It’s true. We got 16 baby chicks! We don’t know what we are doing, but we are excited.
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Starting a homestead is an exciting and question-filled journey. Chickens seem to be the start for many beginning homesteaders. They seem easy enough to care for, right? Perhaps. But you still have a thousand questions when you click that “complete order” button, or bring them home from your local Tractor Supply.
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What do they eat? When do they eat? How often do they eat? Can they all fit under that brooder? What’s a brooder? Is that the box they’re in, or the heating plate they sit under? How much hardened poop makes pasty butt a thing? If they have pasty butt should I just run their little behind under a stream of warm water, or do I wipe it off with a warm washcloth? Does it matter? Do they need the lights on at night when they are babies? Will they find their food if the lights are off? Will they die if they can’t find their food at night? Do they even eat at night? Are their feathers supposed to come in like that? Did someone peck at their head feathers or are they just coming in weird? They’re six weeks old now…can they live outside now? Or will they die in 40 degree weather? How will they know where their home is once they live outside?
The list of questions goes on and on forever. And yet, somehow…you figure it out. You ask friends who’ve had chickens for a while. You research the heck out of Justin Rhodes, and organic chicken farmers. And hopefully, you keep them alive.
So here are a few of the things we recommend when getting your baby chicks. Remember, we are total newbs, so take our advice at your own risk! We probably won’t even get all the terms correct. If a baby chick grows an extra beak because of advice you took from us, that’s on you. We are the farmers who don’t know anything. So really, this list is just for fun, and to make it look like we are kind of smart. (okay, in all seriousness, we tried to be fairly accurate and thorough…we feel this is a fairly good list to get you started…but we are still learning!)
1. Decide which breeds are right for you.
Are you looking for meat birds? Do you want eggs? Both?
Do you want roosters with your hens?
Do you want broody hens (hens that sit on their eggs, whether they are fertilized or not)?
Do you want docile breeds, or are you more interested in their aesthetic? Maybe both? Perhaps
you want a Polish because they are fun to look at and also very sweet.
Do you want chickens that lay tons of eggs, or are you more interested in their temperament?
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2. Check your local rules/laws on keeping chickens.
Does your HOA allow for chickens? Some do and some don’t. Some allow hens, but not roosters.
Make sure you know what’s allowed in your area before you fully invest in your little chicken
farm.
3. Buy your chicks from a reputable farm and/or
breeder.
There are a lot of farms and hatcheries out there. Do your research. We bought ours from
McMurray Hatchery. They are a reputable hatchery and they are very knowledgable and have
great customer service. But you can also have great luck at your local feed stores or TSC (Tractor
Supply). Some of these places may not sex their chicks (straight run), so you’ll need to be
prepared for whatever you may get!
4. Get ready for your chicks to arrive!
As you eagerly await the arrival of your chicks, make sure you have what they need once they
arrive. This guide from Justin Rhodes is pretty awesome…Getting Started with Chickens: The
Ultimate Guide. Here are a few items we made sure we had:
- Chick Brooder Heating Plate – the size will depend on how many chicks you order
- Anti Roost Cone Cover – this keeps them from pooping all over the top of the brooder. Not
entirely necessary, but it definitely keeps things cleaner. - Chick Feeder and Waterer – you’ll need a bigger size once they get out on their own. Avoid
galvanized containers. These can rust and harm your chicks. - Apple Cider Vinegar – this is for the “magic water” you’ll want to feed those babies. Justin
Rhodes talks about this water mix a lot. - Bedding – get a non-toxic bedding for your chicks. We used pine shavings, and did the deep
bedding method that Justin Rhodes recommends. This keeps things from getting too stinky.
You can find bedding at your local TSC or online. We also used recycled coffee grounds and mixed it in with the pine and it made things smell much better. - Chicken Starter/Grower Feed – You can get organic starter many places. We have a local organic feed store, which offers organic feed at much lower prices than TSC, but if you don’t have that, TSC is a good place to get it in a pinch.
- Brooder box/tub – You are going to need a little home for your chicks that you can put your brooder into, and all your chicks can fit into. Some people use cardboard boxes. Others use feed tubs from TSC. We made our own with pallet wood. Eventually they’ll enter their “teenage” phase, which is slightly before they’re ready to face the real outdoor world, but at this point they’ll be flying around the room if you don’t have a cover over your box/tub. We used chicken wire and made a sort of “dome” so they could hop around, but not escape.
5. Have fun being a chicken mom (or dad)!
Now you get to just enjoy the world of chickens. Yes, you may experience some troubles along the way. You may have to take care of pasty butt a few times, and perhaps keep predators away, but you’ve got this. Just make sure they are fed and well loved, and your chickens will do great.
I promise you that chicks are not that difficult to care for! I know some of you are going to stress out about the right amount of food and water and the right temperature of your brooder, but overall, your chicks are going to just fine! You can do this!
