Hanging With New Peeps

In my opinion, there is not many things (events) I look forward to as much as new chicks in the spring. Admittedly this could be just another symptom of “crazy chicken lady syndrome”. That said, few people can resist these little bundles of peeping fuzz. During the past year sales have been at a record high as it seems almost anybody and everybody who has a spare patch of grass in their backyard are jumping on the bandwagon of backyard chicken keepers. I mean they’re chickens. How hard can this be? Right? I just took delivery of some new chicks and I thought I would jot down some notes while things are fresh in my mind.

So let’s start with what breed and where to get them. As I mentioned backyard chicken keeping is on the rise and backyard breeders can be found everywhere. A quick look on Craigslist will confirm this. What breed will depend on where you live and what you want them for. For instance; if they are simply pets and a lovely distraction there is the Silkie breed.

These birds are lovely. They are very friendly and can be broody. Meaning they will sit on and hatch their own eggs. Bear in mind that for eggs to be viable, they need to be fertilized and that would require the services of a rooster. While slipping a couple of these cuties into the backyard unbeknownst to the neighbours might be doable; roosters are a much bigger ask. Roosters tend to announce their presence 😉 Downside to Silkies would be that they are not prolific egg layers. Nor are they robust enough to be considered meat birds. And, all that lovely silky plumage can and does get dirty.

The take-home message here is do your homework. Decide what is the purpose of the birds. And be realistic about this. Meaning: don’t get into “meat birds” with no plan as to how you will get them from the backyard to the freezer. Cold hearty or heat tolerant. Just an additional note here. Chickens are a lot more tolerant of the cold than the heat. Get on the internet with your criteria notes in hand. There are literally thousands of breads to choose from. Then there are the proponents of just a good old barnyard mix. Finding them less problematic. I found this website to be very detailed and informative. https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/234/69325/Chicken_Breed_Chart_to_Help_Choose_Your_Chicken.pdf

Okay, so you’ve got the breed sorted out and you have them ordered. Let’s talk about where those little peeps will be housed when you bring them home. Oh and a quick note on the ride home. A small box where they will take up 1/3 of the available space. If the temperature in the vehicle is comfortable for you, it’s okay for them. Keep them out of draft from open window. Do Not set the box on a heated seat. Okay, onto the brooder. Now how you approach the brooder setup will sort of depend on how many chicks you plan on getting. Remembering that although you can easily cradle 3 or 4 in your hands at a day old; it won’t take long for them to grow up and out. So whether it’s a 2 or 3 that can easily be housed in a deep rubber maid container with a wire mesh lid or a full on brooder build; there are a few essentials that every brooder will need.

Heat. These are tiny little creatures that are unable to regulate their body temperature. If they were being brooded over by mama the temperature would be a toasty 90 and 100 degrees. So shoot for about 95* F or 35* C under the heat for the first week. Allowing for the chicks to move in and out of the heat source as needed. The heat is lowered by 5 degrees each week until you have reached a minimum of 55* F or 12* C. The chicks will ‘feather out’ in response to the dropping temperature.

So what’s the heat source? For years the go-to was the red coloured heat lamps. However, due to some documented disasters involving this heat source people are moving in droves to brooder plates.

So what to do if (like me) you do not want to throw down $100 (give or take) to impress your new peeps? Here is my DIY:

Medicated or non-medicated feed? Medicated poultry feed contains a chemical called Amprolium.  Amprolium is an antibiotic used as a preventative to ward off Coccidia.  Medicated feed is not enough to cure a sick bird.  Amprolium is added to feed to reduce the ​incidence of Coccidia infection by making the poultry’s digestive tract a less hospitable environment to the organism.  Coccidiosis is one of the most common diseases chickens face. There are numerous strains with at least seven strains known to affect chickens. This intestinal disease is caused by parasites, called coccidia oocysts, which live in the soil and can be carried by equipment, people or other birds. Keeping the brooder and environment clean for growing baby chicks is a key to helping them grow strong. Depending where you are getting your chicks from; they may have been vaccinated for coccidiosis. If so, the medicated feed is not necessary but won’t hurt if you’re not sure. I keep them on the starter feed until they get to laying age; about 18 weeks. Just one last note on the medicated feed; I just recently discovered that some medicated feed also contains growth hormones. Growth hormones have been banned in Canada since 1963. However, if you live outside of Canada read your labels. Ask questions and make the best decision for you and your flock. Use a shallow water fount. If you feel you need a larger water fount; put marbles or pebbles from the dollar store in the bottom to prevent drownings. FYI keep the water clean and fresh as much as possible. https://www.canadianpoultrymag.com/coccidiosis-12661/

Staying on the matter of droppings for a minute. I would like to talk about ‘pasti-butt’. A new batch of chicks should be watched for this. Chickens are birds. Birds do not handle stress well. A stressed bird can have loose droppings which can and will adhere to their little fuzzy bottoms. Dealing with ‘pasti-butt’ takes a bit of finesse. Too much handling and fussing with the young chick will only stress it out more. Little delicate fluff on their butts can easily be plucked when trying to remove the waste. Too much pulling is not only painful for the little chick but can also result in a prolapse. Soaking of the butt can lead to giving the chick a chill. Enter in the use of baby wipes. Wet, but not enough to soak the bottom. Thin enough that you can feel what you are doing. How much is too much fussing? General rule of thumb is if the vent is open, leave it alone. If you look at the close-up below, you will see that this little gal still has some evidence of past-butt. However, the vent is clear. At this point I will leave her to clean it herself.

Chicken first aid kit. I would advise collecting a small array of common items to store in one bin or cabinet (easy access) to handle things that will pop up. Below is a picture of my first aid kit and I will give you a brief explanation of what I would use each item for.

The Poweraid is an electrolyte drink from the dollar store. Chicks that are overly stressed from shipping or a lethargic hen will benefit from a little boost. The homemade versions are just as good. My recipe is molasses salt and baking soda with water kept in the refrigerator at the ready and a small syringe, dropper for administering if needed. The baby wipes I already addressed. The petroleum jelly and q-tips are for a prolapse. Warning!!! Proceed with caution! We are taking about tiny delicate tissues. Epsom salts if that butt does need a soak with a soothing component. Pour-vite is a multi vitamin that can give a lagging flock a little boost. Particularly during or after moulting. Sudden partial paralysis can be the result of a B-12 deficiency. Keifer and apple cider vinegar can help to treat gleet. Pour-vite is a brand of poultry vitamins. If the flock is stressed for whatever reason, the extra little boost of adding some vitamins to the water can be helpful in maintaining flock health. Some of these stressers may be: extreme cold or hot; new coop; new additions to flock; or moulting are just some of the things that can be stressful to the flock and perhaps causing them to loose their appetite.

Medicated or non-medicated feed? Medicated poultry feed contains a chemical called Amprolium.  Amprolium is an antibiotic used as a preventative to ward off Coccidia.  Medicated feed is not enough to cure a sick bird.  Amprolium is added to feed to reduce the ​incidence of Coccidia infection by making the poultry’s digestive tract a less hospitable environment to the organism.  Coccidiosis is one of the most common diseases chickens face. There are numerous strains with at least seven strains known to affect chickens. This intestinal disease is caused by parasites, called coccidia oocysts, which live in the soil and can be carried by equipment, people or other birds. Keeping the brooder and environment clean for growing baby chicks is a key to helping them grow strong. Depending where you are getting your chicks from; they may have been vaccinated for coccidiosis. If so, the medicated feed is not necessary but won’t hurt if you’re not sure. I keep them on the starter feed until they get to laying age; about 18 weeks. Just one last note on the medicated feed; I just recently discovered that some medicated feed also contains growth hormones. Read your labels. Ask questions and make the best decision for you and your flock.

When are they moving into the coop? Well that depends on a few things. How well feathered are your littles? How warm is the weather? What kind of coop setup do you have (again, mostly talking about warmth and free from drafts). If you are following the provided warmth formula at 6 weeks the littles should be used an average temperature of 70* F or 21* C. By 8 weeks; 60* F or 15* C. You may have to have some heat in the coop for a few weeks to aid in the transition. Sometimes all that is needed is a regular 200w lightbulb. Again, this is all dependant on what your setup is and average nighttime temperatures. Set up a thermometer in the coop ahead of the move so that you know for sure. Watch the chicks. If they are noisy, huddled together or standing hunched; they are probably cold.

Almost there. When to move to outdoor freedom? I like to give them at least a few weeks in the coop without outdoor access. Then I move to sunny day limited outdoor access with supervision. Generally by 12 weeks (weather permitting) they should be fine to move freely between the coop and the run. Still, I would wait a bit longer before allowing free range activity.

One final note. Deny your newbies access to the nesting boxes. Stressed chicks will seek refuge in the boxes and as a result will be depositing droppings in there. Although not necessarily a problem without eggs; once they start laying, they will have a firmly established habit resulting in dirty eggs. Not the best situation and very difficult habit to break.

Wow! Lots to know and to think about. Don’t let this overwhelm you. Raising a flock (large or small) of laying hens can be very rewarding. However, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Being prepared is the way to go.