by SS5R » 30 Mar 2009 12:27
It’s Time to Buy Chickens:
If you’ve been thinking about getting a few chickens for your homestead or having a backyard flock now is the time to buy them. Most feed stores will have them from now until about the end of May. If you are in the city, check your local ordinance on having poultry before you start. There are many different breeds but most feed stores carry the most popular ones or they will order them for you. You should base your choice on a few things. Your climate, are they cold and heat tolerant? How many chickens do you want? How many eggs do you expect to get or think you want? Will they be able to free range or will they be confined? Do you want a dual-purpose chicken?-- (eggs and meat birds), and what color eggs, white, brown, reddish brown, blue, yes some breeds lay blue eggs as does the Ameraucana. I would recommend Henderson’s Chicken Breed chart on the Internet to help make your decision. There, you can look through the different breeds and get the answers to all these questions. We live in north western Nevada, we have 2 Rhode Island, 2 Plymouth Rock and 1 Brown Leghorn. We get almost two dozen eggs per week from 4 hens during the summer, less in winter, they like 12 to 14 hours of sunlight to be at full production. These breeds are fairly early maturing and will start producing eggs in 18 to 20 weeks. Chicks are usually pre-sexed but you’ll have a 10% chance of getting a rooster. They can be a problem if you have neighbors that may complain if in the city, (some roosters will crow in the middle of the night), or if he is over protective, not good if you have small children unless they are confined all the time (the chickens that is). We ended up with a rooster but we kept him because he will protect the hens from predators when they are out free ranging and we can hatch our own chicks when we want more. It is a myth that you need a rooster for a hen to lay eggs. Some may actually lay more eggs without a rooster around to bother them. Next you will need to build a brooder for your chicks.
Building a Brooder:
Before you bring your chicks home, you need to have a brooder ready. This is where they will live for the first 5 to 6 weeks of their lives. Brooders are easy to make. Just about any container, plastic bin or wood box about 12 inches deep or more that you can cover with some chicken wire or hardware cloth will work. You will need a heat lamp bulb, a feeder, water, some pine shavings and a thermometer. Put about an inch of pine shavings on the bottom of your brooder and change it every week. Chicks can drown in open water containers; buy the proper water container for chicks. You will have to check on them everyday so don’t plan on any long trips during this time. Put your heat lamp at a height that will get the temperature to 95 degrees in the brooder, the whole brooder does not need to be 95 degrees just under the lamp, it’s nice if the box is big enough for them to move away from the heat if they get to hot, if they are huddling together they are too cold. Keep the brooder where there are no drafts and the temperature will not fluctuate too much at night. For the next 5 weeks you will need to lower the temperature by 5 degrees each week, you can do this by raising the heat lamp and watching the temperature. After 5 or 6 weeks, if the outside temperature has warmed up and they are fully feathered, you can move them into the coop. The cost to you for 5 chicks, 25 pounds of chick starter feed, I know that sounds like a lot but they will be eating this for the next 16 to 20 weeks, a feeder, a waterer, a bail of pine shavings and heat lamp bulb, if you already have the lamp fixture shouldn’t run more than about $50 or $60 dollars. Now you have 6 weeks to construct a coop.
Building a Chicken Coop:
I built our chicken coop from left over building materials from construction projects and materials others were throwing out. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. If you are near an industrial area you can get thrown out pallets, wood-shipping boxes, you could use an old dog house or kid’s play house and just add on to these things.
Your coop area where they will roost at night and lay their eggs should have about 4 sq. ft. per bird and the run should be about 10 sq. ft. per bird for standard size chickens. I built the coop over the run to utilize space. The run is 4X10 and coop is 4x4. Inside the coop you should have nesting boxes, they like to use the same box, so one box for 4 hens is fine. I used a drawer out of a desk someone was throwing out, put some pine shavings in it. Add a few inches of pine shavings to the floor and a roost. I use pine shavings because it is easier to clean up, it absorbs moisture, doesn’t mold or harbor mites as straw may. Windows are good to add for some light and for air circulation. Old cabinet doors make good access doors, if you have a Habitat for Humanity re-store near you it’s a great place to get materials cheap, the one here has cabinet doors for 50 cents each.
Feeders and Waterers:
As for feeders and waterers, you can make these as well. I bought a 6 liter plastic food container from a restaurant supply store for $5.50 and drilled six half inch holes around the sides at the bottom, then placed it in a round metal feed pan, $8.00, fill it up snap the lid on and they quickly learn that the feed comes out the holes into the pan, it will last 5 full grown chickens a week. For water, take a five-gallon bucket with a good lid and drill a 3/8-inch hole in the side about 3 inches from the top of the bucket, fill it, snap the lid on and turn it up-side down in a plastic feed pan, ($8.50 don’t use galvanized they will rust) the pan will fill to the hole and stop until they drink it down, then more water will come out. This will also last about a week in the summer months. On hot days, they can drink up to two cups per day, each. They are easy to care for and inexpensive to feed especially if they free range. You will not only have fresh eggs but also a weed and bug free yard and all the fertilizer you can handle. They are also good for trade or barter just about everyone likes fresh eggs and chicken.
It’s Time to Buy Chickens:
If you’ve been thinking about getting a few chickens for your homestead or having a backyard flock now is the time to buy them. Most feed stores will have them from now until about the end of May. If you are in the city, check your local ordinance on having poultry before you start. There are many different breeds but most feed stores carry the most popular ones or they will order them for you. You should base your choice on a few things. Your climate, are they cold and heat tolerant? How many chickens do you want? How many eggs do you expect to get or think you want? Will they be able to free range or will they be confined? Do you want a dual-purpose chicken?-- (eggs and meat birds), and what color eggs, white, brown, reddish brown, blue, yes some breeds lay blue eggs as does the Ameraucana. I would recommend Henderson’s Chicken Breed chart on the Internet to help make your decision. There, you can look through the different breeds and get the answers to all these questions. We live in north western Nevada, we have 2 Rhode Island, 2 Plymouth Rock and 1 Brown Leghorn. We get almost two dozen eggs per week from 4 hens during the summer, less in winter, they like 12 to 14 hours of sunlight to be at full production. These breeds are fairly early maturing and will start producing eggs in 18 to 20 weeks. Chicks are usually pre-sexed but you’ll have a 10% chance of getting a rooster. They can be a problem if you have neighbors that may complain if in the city, (some roosters will crow in the middle of the night), or if he is over protective, not good if you have small children unless they are confined all the time (the chickens that is). We ended up with a rooster but we kept him because he will protect the hens from predators when they are out free ranging and we can hatch our own chicks when we want more. It is a myth that you need a rooster for a hen to lay eggs. Some may actually lay more eggs without a rooster around to bother them. Next you will need to build a brooder for your chicks.
Building a Brooder:
Before you bring your chicks home, you need to have a brooder ready. This is where they will live for the first 5 to 6 weeks of their lives. Brooders are easy to make. Just about any container, plastic bin or wood box about 12 inches deep or more that you can cover with some chicken wire or hardware cloth will work. You will need a heat lamp bulb, a feeder, water, some pine shavings and a thermometer. Put about an inch of pine shavings on the bottom of your brooder and change it every week. Chicks can drown in open water containers; buy the proper water container for chicks. You will have to check on them everyday so don’t plan on any long trips during this time. Put your heat lamp at a height that will get the temperature to 95 degrees in the brooder, the whole brooder does not need to be 95 degrees just under the lamp, it’s nice if the box is big enough for them to move away from the heat if they get to hot, if they are huddling together they are too cold. Keep the brooder where there are no drafts and the temperature will not fluctuate too much at night. For the next 5 weeks you will need to lower the temperature by 5 degrees each week, you can do this by raising the heat lamp and watching the temperature. After 5 or 6 weeks, if the outside temperature has warmed up and they are fully feathered, you can move them into the coop. The cost to you for 5 chicks, 25 pounds of chick starter feed, I know that sounds like a lot but they will be eating this for the next 16 to 20 weeks, a feeder, a waterer, a bail of pine shavings and heat lamp bulb, if you already have the lamp fixture shouldn’t run more than about $50 or $60 dollars. Now you have 6 weeks to construct a coop.
Building a Chicken Coop:
I built our chicken coop from left over building materials from construction projects and materials others were throwing out. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. If you are near an industrial area you can get thrown out pallets, wood-shipping boxes, you could use an old dog house or kid’s play house and just add on to these things.
Your coop area where they will roost at night and lay their eggs should have about 4 sq. ft. per bird and the run should be about 10 sq. ft. per bird for standard size chickens. I built the coop over the run to utilize space. The run is 4X10 and coop is 4x4. Inside the coop you should have nesting boxes, they like to use the same box, so one box for 4 hens is fine. I used a drawer out of a desk someone was throwing out, put some pine shavings in it. Add a few inches of pine shavings to the floor and a roost. I use pine shavings because it is easier to clean up, it absorbs moisture, doesn’t mold or harbor mites as straw may. Windows are good to add for some light and for air circulation. Old cabinet doors make good access doors, if you have a Habitat for Humanity re-store near you it’s a great place to get materials cheap, the one here has cabinet doors for 50 cents each.
Feeders and Waterers:
As for feeders and waterers, you can make these as well. I bought a 6 liter plastic food container from a restaurant supply store for $5.50 and drilled six half inch holes around the sides at the bottom, then placed it in a round metal feed pan, $8.00, fill it up snap the lid on and they quickly learn that the feed comes out the holes into the pan, it will last 5 full grown chickens a week. For water, take a five-gallon bucket with a good lid and drill a 3/8-inch hole in the side about 3 inches from the top of the bucket, fill it, snap the lid on and turn it up-side down in a plastic feed pan, ($8.50 don’t use galvanized they will rust) the pan will fill to the hole and stop until they drink it down, then more water will come out. This will also last about a week in the summer months. On hot days, they can drink up to two cups per day, each. They are easy to care for and inexpensive to feed especially if they free range. You will not only have fresh eggs but also a weed and bug free yard and all the fertilizer you can handle. They are also good for trade or barter just about everyone likes fresh eggs and chicken.
