Starting your flock is a very special thing. You are taking a big step to being less dependent on the system! While raising chickens may feel intimidating, you will be a pro in no time.

Most chicken owners start with baby chicks. All baby chicks are cute, making your decisions harder on what to buy to get your flock started. You must be practical about how many chickens you need, how many you can hold in your coop, and the variety of chickens you need.

Many new chicken owners seem to go crazy with their first batch of chicks. They get far more than they need, aren’t prepared to care for them when they get the chicks home, and get the wrong breeds for their climate and intended purposes. All of this can set you up for much frustration or even failure.

My first batch of chicks, eleven years ago, was a steep learning curve. I had gotten my first batch from Murray McMurry Hatchery by mail. I had gotten fifteen of their brown egg layer mix, which was practical for northern Iowa. I got a phone call from the post office saying I had some peepers to pick up and I was there fifteen minutes later.

I brought them home and set up our extra-large dog crate in my heated front entryway. I put bedding down, a waterer, and a feeder. They did well for the first two days. I was at work when my daughter, who was home from college, said some were not doing well. Well, rookie mistake number one had happened. I thought I had a warm enough room for them and even turned up the heat. We needed a heat lamp which I promptly purchased. We lost nine of the first fifteen chicks. I went to Bomgaars and purchased nine more chicks. After that, we were fine, but we learned a tough lesson.

I want you to learn from my mistakes! I will give you a guide to help you get started taking care of baby chicks.

Deciding Which Chicks to Buy

When you look at chicken varieties online or in the store, you quickly realize there are many options—almost too many! However, figuring out what you need is pretty simple.

For starters, are you looking for egg layers, meat birds, or both? This will narrow down your options and get you started looking in the right direction. If you are looking for egg layers only, you can figure out the best breed for you and purchase them. Most suppliers will try to sex the chicks before you get them so you know you are only getting layers (females).

If you are getting only meat birds (broilers), you have fewer options. You will need to decide whether you want a heritage or conventional breed. You will also need to determine when you want them to be butchered and take that into account when deciding on the breed. Be aware that they are bred to grow quickly and need more space sooner than layers do. Some breeds are ready to butcher in 8-10 weeks, and some will take 12-14 weeks.

You can also choose a dual-purpose breed. Dual-purpose breeds have the advantage of having layers and broilers in the same batch. Usually, you purchase them unsexed and decide in 12-20 weeks which chickens you keep for laying eggs and which you butcher. You might find, though, that you may have more roosters than layers when you purchase unsexed chicks. This is not usually a problem, but you need to know it happens.

Another thing to factor into your decision is the climate. If you plan to overwinter chickens, you need to know if they can tolerate your climate. If you are somewhere that gets cold in the winter, you need hardier birds that can handle the cold. Look for chickens that thrive in your climate.

If you plan to have layers, consider how often and for how long they will lay eggs. Some breeds lay every day, and some lay a few times a week. If you plan to have eggs every day, you need to purchase those breeds. Some layers will produce eggs for two years and some will produce eggs for three years or longer.

I have purchased many different breeds of laying hens. I’ve discovered that Rhode Island Reds and Golden Comets do very well in my climate. They are hardy, lay brown eggs daily, and rarely get sick. Even in the winter, I often get an egg every day from the ladies.

How Many Chicks Should You Buy?

Baby chicks are adorable and almost impossible to resist. However, they eventually grow up and start needing more room. The chicks that fit into a large outdoor tote now will need a coop where they can run around. Many people go crazy and think they need 40-50 laying chicks to get started. That is a lot of chickens in five months!

Let’s be realistic and practical. Ask yourself two questions for layers: How many eggs do we eat in a week and do you plan to sell eggs? If you eat 2-3 eggs daily and a few more on the weekend, you probably don’t need more than 5-6 chicks. If you bake a lot, you might want a few more. If you have a large family and you eat eggs daily for breakfast, you might want to figure on 2-3 eggs per person, which means 2-3 chickens per person in your family.

If you go overboard on chicks or plan to sell eggs, you will need a plan for those eggs. You will need to have a potential customer base for selling the overflow of eggs. I will address that in a future post.

Bring the Chicks Home: Care and Maintenance

Baby chicks are not high maintenance, but they need a few things to stay alive. You will need a safe enclosure for them. For the first two weeks, I generally use an extra-large outdoor tote. This keeps them in a secure, manageable place. I believe in using what you have, so if you have a tote or a large box, that will work fine. After that, I move them to the permanent coop or create a temporary coop if I still have chickens in the permanent coop.

You will need bedding for the baby chick crib. They will want soft bedding and you will want one that is easy to clean. I use medium-flake pine bedding. I know bedding can be controversial, but I have never had an issue with pine shavings. Plus, as often as you change the bedding in the first 6-8 weeks, this should not be a problem. I change the bedding every week until they are six weeks old. You can use other types of bedding like hemp, shredded paper, or chopped straw.

They will need a heat lamp or heat plate for several weeks. Like most babies, they cannot maintain their body temperature for about 6-8 weeks. I keep a heat lamp over them on one side of the tote or coop to keep them toasty. They will move to and away from the heat lamp if they are cold or warm. As they get older (about 4 weeks), you can start moving the heat lamp up to get them accustomed to keeping their own body heat and give them room. They grow quickly and must be kept from accidentally hitting the heat lamp.

You can use a red or clear bulb for your heat lamp. Some use a red bulb to mimic the warmth of the mother hen. Some use a clear bulb. A clear bulb can be too much for chicks and cause them to attack each other. I have used both and, quite frankly, haven’t noticed a difference in how they react to the light.

They will need a waterer and a feeder. I suggest buying one of each (or more, depending on the number of chicks you purchase). Be aware that baby chicks are messy. They will splash water. They will walk on the feeder, poop on the food, and kick out the food, which is natural because they are already instinctively scratching the ground for food.

If you buy your chicks directly from a hatchery, they will supply you with an electrolyte packet to add to their water for a few days (up to a week). If you buy your chicks from a store, they will not need the packet, but I suggest buying one and putting it in their water for a few days (up to a week). I find that it helps them grow. After that, they will need fresh water every day. As they grow, they drink quite a bit of water so you may need to get a bigger waterer.

Chicks need to eat. They are growing so they are very hungry. I give mine a chicken starter feed for the first eight weeks. I use a medicated starter feed which helps to prevent coccidiosis. You can choose organic or conventional starter feed. I will also start giving them some scraps after two weeks. They love strawberry tops!

You will need to monitor the chicks and check them at least twice a day for 6-8 weeks. If they seem lethargic, have no appetite, or have watery/bloody stools, they may have coccidiosis. You will need to call your vet to get medication to treat coccidiosis. It is treatable if the chick is caught early enough.

You will also need to check for something called pasty butt. Sometimes, the poop will stick to and cover the vent, preventing them from pooping. If this happens, you will need a warm wipe or washcloth to clean their bottoms.

You must also watch for open-mouth breathing, gasping for air, and losing appetite. The chicks may have pneumonia or a cold. Both can be prevented by keeping their area dry and clean. If it does happen, clean the tote or coop and get the area warmer (lower heat lamp or auxiliary heat source). You should also call the vet, but treatment is limited and expensive.

With a few items prepared ahead of time, you can start caring for your own baby chicks. I highly recommend keeping chickens for everyone as a way of providing food for your family.

And who knows.. It is said that chickens are the gateway drug for getting more animals…

Previous article in this series: Chicken Keeping for Beginners: Coop Basics

Thanks for reading,
Erica

Sharing is caring!