Chickens etc. Your Bird's Health by The Easy Chicken for beginners. Forum. How to Raise Day-Old Chicks in Your Back Yard. BEFORE THE CHICKS ARRIVE & THEIR FIRST DAY Clean and disinfect the area where the chicks are going to reside. Lysol is good, bleach makes terrible fumes. I used a plant mister to get a fine mist into all the cracks and crannies. One time I did not disinfect and the coccidiosis stayed in the room and the new batch of chicks started dying. Turn on the heat lamps (See Heat Needs) at least a day or more before your chicks arrive, so the walls and floor have a chance to warm up, as well as the air, and the disinfectant has time to dry.
Make sure there are no drafts. Corners Remember to make them round so that the chicks cannot huddle together and smother each other. Water When they arrive, give them luke warm water with molasses in it. About heat lamps I always used a minimum of 2 lamps in case one of them burned out. Feed Use crumbles to begin with. Day old chicks100 chicks arrive in a box about 24 inches x 24 inches. Layer Chicks Start at 95° F for day old chicks.
Back to the top. The My Pet Chicken Guide to Chicken Care, Chapter 5: Chicken coop requirements. How To Raise Organic Chickens. Organic chickens are not only the “in” thing that fetches a higher price on the market. It’s also a more humane way to raise your chickens and provides a number of benefits to the consumer, including: Organic chicken breasts are lower in calories and higher in proteinMore B vitamins, selenium and niacinNo additives, preservatives, pesticides or antibioticsChickens are less susceptible to disease To raise, certified organic chickens, you must take the following steps: Each chicken must have at least 2 square feet of green space to roam and eat insects. Chickens are only housed when the weather is bad, but must have free outdoor access. Birds must have enough room for natural behavior and to move without injury.
Chickens must have access to direct sunlight and fresh air. Murray McMurray Hatchery. Chicken Nesting Boxes - Back Yard Chickens. Chicken nesting boxes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The basic idea is to have a dry, clean and relatively dark area where your hens can lay their eggs. Here are some of the basics for a good nesting box: One nesting box for every 2-4 hens.Size: Nest boxes should be big enough for your hen to stand in comfortably. Usually 12 x 12 x 12 inches is adequate, but building bigger is usually a good idea.Nesting material: Many people use either wood shavings (pine usually) or straw.
Here is an example of "insidel" and "ouside" chicken nesting boxes (submitted by our chicken forum community).