How to Raise Chickens in Your Backyard
If you have been considering raising chickens in your own backyard, now is the time to do it. Spring is the time to pick up a few chicks and begin to experience the joy of raising your own chickens. It is such an exciting adventure to watch the chicks grow into full grown hens who will lay fresh eggs for your family! There are some folks who raise chickens with the intent of learning a little more about sustainable living as well. No matter what your reasons, spring is here and so are the chicks at Greenwood Hardware.
Before you buy your chicks, you are going to need some equipment to make sure they grow up healthy and will be protected from predators like dogs, cats and other wildlife.
Coop
Your baby chicks, which will be full grown in about 6 months, will need somewhere to call home. A chicken coop can be made of many different materials. If you are handy with a hammer and nails, you can construct a coop out of wood. If you would rather not build your own, there are plenty of plastic options available at your local hardware store.
These plastic coops are aesthetically appealing and tend to look like a children’s playhouse. They are easily assembled and are very durable. Another bonus to these coops is the fact they are portable. You can move the coops around the backyard to give your chickens a change of scenery and fresh terrain to scratch. Many people who raise backyard chickens find the plastic coops are much easier to clean. A clean coop is essential to healthy chickens.
Your coop will need to include an enclosed area for the chickens to be outside. Chickens are excellent weed eaters and can clear a patch of land in a few weeks. If this isn’t your goal, you will need to move the outdoor enclosure around your yard to prevent the chickens from tearing up your lawn.
Feeders and Waterers
You will need to purchase a feeder for your chickens. The size of feeder you need will depend on the number of chickens you will be raising. You will also need to purchase a feeder designed specifically for baby chicks. As they grow older, they will graduate to the adult feeders. There are varying sizes and styles for you to choose from. The most common feeding systems hang from a hook or nail in the coop. This keeps the chickens from scratching dirt and debris into their feeder.
A watering system looks a lot like a feeder and can be hung or placed on a brick or some other platform. The size of the waterer will again depend on the number of chickens you will have in the coop. Look on the labels of the feeders at the hardware store. This will tell you the appropriate size for the number of chickens.
It is helpful to invest in the heated waterer now instead of this winter when you will really need it. Chickens must have a fresh water supply at all times. If the water becomes frozen, you will likely be unable to take off the top to fill it.
Feed
When you first take your baby chicks home from our hardware store, you are going to need only one kind of food. This is referred to as Chick Starter. It has all the important vitamins and nutrition your baby chicks need to grow into healthy adult chickens. Your baby chicks will need this for the first 2 months of their lives.
Once your chicks are at least 8 weeks old, it is time to graduate them to pellets. If you are raising chickens with the goal of having fresh eggs, you need to feed your hens a specialized food to encourage egg production. Layer pellets contain the higher calcium levels layer hens need.
Your chickens will also need scratch grains. This is what you can sprinkle on the ground for the chickens to scratch around. The feed is a mixture of grains that helps encourage the chickens to scratch. Laying hens need this to stimulate egg laying. There are also plenty of treats you can offer your chickens like meal worms and crushed oyster shells.
Bedding
Pine shavings will be needed to line the bottom of the coop. This helps absorb the droppings and cut down on the odor. It also makes for easy cleanup. Baby chicks will need a steady supply of fresh bedding to nest in. As they grow older, they will roost. The laying boxes will also need fresh bedding.
Heat
Your baby chicks are going to need to stay very warm in the first few weeks after you bring them home. The best way to do this is to hang a heat lamp in the coop. The first 2 weeks of life the chicks will need a brooding area that is between 95 and 100 degrees. Over the next 3 weeks, you can start reducing the heat by about 5 degrees a week. A red heat lamp is best and will not over-stimulate the chicks. The heat should be in one area of the brooding area so the baby chicks can move away from it if they become too warm.
You can find everything you need to get started raising chickens in your own backyard at Greenwood Hardware. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you choose exactly what you need for your baby chicks. And if you have any questions, we are here for you. Come on in, or contact us today!