Raising chicks from when they are small is a very rewarding experience. You can see their growth from the moment they first hatch, hear their chirping, until the moment they have their perfect coat. Raising chickens is very profitable, but it can also be detrimental. To find out more about the important things that must be done before you raise chickens, read the ways and methods of raising chicks are good and right below.
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Method 1 of 4: A Few Things To Look For Before Buying Chicks
Step 1. Make sure you have prepared all the means for raising chicks
As you know that raising chicks is very profitable, but that doesn't mean you can get them quickly. Before you decide to raise chicks, make sure you are sure why you want to raise chicks. Also make sure you have the time, money and other means to take care of it.
- In terms of cost, raising chicks is relatively cheaper than raising other animals. However, the need for feed for chicks is very important and is needed continuously. The services of veterinarians will sometimes also cost money if some of your chickens are sick. In fact, you may even need to pay a farmer and buy a chicken coop if you are raising chickens for the first time.
- Feeding the chickens won't take much time. You just need to feed and drink regularly every day, keep the cage clean (including manure in the cage) and collect the eggs once or twice a day. If you are leaving in a few days, you will need someone to take care of your chickens and this may be a little difficult for you.
Step 2. Pay attention to the laws in your area regarding the legality of raising chickens
Before buying chickens or building a coop to raise chickens, it is very important that you know the local laws and regulations of the entire community in your area. Many cities prohibit the raising of roosters (mainly because they like to crow), or some even limit the number of hens in a household.
Many communities require several permits signed by the neighbors before you want to raise chickens. Meanwhile, several other parties also set regulations regarding the size and placement of buildings for raising chickens
Step 3. Keep at least 3 to 6 chickens
Chickens are easy animals to interact with, so you should keep at least 3 to 6 birds to make a group. Having one or two additional chickens is not a bad idea in anticipation of a chicken dying from predators or disease.
In addition, usually the hen will lay 5 to 6 eggs per week. So, having 4 chickens alone is able to produce almost two dozen eggs per week. The more chickens that are kept, the more eggs are produced
Step 4. Choose the type of chicken
The type of chicken that you will raise should be based on its qualities such as the nature, the ability of the chicken to lay eggs, the size and color of the eggs, the compatibility of the eggs and chickens to the weather, the aesthetic value and the quality of the meat produced. This can be determined according to your wishes.
- For high egg production, choose laying hens such as Black Australorps (laying hens developed in Australia), as this breed produces eggs very well.
- For types of chickens that have multiple functions (broilers and layers), such as Buff Orpingtons chickens (chicken originating from England with yellowish feathers) and Silver Laced Wyandottes chickens (laying and broilers originating from America), have a larger size than other types of chickens. ordinary laying hens. In addition, they are also better at producing eggs compared to ordinary broilers whose seeds are preferred to produce meat.
Step 5. Find a place where you can get chicks
Usually, you can get chicks at your local farm in the spring or you can order them through a catalog. Keep in mind that this type of order usually has a minimum order quantity of at least 25 chicks in one delivery.
- If you only want three or four chickens to start with, we recommend combining them with orders from other local breeders to meet the minimum quantity.
- If possible, when you order, make sure all types of chickens are female. If there is a rooster, then this will be a little annoying because the rooster is aggressive. Without a rooster, the hen will be calmer when laying eggs. That is why roosters are not recommended at the beginning of chicken rearing.
Step 6. Reconsider the space and equipment you will need going forward
At first, your pet chicken will need a place that is almost the size of a cardboard box or rabbit cage. Usually, you can place it indoors or in your garage. Then, when they start to like to leave the room, this indicates that you need a chicken coop that will be a place where they lay their eggs and are safer from predators (prey animals).
When the chickens have grown up, they usually don't really need a big yard to play in the yard. In fact, in some parts of big cities, the population of chickens is increasing even though they are kept in small yards
Method 2 of 4: Raising Chicks Less Than Two Months Old
Step 1. Prepare lights and brooder (small cage for the beginning of raising chickens)
Usually brooder can be made from a cardboard box or from a plastic box. A rabbit or guinea pig cage can be another option to use as a cage and is easy to clean. You can buy this brooder at a livestock supply store or you can make your own.
- Brooder can be placed indoors or in your garage, the most important thing is to keep the chicks warm, so you must make sure that the room used to place the brooder is a place that is free from drafts.
- The size for the brooder itself is not too problematic. Make the size as desired as long as the room is adequate for the chicks and there is enough space for a place to eat and drink.
Step 2. Use the right base
To cover the brooder, you can use a clean base made of spruce sawdust or other similar materials. Newsprint can also be used, but this is not the best choice because newspaper has a slippery surface. In addition, the ink contained in the newspaper often sticks to the chicks. The mat used on the brooder should be changed every few days and do not allow the mat to be damp or wet during use.
Cleanliness is the most important thing in the growth of chicks because they are very susceptible to disease. This can be avoided by maintaining proper hygiene
Step 3. Watch the coop temperature closely and place a light inside the brooder to keep the chicks warm
Use a bright incandescent lamp with a reflector that you can buy at your local store. Usually, a 100 watt lamp can be used to keep the chicken warm, but some people choose to use a heating lamp. Also put a thermometer in the brooder so you can keep a close eye on the temperature. For the first week you can set the temperature at 32°-37° Celsius, after that you can reduce it 5 degrees per week until the chicks have good feathers at about 5-8 weeks of age.
- Another way to find out if the brooder is warm enough or not is to pay attention to the behavior of the chicks. If they gather in one of the farthest corners of the lamp with a loud noise, it indicates that the room temperature is too hot. On the other hand, if they gather under the lamp, this indicates that the room temperature is too cold.
- You can adjust the room temperature by changing the distance of the lamp or the voltage from the lamp until the temperature becomes normal to warm the chicks.
Step 4. Make sure they get enough food and drink
In general, the chicks will eat a food called “pur or centrat” which is available at livestock supply stores or animal rearing outlets. This food is specially formulated according to the food needs of chickens, some are accompanied by medicinal ingredients and some are not. If you choose to use a center that does not contain drugs in it, the thing to remember is to keep the cage clean. You don't need other food because pur is a complete nutritional food for your pet chicken. The availability of clean drinking water should not be overlooked to keep the chickens from dehydration and keep them fresh. You should change the water once or twice a day to prevent drinking water from becoming contaminated.
- There is special drinking water sold at the farm shop. This light-weight drinking water has a low price and does not choke the chicks. You can use a small bowl with a shallow surface to water the chicken. However, you must always fill it so that the chicken does not run out of water and keeps the water clean from chicken droppings.
- If chicks can be accidentally scratched by food, placing the feed in one place will be very helpful to avoid this. You can use special food containers made of galvanized steel that are available at livestock supply stores. Otherwise, a small bowl with a shallow surface will suffice.
Step 5. Take time to play with the chicks
In general, young chicks are very happy to play and have a high curiosity. It is very important that you spend time with them by interacting with them often and taking care of them on a regular basis. This will make them learn to love and trust you. After a week or two, take them out for a while to play. Make sure when the weather is warm and keep an eye out for predators including cats.
- Even if your chicks get all the nutrients from their food, it's always fun to try something different. After a week or two, you can feed them a worm or two in the yard while they are playing. However, they are not allowed to eat plants. This can cause diarrheal symptoms which are dangerous for the chicks. You should also clean the chicks' buttocks, as their droppings often dry out and cause infection there. Use a cloth dampened in warm water to clean it.
- When the chicks are 1 month old, you can place a low perch in the brooder. This perch will be used for perching or can even make them sleep there. The most important thing is not to place the perch directly under the lamp as this will make the chicks feel hot.
Method 3 of 4: Keeping Chickens Over Two Months Old
Step 1. Move the chicks to a cage located outside the room
When they are two months old, you can move them outside as long as it is not winter. You can buy chicken coops at a livestock supply store or you can make your own. In the cage, there is a special room that protects the chickens from wind and predators. In addition, this space can keep chickens warm in winter and cool in summer. You have to be very careful in choosing, buying or making the right cage for your pet chicken.
- ''Free space:'' All chicken coops should have sufficient space for chickens to forage and get fresh air. For its size, a chicken coop having a footprint measuring 4x8 feet is usually adequate for 3 to 5 chickens.
- ''High perches:'' although an outdoor perch is an option, if possible, you should provide a high, covered perch for your chickens. Like most birds, chickens have a natural perching instinct. Only some of them like to perch on high places. Perches for chickens should have a perch on which the chickens can sleep.
- “Incubation sites:” All chicken coops must have a hatch or nest in their perch. The size is only 12”x12”x12” inch as a place for the hen to lay eggs. One place can be used for two chickens, you can coat the nest of straw or wood shavings.
- “Cleanliness: “You have to clean the chicken coop every 4 months. Once a week or so, you should replace the straw and bedding pieces they use.
Step 2. Protect your chickens from predators
A good chicken coop should be able to protect chickens from predators. In fact, safety is a top priority in choosing a good chicken coop to protect chickens that are vulnerable to attack by predators such as ferrets, stoats, cats, raccoons, dogs and eagles. Make sure your chicken coop is 360 degrees surrounded by wire cages with holes no more than 3 cm. Check regularly to make sure there are no openings for predators to enter the cage.
Step 3. Change their food and take good care of them
When your pet chicken is two months old, you can feed it concentrate or fine-textured food available at the farm store. as long as they are still eating these foods, older chicks can also be fed to your kitchen excess or green plants (which are free of pesticides).
- You should also provide a bowl of fine sand in the chicken coop. This sand will help the chickens chew and digest their food because they have no teeth.
- You can also give them mashed clam shells that you can buy at your local farm shop. The calcium content in clam shells helps increase the strength of chicken egg shells.
- Feed the chickens in a durable chicken feed container and clean this place regularly. You also have to make sure the feed given every day is not dirty and wet.
- Don't forget to provide enough clean water. You don't have to give the special water you buy from the livestock store too often. When winter comes, you can provide hot or warm water to avoid freezing that occurs in winter.
Step 4. Interact with them
Invite your pet chickens to play and call them by name because chickens really like this. You can tame them by picking them up and stroking their fur. If a chicken is shy, you can coax it with a handful of rice or grains. Some chickens will come and run towards you when you come to the coop or when you call them. Their friendliness sometimes does depend on the origin or breed of the chicken itself. However, your attention also affects it.
Step 5. Predict when they will start laying eggs
Pullets (young hens) will start laying eggs when they are 20 or 24 weeks old. Usually, they will lay 5-6 eggs in a week.
- Hens will lay eggs in the spring and summer months through fall, provided they have 12 to 14 hours of daylight. In autumn, egg production decreases and increases again when spring arrives. You can collect the eggs every day even twice a day. The bigger the chicken, the more eggs will be produced.
- Although hens can lay eggs for as long as they live (usually 8 to 10 years), they start producing few eggs after 3 to 5 years.
Method 4 of 4: Why You Should Raise Chickens
Step 1. Chickens lay fresh eggs
The most enjoyable thing is when you have a lot of eggs from raising chickens in less than a year. Eggs produced by your own pet chicken will be fresher and tastier than eggs you buy at the supermarket. Plus, you can keep an eye on what's going on while you're raising chickens. The eggs can be white, brown or turquoise, depending on the type of chicken being raised.
Step 2. Chickens produce compost
Chicken is a good source of compost. The food they eat during this time will turn into manure that serves as a nutritious fertilizer that fertilizes plants.
Step 3. Chickens can reduce the presence of insects and help maintain your garden
Chickens will eat almost all insects that pass in front of them including small mice, small fish and caterpillars. In addition, chickens like to peck young grass and plant shoots so they indirectly help graze your garden.
Step 4. Chickens can be entertainment
We can see that chickens are a lot of fun to watch, starting from how adorable they were when they were little and could hear their chirping. Likewise, when they grow up, they fight with each other, grow more beautiful with their fur getting thicker and they have their own character. Chickens are birds that have beautiful feathers so they can compete with other types of poultry.
Step 5. Chickens produce food
Who would have guessed that chickens not only produce eggs but also produce chicks. Hens will stop laying eggs after 3-5 years, so at that point you can choose to keep them or make them food. This may sound a little cruel, but that's what many breeders do. If in addition to the hen you also raise a rooster then you can cook it after 5-6 months later.
Step 6. Chickens are fun pets
As we know that chickens are animals that are easy to socialize. If you raise and care for it yourself by raising livestock, then this will form a bond with you and make the chickens very obedient to you. A tame chicken will usually sit on your lap, eat food straight out of your hand, crow to greet you or even come by when your name is called.
Tips
- If you see dirt sticking near the anus of the chicken, then wipe it clean using an unused cloth or with a slightly damp toilet paper. This will help the chicks stay healthy because their digestion is not hampered.
- If you want to see your chicks playing, you can create a playground for them.
- A must-have for chicken feed is oatmeal (grains like oats) that you can get at the grocery store.
- Give a variety of foods to chickens that are already large. The first thing that will cross your mind is to give him some ground corn. However, the corn cannot be given to chickens. Some chicks prefer applesauce, yogurt (fermented milk) and breadcrumbs.
