery feet. As long as they have shade and cold water in the summer, they’re okay in heat too.

Two very large and fluffy, mostly white brahma chicken breed. They have fluffy legs and feet, and some black feathers on their neck and tips of tail feathers.
Two big Brahma mamas. Photo from The Happy Chicken Coop


In summary…

Best egg production:

If a high egg count is your primary motivator for keeping chickens, look no further than Rhode Island Reds, Barred rocks, and Australorps. These are probably the three most “productive” chicken breeds on the list.

Egg Color:

To create a beautiful egg basket full of unique colors, you may want to consider Marans, Easter or Olive Eggers, Ameraucanas, Crested Cream Legbars, Welsummers, and Barnevelders, all of which lay quite regularly as well.

A hand holds four eggs. One is medium brown with dark speckles, from a welsummer hen. One is blue, from an easter egger. The greenish blue is from a crested cream legbar, and the the light pinkish brown is from a barred rock.
Our current egg color collection

Most Calm and Loving:

If you are after absolute sweethearts, mellow birds for a family with children, then the Barred Rocks, Orpingtons, Easter Eggers, Cochins, Silkies, Millie Fleur, or Polish chicken breeds might be among your ideal choices.

Note that every bird will have its own unique demeanor, so some birds within these breeds (or other breeds on the list) may be more or less friendly than “the norm”. A lot of how affectionate a chicken is with its human family greatly depends on the bonding time spent with it from a young age.

Great All-Around Birds:

Speckled Sussex, Barnevelders, Brahmas, and Dominiques are great all-around birds, with a little of all of the above too!

Heat-Tolerant:

The most heat-tolerant chicken breeds include the Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, Easter Eggers, Australorp, Silkies, Millie Fleurs, and Welsummers. However, with extra measures taken by a diligent chicken parent, most breeds can live happily in hot climates. When temperatures reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, preventative measures to keep birds cool must be taken. This is particularly true in humid climates. Read “10 Ways to Keep Chickens Cool in Hot Summer Weather” to learn more!

Cold-Tolerant:

Given that they’re living, walking, breathing down blankets, cold is not usually as threatening to chickens as heat is! That is, unless they’re molting. Then they may need a sweater. All of the breeds on this list will do similarly well in cold climates, as long as typical winterizing precautions are taken. Chickens with large single-combs and wattles may need extra attention in winter, to ensure their combs don’t get frostbite. Check out “10 Tips on Caring for Chickens in Cold Winter Weather” here.

Most Unique Appearance:

Even though I think ALL chickens are quite beautiful, if you are looking for unique, show-stopping beauties, Wyandottes, Millie Fleur, Polish, and Silkies take the cake.


So what do you think?

Did this help you narrow down your choices, or just make you want alllll of them? The great news about having so many awesome chicken breeds to choose from is it may help you feel less “stuck” on just a few breed types! It is great to be flexible and open up your options, especially if you are sourcing your chicks from a local breeder that might not have all of the exact breeds you were originally hoping for.

If you are a new or soon-to-be chicken parent, you may want to check out this post: What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Backyard Chickens. It covers everything from where to get chickens, coop and run design, predators and safety, and poop! Yep. Poop.

Did I miss any great chicken breeds that deserve a shout out? Feel free to leave a comment, and include a little description to share your experience with others. If you enjoyed this post, please share it with anyone who might find it useful. Thanks for reading!




The post The Top 18 Chicken Breeds for Your Backyard Flock appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
https://homesteadandchill.com/backyard-chickens-top-18-breeds/feed/ 45 4030
Backyard Chickens 101: What to Expect When You’re Expecting https://homesteadandchill.com/expecting-backyard-chickens/ https://homesteadandchill.com/expecting-backyard-chickens/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2019 01:07:18 +0000 https://homesteadandchill.com/?p=843 So you’re considering adding to the family, are you? Here is your ultimate guide on responsibly raising chickens! This article will cover everything from where to get chickens, how to provide them a safe and happy habitat, free ranging considerations, daily care, food, water and more!

The post Backyard Chickens 101: What to Expect When You’re Expecting appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
So you’re considering adding to the family, are you? Here is your ultimate guide to help inform and prepare you to responsibly raise chickens! A backyard chickens 101 crash course of sorts.

The freshest, most nutritious and delicious eggs you can get. Adorable feathered friends happily cruising around your yard, and if you’re a lucky chosen one, hopping up in your lap for a sweet little afternoon cuddle sesh. Maybe while you sip on some wine or tea. A living food waste disposal system, and a provider of free rich manure. A new BFF for your toddler.

It all sounds so idyllic, am I right?

Well I hate to break it to you (and while much of the above is true) it is not all sunshine and golden egg yolks when it comes to backyard chickens. Is it hard to take care of them? No! Not at all. Chickens are friendly, inquisitive, entertaining, and fairly low-maintenance animals. Yet like any other pet, there is certainly some preparation and ongoing upkeep that comes along with keeping backyard chickens. In our eyes, they’re like any other pet and deserve the same care and love.

The intent of this article is not to dissuade you from getting them, by any means. We adore our girls and wouldn’t give them up for anything, despite the shenanigans they put us through sometimes! I simply want you to be prepared to make informed decisions, for everyones sake involved. This article will cover everything from where to get backyard chickens, how to provide them a safe and happy habitat, free ranging considerations, predator-proofing, daily care, food, water and more!


Four backyard chickens are shown, picking in the grass. One chicken is grey, one is orange, one is brown, and the last is black and white.  A sunbeam is shining across the photo,  and there is a green chicken coop in the background. Short wood raised garden beds are between the chickens and the coop.
Our first flock of sweet little backyard chickens:
Peach, Olive, Dottie, and Hennifer, circa 2014.


14 Essential Things to Consider Before Getting Backyard Chickens


Since we’ll cover a lot of material today, here is a breakdown of the sections. Click on any topic to skip right to it!

  1. Local laws and ordinances
  2. Starting with hatching eggs, chicks, pullets, or adults (plus breed options)
  3. Where to get backyard chickens
  4. How many chickens to get
  5. Chicken coop and run essentials (size, styles, nest boxes, roosts, weather-proofing, etc)
  6. Predators and predator-proofing
  7. Free range options & considerations
  8. Food and water
  9. Eggs (laying frequency, natural breaks, storage)
  10. Poop
  11. Daily Care
  12. Vacations and nights out (automated chicken coop doors)
  13. Health issues and emergencies
  14. Planning for the future


1) Local laws and ordinances

If you’re in an urban or suburban setting, does your town allow for you to keep backyard chickens? What about if you live in an HOA? Do the bylaws permit it? If yes, that’s great! Are there any restrictions set forth, like setbacks from neighbors or a maximum number of birds? For example, our town allows up to 14 chickens, but no roosters. All of their confined habitat (run and coop) must be at least 15 feet from any neighboring structures.

Sometimes it can be tough to find the right documents that spell out the rules. Ours is under our City Municipal Code public welfare section. Maybe try to Google “(your town/city) poultry ordinance” to find it.

Four tiny fluffy baby three day old chicks are staged on top of a lacy surface, with house plants and a ceramic chicken in background. Two are black and white, and two are brown and tan.

Our three-day old little monsters-in-training. Squee!
We have always started with day-old chicks.


2) Should I get hatching eggs, day-old chicks, teenagers, or adult birds?


Hatching Eggs

We haven’t incubated eggs at home (yet), so I don’t feel comfortable providing too much advice on how to do so. If hatching eggs is an option you’re interested in, check out this excellent guide from My Pet Chicken! Personally, I feel this might be an overwhelming option for someone brand new to raising backyard chickens.

Some of the benefits of this option include: no stress for the birds during shipping, a large selection of breeds to choose from, and a fun learning experience for the kiddos, and you! The possible drawbacks are: potential to deal with rare complications, deformities, or even deaths during incubation or hatching; less control over the sex of the bird compared to other options; plus the additional equipment, time, and knowledge needed.


Chicks

With day-old chicks, you’ll have the best opportunity to form a strong bond with those stinky little buggers. Plus… the cute factor! If you have kids, they’ll be SO excited to have baby chicks around! If you go this route, you’ll need to plan on having a brooder set up while they’re small, before they’re old and feathered enough to transition outside to the “big girl coop”.

A plywood box sits in the middle of a patterned rug in a room. There is a red heat lamp hanging over the plywood box. It is a brooder, waiting to be occupied by baby chicks. A cat peers out from inside the box. The chicks aren't here yet, so the cats are exploring the room. Another cat lays on a chair nearby.
Our most recent brooder set up in “the nursery room”. I spy with my little eye, something doesn’t belong here… Don’t worry, the chicks weren’t here yet! Quincy was just making sure the temperature was just right for his new baby sisters. What a good big brother. The brooder was covered with wire fencing once the chicks arrived, and the kitties were not allowed in this room.


If you aren’t familiar with the concept, a brooder is a little protected enclosure, as simple as a large plastic tote, pop-up pen, or plywood box. We have used all three!

The brooder needs a safely-installed heat lamp to provide them the right ambient temperature for each stage of growth. We have used basic heat lamp fixture with red bulbs in the past, but they can be very worrisome and do run the risk of causing fires if they fall over or have other mishaps. We have since learned of a much safer option. Next time we set up a brooder, we intend to use one of these radiant-heat stands that chicks duck under, just like they would a mama hen. All my crazy-chicken lady friends swear by it!

The brooder will need a daily clean-up, along with frequent food and water changing, to keep them happy and healthy. For more details about setting up and maintaining a chick brooder, and other baby chick tips, please read: Baby Chick Care 101: Brooders, Heat, Health & More.


Teenagers

If fussing over a brooder and having tiny pooping creatures in your house or garage doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you may want to consider getting slightly older chicks, called pullets. Pullets are female chickens that are approximately 8 to 28 weeks old. Basically, they’re fully feathered (hence, no need for the brooder), you can tell their sex 95% of the time by now, but they have not yet started laying eggs.

Pullets can be kept outside without heat from the start. That is, as long as they are fully feathered and it isn’t freezing outside. There is still a great chance of forming a close bond with them if you put in some dedicated hang out and treat time!


Adult hens

Maybe the extra work involved with younger chicks sounds like too much, you want fresh eggs right away? If having a super strong bond with your backyard chickens isn’t all that important to you, then getting adult hens may be the way to go!

It would be most wise and simple to get a handful of birds that were already together, if possible. Introducing new birds to each other is a whole other topic for another post, but the short and sweet is: it can be tricky. Merging flocks needs to be done carefully and right, including a quarantine process and gradual (supervised) introduction process. The pecking order can be brutal! Especially with adult birds from different flocks, or when introducing chicks to adults. Chick-to-chick is a little easier.


Breed options and egg colors

No matter if you get chicks or adult hens, be sure to pop over to this post on The Top 18 Backyard Chicken Breeds! It’s a subject all of it’s own. Your decision between breeds will depend on what your motives are (e.g. eggs vs appearance), where you live (some breeds are more tolerant to extreme heat or cold than others), and also somewhat dictated by where you get your chickens – discussed next.



3) Where to get backyard chickens


There are many options of where to get chicks or chickens, and pro’s and con’s to each option. Let’s briefly explore each, shall we?


A Hatchery


Overnight mail delivery of day-old chicks is available through several large commercial hatcheries in the U.S. 

Pros: There is generally an extensive choice of breeds to choose from. It is possible to get all females, but not guaranteed. Most hatcheries claim to be able to determine the sex of young birds at a fairly high accuracy, but be advised that mistakes do happen! We have been lucky and received all females both times. 

Cons: As with any large-scale animal operation, there is potential for sketchy and sad treatment of the adult breeding birds. Male baby chicks are usually culled. If you want to help reduce that practice, you can order “straight-run” (a random mix of sexes) instead of female-only, but you better have a good, humane plan for any roos you end up with! No, that doesn’t mean “setting them free”, or even putting them on Craigslist as “free to a good home” – unless you can really vet and trust that potential taker.

Commercial hatcheries may have potential for more health issues due to large-scale operation and breeding, and you don’t get to see your bird and choose based on vitality and behavior. Lastly, shipping causes some distress for the just-hatched chick.


A close up of hands holding four three-day old chicks. Two are black and white, and two are yellow and brown.
Full disclosure: All of our birds came from a large hatchery. We got them before we were more educated on the topic, and will likely try hatching eggs or getting chicks from a local breeder if and when we get more.


Local Tractor or Farm Supply Store


Pros: You can actually see the birds and pick out the cutest, fluffiest, quirkiest one yourself! Which can be especially fun for the kiddos. If you peer into their brooder and they all look dead, don’t freak! They sleep like dead things. Wait a few minutes and they’ll be bouncing around like fuzzy pinballs again. Another benefit is that they may have endured less stress thus far, if they didn’t have to get shipped.

Farm stores like Tractor Supply will usually have a spring chick calendar or schedule available upon request. It should tell you what dates they’re expecting chicks, and what breeds will be available when. Our local Farm Supply offers a handful of standard breeds routinely, with some specialty ones sprinkled in on a rotating basis. If you have your heart set on specific breeds, scope out the calendar in advance to plan your pick-up day. They may even let you reserve some.

Needs more research: Your farm supply store might get chicks from a local breeder (described below) or possibly from a large hatchery, which we already discussed. Then all those same pro’s and con’s to those two options would apply. You’ll have to ask them!


Local Farm or Local Breeder


Do some research into what is available in your area! For example, we have several small-operation poultry breeders within a few hours driving distance, that offer everything from hatching eggs to adult birds.

Pros: Like a farm store, you can usually pick out the specific birds, based on attitude and appearance. Plus, there is no stress of shipping. With this option, you’re supporting a local operation! Also, the chickens are most likely receiving better care and habitat than big commercial operations.

Cons: There may be fewer breed options to select from. You may have less ability and likelihood to get females only, if that is what you desire.


Learn 5 ways to tell the difference between young male and female chicks here.


An Animal Rescue, Shelter, Craigslist, or a Friend


Pros: Rehoming a bird in need of a good home can be a wonderful and rewarding thing! Especially chickens rescued from nasty factory farm type operations – usually referred to as “ex-battery hens”. You could be saving a life! Since backyard chickens have become very trendy, there has been a steep rise in ones needing homes. They’re often given up by folks who were not adequately prepared for their little homesteading adventure – like you will be now!

To find chickens to adopt in your area, check out Santuaries.org or PetFinder. Depending on the situation, you may have a great new steady layer on your hands! Or maybe you’re just providing a safe haven for a new friend.

Potential Cons: While rewarding, taking in random or rescue birds comes with a little more uncertainty. Be aware that these chicken could have a questionable demeanor, especially if they were not treated well by humans. Chances are they may be a little skittish and less inclined to cuddle up with you, but likely not aggressive (unless we are talking about a rooster). An honest, responsible owner or adoption agency should be able to discuss the chickens demeanor with you – though this could change, including for the better, once they’re in a new happy home and feeling more relaxed!

When they first come home with you, ex-battery hens in particular may need a little extra TLC, and could have lingering health issues as a result of their previous circumstances. Here is an article all about what to expect when caring for ex-factory farm chickens. 

With this option, you have less control over choice of breed, age, and could be more difficult to plan in advance for when and what will be available.


4) How many backyard chickens should I get?


Chickens are social creatures! They like to have a few friends around. You’ll need to consider your space to decide exactly many to have in your flock, because the last thing we want is too many hens in the henhouse. Gossip, cliques, and drama WILL ensue! When chickens are crowded and given inadequate space or entertainment, they get bitchy. They’ll pick on each other – sometimes to the point of causing injury. Let’s avoid that, shall we?

For the average backyard flock and family, I personally think four is a perfect starting number. With four backyard chickens, you’ll have more entertainment and eggs then you know what to do with! Three or five is good too! But starting with only two chickens is not advisable. What if, God forbid, something happens to one of them? The last girl standing will be really lonely and you’ll need to find her a friend ASAP, or maybe have to consider responsibly re-homing her.


5) Chicken coop and run essentials


One of the most important and impactful things you’ll ever do for your future beloved backyard chickens is to provide them a safe, secure, and comfortable home.

A cute chicken coop. It is about 5 feet wide, 5 feet tall, light blue with dark teal blue and white accents. It has little window frames, faux shutters, a window planter with succulents on the side. Large pastel color cobble stones are around its base.
Our DIY chicken coop that can comfortably house 4-6 backyard chickens, with an attached 30′ long protected run. A large portion was made with salvaged materials!


Chicken coop size minimums

The recommended size for a coop is 3 to 4 square feet per chicken, minimum, and about 10 square feet per chicken in the run space. For reference, our coop is 5’x3’ (15 square feet) and comfortably houses 4 to 5 backyard chickens – the maximum we’ve ever had in it. Do keep in mind that our girls only sleep in their coop. We don’t have “real” winters or snow here, so there is never a time they need to stay “cooped up” inside. (See what I did there?) Our attached, fully enclosed run is 30 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 6 feet tall.

If you have severe winters, plan to have a coop that’s large enough for extended stays, with room for food, water, and maybe even a heat panel inside. A coop that you can walk in to might even be preferred in that situation.

Avoid the minimum coop and run sizes so you can eventually expand your flock, because you inevitably will want to! It is called chicken math. Yes, it’s very a real thing. Urban Dictionary even says so.


Pre-made coops

There are some reaallly nice pre-made coops out there! I’ve also seen ads for local custom-built ones. Yet be leery of the little pre-made coops you may see at Costco or Farm Supply that cheerily claim are “designed to house up to four chickens!”. They are often times a bit tiny and sad. Tiny and sad for the birds, and tiny and sad for you to access and clean.

The number one regret I hear from people regarding backyard chickens is that they wish they’d built their own coop, or had something bigger than those little things. That, or wishing they’d better predator-proofed their coop and run, because they didn’t, and experienced a horrendous incident. We will talk about predator-proofing in a just a minute.

Two photos of Deanna and Aaron in the process of building their coop. One shows Aaron with the frame of the coop on legs, and the other shows Deanna in the long enclosed run.
A peek inside the half-built chicken coop and run, circa spring 2014. Filthy, sweaty, and sore, but stoked! I will share more about our design soon.


Building your own chicken coop

We had little-to-no experience building things when we made ours – it was one of our first-ever homestead projects! It was fun, fairly easy, and because we used a large amount of reclaimed and up-cycled materials, quite inexpensive. Especially compared to large pre-made coops.

If you aren’t up for building a structure, you could get a pre-made shed and convert it by adding nest boxes, chicken-size doors, vents or windows, and roosts as needed to make it coop-like. 2023 update: We moved to a new property and inherited a shed-style coop. Check out our original coop in video tour below. Also, here is a collection of 44 buildable chicken coop plans.

Our Coop and Run Tour:


Check out our YouTube channel for more videos by clicking here!
A white shed that has been converted into a chicken coop with and outdoor run made of hardware cloth attached to it. It is under a copse of oak trees, the setting sun is shinning in through the canopy.
2023 update: We moved since I wrote this article, and inherited a shed-style chicken coop and run with our new property… but it needed a lot of work!
The inside of a chicken coop is pictured with three chickens pecking around in the fresh shavings. Three nest boxes are tucked off to the left with a roost towards the right corner. Two windows are open, each on the opposite wall from the other.
We had to tear out everything inside the existing shed-coop, as it was left to us completely buried in poop! It was quite the task, but we got it all cleaned out, sanitized, installed a new washable floor, and then added a small roost and simple nesting boxes for our three girls. I documented that project here.


Nest boxes

Inside their coop, backyard chickens need a designated, safe, comfortable place to lay their eggs. They are referred to as “nest boxes”. The average size for a nest box is about 12″ x 12″ x 12″. How many nest boxes should you have? Experts say 1 nest boxes per four or five chickens is good. I would plan on two nest boxes for a small backyard flock. Even if you had one box per bird, they always want to lay in the same one anyways! A queue line or shoving battle will even form for the preferred box, even when others are empty and available. Silly, silly birds.

Line the bottom of the nest boxes with a soft bedding material that they can nest into. Something like straw or hay. Chickens push around the bedding material while they get situated in the nest. This can then expose the hard wood surface below. If they drop an egg there, it may break. To solve this issue, we line the bottom of their nest boxes with these awesome nest box pads that stay in place, and then put straw on top.

A pretty grey chicken is sitting a nest box full of hay. She has a large red comb and wattles.
Miss Olive, an “olive egger”, all comfy in the favorite nest box.


Coop Roosts

Their roost, the bar or perch that chickens sleep at night, should be the highest thing in their coop. At least 6-12” inches off the bottom of the coop, up to several feet tall, depending on your coop design. Though I am not a chicken, I feel that a flat perch (like a 2×4″ board on its wide side) would be more comfortable to hunker down on than trying to grip a rounded dowel or branch all night. Ours is a 2×4″ board.

It is essential for the roost to be taller than the nest boxes. (But NOT directly above the nest boxes, because guess where their little nighttime poops will land?!)

As as natural self-defense mechanism, chickens will sleep and roost on the tallest thing available. So if you put their nest boxes at the same height or above the roosts, guess where they’ll sleep? In the nest box. Thus, guess what will be all over your precious eggs? Poop. Yup, we’ll talk alllll about poop, real soon. This is one of the issues with some of those little pre-made coops. The roost is usually right at the same level as the nest boxes, maybe an inch or two above, causing the chickens to sleep in the wrong place.


Location

Ideally, the coop and particularly their daytime run/range space should have some sun, and some shade. If you can plan a run area with a tree in or around it, they’ll thank you endlessly! Our girls love to hang out under the canopy of trees and shrubs all day. They feel most secure there, and also rely on shade to help stay cool during hot weather. Chickens prefer sunny spots for dust bathing, along with stretching out in the sun on cool days to warm up.


Dust Baths

As counterintuitive as it sounds, chickens keep themselves clean by wallowing in the dirt. By laying down in the dirt, digging themselves a little hole, rubbing around, and fluffing their wings, they take a bath – called a dust bath. The process helps keep their feathers protected and waterproof, removes excess oil, and eliminates parasites. It is essential in chicken health! They will also preen themselves, rubbing their beaks on an oil gland that is located above their tail area, and disperse the oil around their feathers, further waterproofing them and providing insulation.

Chickens especially love fine, sandy soil for dust bathing. Some folks add wood ash, diatomaceous earth, or lime to dust baths for extra control against parasites like lice or mites. We provide our girls a designated spot to take their baths. It also helps reduce the number of holes they dig in the yard. We use these galvanized tubs filled with our native sandy soil (you could buy sand if needed) and added holes in the bottom for drainage.

Learn more here: How to Make a Chicken Dust Bath: Easy DIY Ideas

Three chickens are in large galvanized tub full of sandy soil. They use them as dust baths.
Rub-a-dub-dub, three hens in a tub! We do have two of these dust baths tubs set up side by side, though similar to nest boxes, they often want to use the same one!


Weather Considerations


Cold

A chicken coop needs to be weatherproof, meaning it can withstand a good windstorm, doesn’t get wet inside during rain, and if you live in a climate with freezing winters, decently insulated. This doesn’t mean you need to install human house style insulation, but consider using slightly thicker wood, and not having tons of gaps between the wood for cold drafts. The girls will huddle together, and use their perfectly-designed feathers to keep warm.

Most times, artificial heat won’t be needed, though some people wrap up their coop and/or run in Tyvek or tarps during harsh winter weather to block drafts and keep heat in. Chickens with large combs and wattles are more susceptible to frostbite. They may need special care, such as putting vaseline on their combs. Some chicken keepers also use heating panels like these.

In addition to the coop, the run area should also have a semi “weatherproof” protected area for rainy days, for example a portion with a roof or shelter of some sort. One section of our run that is closest to the coop has clear plastic and fiberglass sheets of corrugated roofing material over it. This is mostly to keep their food dry below, as well as give them a dry place to hang out during occasional rain.

For more details, please see “10 Tips on Caring for Chickens in Cold Winter Weather”.


A wintery scened of snow accumulation in a woodland area. A chicken coop is tucked next to a tree with a connected chicken run.


Heat

In summertime, chickens need a shady spot to hang out and stay cool. This is alone won’t be enough if you live in a place with intense summer heat. Temperatures over 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit can kill chickens, and does. Humidity makes it even worse. Yet people who do experience high heat regularly can still keep healthy, happy flocks of chickens! They just need to use a myriad of methods for keeping their backyard chickens cool, comfortable and safe. Fans. Shade. Water misters. Sprinklers. Kiddie pools for them to stand in. Air conditioning even.

The key is to lower their body temperature to avoid heat stroke, so providing cold treats for them to ingest like frozen corn, berries, or peas, or putting out ice water (and refreshing it often) is very helpful. If a chicken is showing signs of heat distress (laying down, panting, wobbling), you must lower their body temperature as quickly as possible. Do this by submerging their whole body up to their neck in cool, not cold, water. Though our weather is usually pretty mild here, we’ve had to dunk all our girls in a 5 gallon bucket a few times.

For more information, check out “10 Ways to Keep Chickens Cool During Hot Summer Weather or Heat Waves”.

Ginger gets a one-minute dunk on a very hot day. She was very wobbly, lethargic, and weak prior to this, and good as new after!


Air flow

Chicken coops need to be well-insulated, but also need some fresh air circulation and ventilation. For example, through a couple small windows covered in hardware cloth, or some other protected vent system. Depending on your cleaning routines, it can get a bit stinky in there and built-up ammonia needs to escape, for their comfort AND health.

In places with “real” winter weather, when the chickens are cooped up inside more, those vents are essential to help release moist air along with the ammonia. This is important to prevent respiratory issues and frostbite. The air vents will also help keep things comfortable and temperatures down in the summertime, when the girls need to go back inside the hot coop to lay eggs. Keep the vents above the level of the birds near the top of the coop, since heat rises.


Entertainment and more roosts

Chicken keepers come up with creative ideas for “boredom busters” – entertainment to keep them happy and busy, especially in a confined run space. One example is hanging cabbages or wire baskets of greens at or just above beak height for them to pick at. There are also a variety of seedy treat-blocks that you can purchase, or even make your own! We get these ones on occasion – like when we are going out of town, which we’ll talk more about in a moment. The little blocks fit perfectly in a bird feeder suet holder that we hang from a tree or the wall of their run.

In addition to the roost they sleep on in the coop, plan on having some roosts in their run or in the yard they spend time in. Chickens love to nap, and napping on roosts is da best (says our girls). Or in a plump ball on the ground – the infamous “chicken loaf”. Sawhorses make GREAT roosts. I picked up a few at a garage sale, and we made one as well. It’s super easy to do! As a mega-roost, we assembled a branching “tree” in their run from the remnants of a dead tree we had to remove from the yard.

Two backyard chickens are perched on a sawhorse roost under a lemon tree. One chicken is black and white, a barred rock. The  other is smaller, and is brown, orange, and yellow - a crested cream legbar. Another chicken is in the background, walking around the yard.
We have three sawhorse roosts around the yard. They are all located under the canopy of a tree, which makes the girls feel safe, secure, and relaxed. The perfect spot to take a nap, preen, or just hang out!


Flooring

The ground of the run can be anything from native dirt, sand, wood chips, pea gravel, or straw. You want something that has good drainage, so don’t put a run on top of a concrete slab for instance. Sand is nice because it’s kind of like kitty litter, and makes for easy work in picking up poop. Straw can keep a wet situation a little less soggy and muddy than just dirt alone, but can also get a bit messy with poop. If you go the wood chip route, avoid cedar. Cedar oils are reportedly toxic to chickens. We use a mix of shredded redwood mulch and small redwood bark in the back yard where they range, and coarse washed concrete sand in the run.


6) Chicken Predators


Predators to chickens include hawks, weasels, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, bears, bobcats, mountain lions, or other large wild cats. Snakes may try to eat chicken eggs. Cats are not typically a threat once chickens are fully grown. The birds are usually larger than cats by then, and startle them with their flapping and squawking! When raising baby chicks indoors, make sure you carefully monitor their interaction with your other larger pets.


Predator-proofing a chicken coop and run


The most important part of their habitat to strongly predator-proof is their coop. That is their safe-haven! While important, the protection of their run will depend on your situation, location, and how you intend to let them range. The best fencing material for predator-proofing is galvanized hardware cloth with ¼” openings. Despite the misleading name, chicken wire is too flimsy! It deteriorates with time and can be chewed or ripped through by predators like raccoons or bears.

Rodents can squeeze through pretty tiny holes, the size of a quarter, so make sure to take that into consideration when looking into fencing options. Mice and rats may not harm your chickens, but they’re a nuisance. You don’t want them in your backyard chickens’ space. They might try to eat eggs, and it is not sanitary to have them around the feed and water.

A view from the end of a chicken run. It is very long and narrow, 35 feet by 5 feet. There is a wood frame and metal mesh walls and roof. Four chickens are in the run, perching on a variety of tree branches and two-by-four boards.
Nothing is getting into this run! It has hardware cloth on all sides and the top, and also buried 1 foot deep around all the sides at ground level to block digging predators.

Every nook and cranny needs to be vermin and predator-proof, including around the outside perimeter at ground level! It is suggested to bury hardware cloth in a 1-foot deep “apron” around their coop and/or run. This is to prevent anything from digging under. (I say “coop and/or run” because again, this will vary depending on your setup.)

If you have a super predator-proof coop that the chickens are safely locked in at night, making a Fort Knox-style run may not be necessary. If there are little-to-no daytime predators around your property, a lightly fenced or totally free range area may be okay during the day. But if you have coyotes, bears, mountain lions, foxes, hawks, or eagles, plan for a fairly sturdy run too.

We have virtually no daytime predators, so our girls are able to safely free range the backyard during the day. They are locked away in their very secure run/coop combo at night. There may be a super rare occasional hawk flying high above our neighborhood, but our back yard has a good tree canopy around the perimeter that the girls spend 90% of their time under. Our yard is also long, narrow and fairly small, making it much more difficult for a hawk to dive in to.


A white shed that was converted into a chicken coop has a large attached outdoor run space. It is tucked under a canopy of oak trees.
2023 Update: Since moving, our new rural property has WAY too many hawks constantly around to let the girls free range. I’ve even seen coyotes out in the daytime! Thankfully, the existing run is large, enclosed in hardware cloth, and predator proof. We also plan to create an additional “day time run” space that may use less intense fencing, but will still protect them from hawks.


7) Should I let my chickens free range?


Or, maybe only supervised free range? We already talked a bit about predators, but whether or not you have daytime predators isn’t the only factor to consider when determining what kind of ranging plan you want to enforce on your budding homestead. For example, if you hope to free range, do you have a garden, nice landscaping, or plants you care about in the same area you plan to allow them? If you answered yes to both, then you better add “plan to protect said garden” to that list. Or, plan to be out there supervising them during their range time.

Chickens are pretty much certified professionals at five things: laying eggs, being adorable, pooping, eating, and digging.


We read about this when we first got chickens, but didn’t really understand just how much damage they could do until after a good year in. They really liked to hang out (and poop) on our patio. We eventually fenced in that area to make a clean “poop free zone”, leaving them the rest of the yard to free range. With time and a little creative thinking, we came up with all sorts of hacks and tricks to keep our back yard beautiful, manageable, and useful, for both us and them. For example, strategically fencing certain areas (like around the base of young trees or garden beds) to protect them from digging and damage. I will write up a post dedicated to “Gardening with Chickens” soon!

There is a large u-shaped section of 2 foot tall raised garden beds against a blue stucco house wall. In the garden beds, tall kale trees grow several feet tall, all in a line against the blue house. In the foreground, the chickens are investigating the garden but are prevented from entering by a fence. One is leaping in the air to try to eat carrot tops.
Here is an example of one our fenced “chicken-proof” garden spaces. As demonstrated by Zoey, they can still graze on the greens hanging over the perimeter of the beds, but the 4-foot wire fencing (that they can’t jump up and land on top of – their preferred way to go up and then over something) successfully keep them out of the beds. And no, the pathway doesn’t always look this neat – they fling bark mulch all over it! We keep a broom nearby.


Chunnels

If you do have some daytime predators, or if you want to limit access to certain areas of your yard – you should consider chicken tunnels, aka “chunnels” – in addition to their run! Essentially, it is giving them their own little fenced chicken highway around designated areas of the yard, rather than needing to fence in everything else. Depending on their design, chunnels could be rotated periodically to different locations. They could also be easily made against an existing fence or around the perimeter of a yard.


Chicken tunnels. They are short, round, wire tunnels around the yard that are large enough for a flock of chickens to enjoy, but blocks them from getting into the nearby garden
Chicken Tunnels, aka Chunnel! A good compromise between cooped up and free range.
Photo courtesy of County Living

Other Ranging Considerations

Don’t want fences at all? Do you have a huge property that they can just run a muck on, or you simply don’t care if they do a little damage? Even if so – do not plan on free-range only, without having some kind of backup plan. Meaning, do not only plan a coop and skimp on providing a safe run because “they’re just going to free range anyways”. Even though our girls free range all day e’ry day, we still have a large run we know we can safely tuck them away in to if needed. For example, during a storm, unexpected predator issues, when we got our house re-roofed, or if we needed to replace a fence in the backyard – like we need to do soon.

Last but not least if you are considering free range, do a mental and physical inventory of the space they will have access to. Are there any dangerous materials around, like rat bait or gopher poison? Has the grass they may graze on been recently treated with pesticides or fertilizers? Are there any sketchy crevices, sharp objects, or places they can get stuck or into trouble? Think of it like toddler-proofing. Chickens are pretty much toddlers – they’ll put just about anything in their beaks they can can.


8) Food and Water


Feed choices

Baby chicks, pullets, and laying hens all have different feed requirements. “Starter” and “grower” feeds for younger birds have more protein to support rapid growth. Layer feeds have slightly less protein, and a little extra calcium. There are a ton of options for chicken food out there, including making your own blend. If you choose to do so, ensure you find a recipe that gives them all the nutrition they need! We prefer to leave that to the pros, and give them this organic, non-gmo Scratch and Peck layer feed. The girls love it! We also ferment it for them on occasion, for an extra boost of nutrition and probiotics. I will write a post on that later.


Calcium

Once they’re laying, you’ll also need to put out a free-choice calcium source (like crushed oyster shells or egg shells) to support healthy eggshell development. This is essential. Eggshells themselves are made up of calcium carbonate. Without enough of it in their diet, they can end up laying soft-shelled eggs or even have them break inside. This leads to serious health issues!

By free-choice, I mean a small dish separate from their food that they can choose to eat as they feel necessary. Yes, feeding them back their own eggshells is okay. More than okay! Our girls prefer baked and crushed eggshells over oyster shells any day. Plus… they’re FREE!

To read more about providing calcium to backyard chickens, and how we prepare baked crushed eggshells or oyster shell for our girls, see this article all about it!


Colorful crushed eggshells on a tray, and in a jar. Some are very deep chocolate brown, light brown, pinkish, green and blue
Our girls favorite source of calcium – Eggshells, ready for a quick bake then crushed.


Food Availability, Bio-security, & Storage

Fresh feed can be put out daily, which is favorable but a little more work. Or it can kept out all the time, as long as wild animals can’t get to it, especially overnight. This isn’t only because we don’t want to share with the wild ones. We also don’t want their potential cooties. Wild animals (including other birds) may carry parasites or diseases that could be transmitted to your backyard chickens. By keeping their food away from wildlife, you are practicing good bio-security.

Food also needs to be refreshed often enough to prevent it from getting moldy and stale. Our girls have a feeder that is in kept their pest-proof run, which we refresh a couple times a week.

Bulk food should be stored in a dry, vermin-proof container. We keep all of our chicken food, treats, and miscellaneous supplies in a dedicated large storage tote in the garage, sealed with a secure lid. Rodents are not an issue in our garage. If you keep chicken feed outside or in a shed and have minimal wildlife activity, consider a heavy-duty, BPA-free, plastic container like this one. If you need a little more protection, you could use a galvanized metal container like this one. They’re both made in the USA!


Water

Fresh, clean water needs to be available at all times. Like their feed, it should not be accessible to wild animals (to the best extent possible). Our girls have one water container in their run, but also one in the yard that wild birds may drink from on occasion, so we take extra diligence to clean and sanitize it frequently.

One little trick that many chicken keeps practice is putting a little splash of apple cider vinegar (ACV) in their chickens water. Use 1 tablespoon of ACV per gallon of water. The slight drop in pH helps prevent it from developing harmful bacteria and algae as easily. It is also a great little probiotic and immunity boost for the chickens, said to help ward off everything from worms to respiratory issues! If you decide to implement this, ensure you’re using a plastic waterer. The vinegar is acidic and will negatively react with metal waterers, causing corrosion and leaching. We use this waterer in the run with ACV, and have another galvanized metal one out in the yard that we do not add it to.

Snacks

A backyard chickens diet should primarily consist of their layer feed, and whatever plants and insects they pick at while free ranging. As tempting as it may be, don’t treat them like your living compost system – throwing every scrap of kitchen and garden waste their way. This can throw off their nutritional balance, so only give snacks in moderation.

Our girls have a couple “snack bowls” out in the yard, in which we give them healthy treats in a few times a week. Examples of our girls favorite treats include: black oil sunflower seeds, organic dry rolled oats, mealworms, discarded sourdough starter, sprouted seeds and grains, and chopped up kombucha SCOBY. Of course, lots of garden greens too!

Avoid feeding chickens: dried beans, leaves or unripe fruit from the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes), citrus, junk food or processed food, moldy or rotten food, avocado peels or pits, chocolate and candy. Some of these are obvious, some less so, but all are not good for chickens.

Aaron sits on a chair in the garden, leaning forward, holding out large leaves of greens for the four chickens around him to eat.
Treat Man, sharing some massive kohlrabi leaves with his favorite girls.


9) Eggs


This is why you want backyard chickens most, right? Fresh, ethical, delicious eggs, straight from your backyard! Store bought eggs, even “cage free” or “free range” ones got NOTHIN’ on fresh golden home-raised chicken eggs. If you haven’t had the luxury of seeing and tasting the difference yet, you’re in for a treat! Eggs certainly are a major perk of keeping chickens. For us, eggs are viewed as an additional benefit of having chickens, because first and foremost, we enjoy keeping them as beloved companions. However, I know that is not the case for everyone. If eggs are your primary motivator for getting backyard chickens, take note of the laying frequency of the breeds you’re interested in.


Egg Laying Frequency

Some chicken breeds may lay pretty much every day, some just a couple times a week, and everything in between. Most chickens “come into lay” or start laying eggs around 20 weeks old, but can range from as early as 16 weeks to as late as 30 weeks or older. Learn the tell-tale signs that your chickens will start to lay eggs soon here.

Chickens naturally take breads from egg laying from time to time, including over winter or while they’re molting (turning over new feathers). Read more about caring for molting chickens here. Younger hens may lay right through their first winter, but then usually stop during winter time as they get older.

Breaks are good and natural, as laying eggs is no easy task! This is their way to conserve energy and nutrients for more important things at times, like staying warm and healthy. Therefore, we do not support artificially lighting coops during the winter to promote winter laying on this homestead. Like human women, chickens carry only a set amount of eggs in their bodies from the time they are born until they die. So if you push them to lay all winter, they’ll just “run out” of eggs and stop laying earlier in life. We don’t mind a break from eating eggs ourselves, because honestly, sometimes we have so many that we get tired of them!


A basket full of organic, ethical, backyard chicken eggs. Some of the eggs are blue, green, light brown, and very dark brown with speckles.
Our current egg basket

 
Egg Storage

When an egg emerges from the chickens cloaca – that is the name for their one hole (yep, they just have one hole) – it is coated with a “bloom”. The bloom is a natural coating on the eggshell that protects it from intrusion of bacteria. It also reduces loss of moisture from the egg. Therefore, unwashed eggs are safe to keep out at room temperature

If you wash off the bloom, you’re washing off its natural protection. Therefore, washed eggs must be refrigerated to prevent bacterial invasion and spoilage. We store ours on the counter in a basket, and wash them immediately before use. If we aren’t going through eggs very fast and a pile builds up, we then move the oldest eggs to the fridge – the ones that have been out for a few weeks already. 

Learn more about fresh egg storage and shelf life here.


10) Poop

Folks. I won’t even lie. The poop situation is pretty real.  I literally just Googled “how often do chickens poop” because I wanted to dazzle you with a surprising statistic, but I came up short. Apparently no one has ever studied the frequency of chicken poop down to a science. But the commonly accepted answer is: a lot. At least a few times an hour.

Jokes aside, the severity of this “issue” is going to depend on your property and ranging situation. If you have only a handful of backyard chickens and a huge open field or large yard for them to free range in, the poop won’t be as noticeable. On the other hand, it will build up quicker in small spaces or with more birds.

Whether you have a small yard or a large one, if you have an accessible patio or deck area, they will hang out on that patio and stare at you through the sliding glass door, making eye contact as they poop on it. Ask me how I know.

In that instance, you can do manual pick-up, sweep (watch out for sweeping and schmearing the wet ones though!) or blast the space off with some high pressure water as needed. We used to do a combination of these, but here in California where water is scarce, the water thing wasn’t so sustainable. So we eventually fenced them out of “no poop zones”.


Before and after photos of a patio and backyard garden. The first shows the open patio and chickens on the adjacent lawn. The after photo shows the patio now enclosed by tall raised garden beds and trellises, blocking the chickens from getting to the patio.
Top – If you look closely, you can see all the poop on the patio. Ugh. Bottom – Taken in early 2016, just after we built the raised beds and trellises around the patio, effectively creating both additional space to grow food and a “no poop” zone for ourselves! #winning


How do we handle the poop in the yard?

Well, the majority of the yard that they free range is just dirt, and covered with a layer of shredded redwood mulch and bark. They poop in said mulch, dig and churn it all up, and bury the poo. It is free fertilizer that will age in place around the backyard fruit trees!

For poops in their run, along our pathways, or otherwise noticeable or concentrated areas – like under their yard roosts – we do a weekly poop pick up with a glove and bucket. Yep. Kind of like for dogs. If you aren’t keen on the idea of bending over to do so, you could use a long-handled dog poop scoop. This frequency is more than adequate for the four feathered creatures we share the space with, though shit happens – we do still accidentally step on poop, plenty! It’s a good idea to have an easily-cleanable designated pair of “chicken yard” shoes like sloggers, plus a shoe scrubber near their space.

Poop in the coop

To handle poop in the coop, we implemented a “poop board”! It’s simply a thin but sturdy piece of plywood cut length of their roost, and about 18” wide. To make it easily cleanable, we wrapped and covered it in sheet vinyl to fit, glued on from edge to edge.

The board is situated under the roost, in a way that their butts will hang over it. Poop falls onto the board, and we can then easily scoop it up daily with a dustpan and wide paint scraper, disposing of the refuse into a nearby bucket with a lid. This keeps their coop nice and clean, and also keeps the bedding fresh for longer (we use pine shavings) – thus reducing waste, and reducing the need to do deep cleaning as often. If daily cleaning sounds like too much hassle, you could try the deep litter method.

What to do with their poop, including how to properly age and compost it, is a whole other discussion for another day. But for now I will just say this: DO NOT add fresh chicken manure straight to your garden. It’s too high in nitrogen and needs to be composted for a long time first.

A view inside the chicken coop, showing the roost and poop board below.
The “poop board” and supplies for daily clean-up


11) Daily care


Once your flock is established, the daily upkeep can be super quick and simple – depending on your set up and situation. Maybe you’ll want to let them out to range for a bit, refresh their food and water if needed, collect eggs, make sure everyone is looking healthy and happy, and always ensure they’re safely tucked into the coop at dark. (Automatic coop doors help make this a breeze, explained more in the next section!)

Collecting eggs on a daily basis is important to prevent possible breaking of eggs and egg-eating behavior. It also helps prevent them from going broody. That’s when a hen sits on eggs, trying to incubate and hatch them – even if the eggs aren’t fertilized. It isn’t ideal because the hen will often stay put, forgoing food and water, thus jeopardizing her health.

Give them some love and attention! Chickens are curious, energetic, and even affectionate animals. When you can, spend some time with your flock – catching up on gossip over a bowl of chopped kale.

Deana is sitting on a chair in the garden, smiling up at the camera as she holds two chickens. One grey one is cradled up on her chest, and a black and white one is nestled in her lap.
Chickens are sweet animals! These two loved nothing more than a good cuddle with mom. The more time you spend with them, the more of a bond you’ll form.


12) Vacations or Late Evenings


Do you have a plan for evenings when you’re out after dark, or when you’re away on vacation? If not, make one! Backyard chickens need to be safely “cooped up” at dark, before any nighttime predators come out. Thankfully, 99% of chickens will simply put themselves to bed, heading into their coop on their own around dusk as their ability to see well rapidly decreases in the dark. Then you can follow behind them and close everything up. Some spunky chickens may try to roost in trees or other naughty places and need re-direction. Yet I don’t think that is very common.

So, what happens if you’re out late after dark? Or worse, away for an extended period of time on vacation? If your chickens are inside a predator-proof run, then may it isn’t a big deal. Otherwise, I highly recommend investing in an automated chicken coop door – explained more below!

An auto door helps A LOT but does not eliminate the need for a family member or a friend to come over to check on the chickens if you’re away on vacation for more than a couple days. They can collect eggs, refresh food and water, possibly deal with poop, and so on. I would suggest every 3 to 4 days, minimum.


Automatic chicken coop doors

Automated chicken coop doors have been a lifesaver for us and our flock, literally. Set them to open in the morning at a certain time, and then close again at night. SO convenient! It’s a good idea to still check on them occasionally to make sure they didn’t malfunction, but we’ve never had that happen. We’ve used a couple different auto doors (solar and battery) and in a couple different configurations over the years – explained in the photo captions below. We currently have the Omlet auto door and absolutely love it!


A chicken is exiting the coop down a steep chicken ladder into their chicken run. Another chicken is already outside the coop, walking towards their feeder.
In our current homestead (2023), the Omlet auto door lets the girls in and out of their coop every day, into their large enclosed run.
A view inside the chicken run. In the distance, you can see the chicken coop and door out to the yard. Aaron is in the run with the four chickens. At this far end of the run, a branching tree provides places for the chickens to roost.
In our old homestead, the coop door was always open into the fully enclosed, predator-proof run. Because we also let the girls free range the backyard during the day, we installed the automatic coop door on the side of the run instead – letting them into the yard each morning and closing up the entire coop/run combo safely at night. See the video below.


13) Health Issues or Emergencies


There are a number of illness and ailments that can affect backyard chickens, including worms, lice, bumblefoot, crop issues, and issues with egg production – such as egg-binding or internal laying – when eggs are not passing normally and internal infection can ensue.

Many of these issues can be managed with prevention and at-home treatment, but that begs the question: Are you comfortable handling and helping them as needed, such as administering baths or medication? Chances are, even if that sounds weird or scary now, you will be ready to dive in there and help when something goes down! Especially if you raised your chickens from young chicks. You will become accustomed to handling them.

It is recommended to have a large crate, box, spare bathroom, or other readily-available designated space that can serve as an emergency chicken hospital when needed. This space would be used if a girl needs a little TLC, to be quarantined, or an extra watchful eye. It should be large enough for them to comfortably spend a couple days if needed, with food and water available.


A black and white chicken is sitting on some straw in a black wire crate, which is inside the bathroom on the floor. She is resting after being egg bound, before retuning to the flock
Our girl Dottie, resting and recuperating in her crate after being egg-bound.

For issues that are beyond home-care or your comfort level, do you have a good avian/poultry veterinarian nearby? Or at least a standard vet that will agree to treat chickens? Do a little research ahead of time to know what is available to you. It’s better to know now instead of trying to figure it out during an emergency! Trust me. We have one specialty avian vet as well as our cats vet, who has backyard chickens himself so he will see our birds in a pinch.


14) Looking to the Future


“What will you do with your chickens once they stop laying?” – people ask me this question all the time. The answer is always the same: “They get to live out their lives here, fat and happy, eggs or no eggs”. Chickens can live up to 10 years or longer (though I think the average is more like 6-8), but their egg production will decrease with time. Older hens may only lay one egg a week. Some not at all. Would that be okay with you?  

Chances are, between random illness or freak accidents, you likely won’t have all of your original backyard chickens up until old age and the time they’d stop laying entirely. You may lose a couple older gals with time, but then choose to add new younger chicks to your flock, thus giving you another boost of regular eggs. If you do choose to get rid of your older hens for whatever reason, please do so responsibly! Look for no-kill shelters that will take chickens in, or locate a truly trustworthy, good place to re-home them. The same goes for roosters.

I hope you aren’t getting backyard chickens JUST for the eggs, and will consider them your quirky companions as well! We don’t eat meat in this house, but even if we did, we wouldn’t eat our pets. I know many, many people who do eat meat, but would never dream of eating their own chickens. Whether you intend to or not, you will form an attachment! They’re too freakin’ cute and have too much personality not to! Like these cute fluffy broads.

Two chickens perch on a roost below a tree. A fluffy welsummer hen and a sleek crested cream legbar hen.

Ginger, a bodacious Welsummer demonstrating a perfect “chicken loaf”, and Phoebe, a Crested Cream Legbar who lays beautiful blue eggs.


Well, there you have it!

Your crash course on backyard chickens is complete.


If you’re still here, thanks for reading! Your future backyard chickens thank you too. I know that was a lot of information to digest, and you probably still have a lot of questions. But I hope you now feel far more prepared to add backyard chickens to your homestead! Feel free to ask questions in the comments, and please share this post if you found it helpful.


You may also like:




DeannaCat signature, keep on growing


 

The post Backyard Chickens 101: What to Expect When You’re Expecting appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

]]>
https://homesteadandchill.com/expecting-backyard-chickens/feed/ 42 843