How Do You Raise Chickens From Day-Old Chicks?
Raising hens from baby chicks requires you to check on them often during the first few weeks. It’s really fun to watch them turn from downy, fluffy little balls into feathered-out, gawky adolescent pullets. With some basic know-how, you can raise happy, healthy laying hens and, if you choose, roosters. To start with, you need some chick-specific supplies: • Brooder. A brooder is some kind of tub or container for them to live in. The brooder can be a galvanized metal feeding tub, a large plastic feeding trough, or even a circle of cardboard. The purpose is to keep the chicks confined under the lamp so they don’t wander away, get chilled and die. It should provide 2 square feet of space per chick. • Heat lamp. Purchase a 250-watt infrared heat lamp. Make sure it has a guard to prevent a fire if it falls. A red bulb is best as it decreases picking. • Thermometer. In the first few weeks of their lives, you need to keep your chicks at a relatively constant temperature. You’ll start them out
Raising hens from baby chicks requires you to check on them often during the first few weeks. It’s really fun to watch them turn from downy, fluffy little balls into feathered-out, gawky adolescent pullets. With some basic know-how, you can raise happy, healthy laying hens and, if you choose, roosters. To start with, you need some chick-specific supplies: • Brooder. A brooder is some kind of tub or container for them to live in. The brooder can be a galvanized metal feeding tub, a large plastic feeding trough, or even a circle of cardboard. The purpose is to keep the chicks confined under the lamp so they don’t wander away, get chilled and die. It should provide 2 square feet of space per chick. Build a Better Brooder • Heat lamp. Purchase a 250-watt infrared heat lamp. Make sure it has a guard to prevent a fire if it falls. A red bulb is best
