01/16/2023
With the price of eggs going up, many people want to start their own flock! Here’s my tips for starting your own:
Before buying chicks, you need a coop and a brooder. A brooder is where you will put the chicks while they grow. You will need a heat source, feeder, and water container for the brooder. You will also need to put down a layer of pine shavings or pine pellets. I prefer pellets because they’re easier to clean. The brooder can be something as simple as a rabbit cage, or you can build your own! As far as feed goes, chicks need higher protein “starter” feed. At this time treats are not recommended. When you go to the feed store to pick out your chicks, there will be all different breeds, and they will be labeled “straight run” and “pullets.” It’s important to know the difference. Straight run are not sexed, they are males and females. Pullets are just females. This is important if you don’t want roosters. You do not need roosters to have hens that lay eggs, and if you have roosters, you can eat those hens eggs, they’re just fertilized. Which means- if the hen wants to hatch eggs, if she sits on them a chick will form.
Once the chicks have outgrown the brooder, you can move them to the coop. If the chicks have all their adult feathers in, the heat source can be removed. The coop will need a layer of shavings in it as well. You can clean it as often as you like. The more chickens you have, the more you will need to have a cleaning schedule. You can find the method that fits your needs. They’ll need a bigger feeder and water container for the coop. At this point I switch my feed to “all flock.” I use all flock because I have roosters. If you just have hens, you can switch to “layer” feed. Layer feed is not safe for roosters, their bodies can’t process the extra nutrients in it because obviously they’re not laying eggs. Although you will see on many chicken pages people feed it to their roosters anyway, to each their own, I just don’t do it.
When chickens start laying it’s important for them to have a clean laying box. Most coops you buy have them built in, you can buy some, or you can DIY your own. I like to put shavings and laying herbs in mine. If you do not have something soft for them to lay on, the eggs will break. And usually no matter how many boxes you have, they’ll all have their favorite one and fight over it 😂 It can take a pullet anywhere from being 6 months old to 12 months old to start laying. It just depends on the breed. But nothing beats getting that first egg! So exciting!
I hope this helps anyone wanting to start their own flock. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask!
