The Chicks Are Here!

Hi Friends!

Today we are discussing How To Raise Laying Hens from Chicks.

These little chicks come from hatcheries around the US as well as from local chicken hatcher's. They are very tiny day old chicks when they travel to the store. They are shipped in a container that keeps them warm, dry and safe. They have an electrolyte tablet that keeps them sustained until arrival at their destination. 

Once they arrive, they are placed in brooder boxes with a layer of bedding material and a warming light. The temperature is imparative, as the chicks need the heat to be 95° for the fist week.  The food they eat is a mix of chicken feed flakes and a grit. This enables the chicks to have the gravel they need for digestion of the food.  The water is an electrolyte/water mix that ensures the chicks get what they need for good growth.

The temperature needs to be warm for the chicks. The first week it should be 95°, then lowering the temperature 5° every week thereafter until the chicks are fully feathered and the overnight temperatures are 60°and above.

Heat is provided by a heat lamp and a "RED" heat bulb. See photo above. The placement of this heat lamp should be placed at the end of the brooder at the opposite end of the food and water. It should be about 18" above the floor of the brooder. To lower the temperature, as the chicks grow each week, raise the height of the lamp above the floor of the brooder a few inches at a time. To increase the heat, lower the lamp. A thermometer is placed in the brooder at the end where the heat lamp is located. This thermometer will help determine the desired temperature for the chicks.

Here is what we purchased for our brooder set up. Food, at the bottom of the pict, temporary brooder box, the heat lamp, the red heat bulbs, the thermometer, the chicken feeder and chicken waterer. Not pictured is the grit, the hardware cloth, and the bedding of pine shavings.

 

The staff at Murdoch's are very knowledgeable about the chickens and are there for Chick Days. .

 In the above photo, Erin & Hubby are discussing the chicken breeds, benefits of purchasing one type or another, and chick care. The chicks are gathered and packed last, so they can stay as warm as possible

We purchased our chicks from Murdoch's in Montrose, Colorado.

Local Schools are encouraged to visit Chick Days in the local Murdoch's Ranch & Supply. The website features a "Chick Chat" for any chicken related questions you may have.

In our area of Colorado, the chicks will be ready to go out to their permanent hen house in June.

For the hobbyist and 4-H show hens & roosters, this is the perfect sized hen house. Photo taken at Murdoch's Ranch & Supply, Montrose Store by CJD.Sign

A larger hen house with a run enclosed and a perch. Photo taken at Murdoch's Ranch & Supply, Montrose Store by CJD.Sign

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Hope you have learned a bit more today! Share your knowledge!
Enjoy!
CJD.Sign