Getting Started With Chickens

by Tony Frohnauer

Originally published in the

Natural Family Home Newsletter as a 4 part series article

Chickens are probably the most common homestead animal. They are easy to keep, do not require much space and provide meat, eggs and fertilizer. Plus you don't have to live in  the country to enjoy them!  I know of several folks who live in the city and have a few hens in their back yard. Hens only, mind you. The neighbors didn't appreciate their rooster which eventually ended up at my house!

Now is a good time to look around your place and see where the ideal location for the coop and run should be built. One thing to keep in mind is that during rainy weather the wet chicken manure creates a strong odor so you don't want the pen too close to your bedroom window.

Whatever you decide to build be sure to make it varmint proof. You will need to make it safe from owls, skunks, weasels and dogs. Weasels can get in the smallest of holes. Dogs can jump over a low fence or dig under loose fencing and owls can swoop in from above. We once had a bear get into our chicken pen, but there isn't much one could do about that!

Another tip is designing your pen for easy access to the manure. Your garden will love it plus keeping the pen clean will help keep the smell down. The majority of your chickens manure will accumulate under the perch. We designed our pen with an open floor directly under the perch. The opening is covered with 2" chicken wire which allows the manure to fall through easily and also keeps the varmints from coming in. A hinged flap on the outside, lower part of the wall directly behind the perch allows us to easily scoop out the manure.

I highly suggest purchasing a book on raising chickens. We own The Complete Handbook of Poultry Keeping by Stuart Banks. It's filled with practical information on raising chickens. He has a number of design ideas for building small coops and runs. Another helpful book that is also fun to read is Chickens in Your Backyard : A Beginner's Guide by Rick Luttmann and Gail Luttmann.

Ordering chicks through the mail is a fun way of acquiring your flock. I have ordered chicks from Murray McMurray Hatchery in Iowa several times and have been very satisfied. From chickens to pheasants they have quality birds plus books and equipment. They've been in business since 1917 and guarantee their birds shipping survival. They ship birds from February through October. You can contact them at http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com or call 1-800-456-3280.

It can be very rewarding raising up baby chicks into mature egg
producing birds. Following are some basic guidelines to help you get started.

Commercial chick starter feed is important for the first eight weeks. This feed is packed with necessary vitamins and minerals to give your birds a healthy start. A two foot feeder will serve 25 chicks very well.

Water should be available at all times. A one gallon waterer will easily handle 25 chicks. We purchase an additive to mix in the water called Quik Chick. It has vitamins and electrolytes that will give your chicks strength and help them fight the stress they may have during their first few weeks. We add this to their water for at least 2 weeks. 

Occasionally newly arrived chicks will need to have their beaks dipped into the water to get them drinking. An eye dropper is handy when special attention is needed for weak birds. Be careful to only put one drop in at a time to keep from drowning it.

Baby chicks need to be kept warm. We use a 250 watt infra-red heat bulb that is hung in their pen about 18" from the floor. This will provide all the light and heat that the chicks will need.  Starting temperatures should be about 90 to 95 degrees. As they grow I find they move away from the light where its not quite so hot. Lift the bulb higher if the temperature in the pen is too warm.

The chicks brooding pen can be simple. I made a 4' x 4' plywood box that is 2' high. This is plenty of room for 25 chicks and allows them the space they need to adjust to the temperature.

The first couple of days I just spread newspaper on their floor. Then a layer of wood shaving (NOT sawdust) is added to make a nice bedding.  Clean the pen regularly. Keeping several layers of newspaper under the layer of wood shavings makes for easy clean up. Just roll up the newspaper, shavings and all.

All the equipment discussed can be found at most feed stores. The poultry catalog that I mentioned earlier offers everything you need along with the chicks. You'll find their website at http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com

TRANSITION

Bringing your chicks into maturity to be released into your coop is the next step. I find that this can be a difficult phase. Here's a few ideas that will help.

We use what we call the "chicken tractor". Basically it is a small, portable pen. Versatile and practical, it offers more room than the starter box and is very secure. 

The chicken tractor is built out of 2x6 runners along the ground to form a rectangle that measures 38"wide by 76" long. 2x4's that are 36" tall stand in each corner. Then another 38" x 76" rectangle of 2x4's is secured to the top of these upright's thus creating a rectangular open box. 1" chicken mesh wire is fastened around 3 of the sides. Scraps of plywood are nailed onto one end and part of one of the sides. On the opposite side a solid plywood door is framed in creating a sheltered/wind block space. Scrap plywood is also nailed to the roof of the pen making it solid and secure. Short handles protruding from the four corners make it easy to move across the ground.

It's a good idea to attach a solid piece of 2" chicken mesh wire to the whole bottom of the tractor so that no critters can dig their way under and into the pen as you can not always find totally level ground to set the tractor on. The wire also helps to keep the chicks from scooting out under the frame.

A hole needs to be drilled into the plywood roof to allow for an extension cord to pass through as you will still need to have a heat light on them. I also have a large plastic tarp that fits over the top during rainy weather.

After spending a few weeks in the starter box your chicks will like getting into the larger chicken tractor plus they will have soil to scratch in. With their new growth of feathers they will also be warmer and better able to handle the cool nights. Clean up is easier too, because all the droppings and spillage goes straight into the garden. Toss in a little straw every now and then for the chicks to cuddle in. After awhile just move the tractor to another spot in the garden and everything left behind will become part of the soil!

You can also use this "tractor" for separating a brooding hen to nest in or quarantine a sick or injured bird.

Eventually your chicks will grow out of the tractor but you will have moved it all around the garden, fertilizing it along the way. There is minimum maintenance and you'll get some of your garden beds cleared in the process.

Maturity and Getting Ready for Eggs

Once your birds are full grown and producing eggs maintenance is the key. A solid, fenced in run and coop will give your hens plenty of security. Regular cleaning is important and plays a big factor in keeping disease out of your flock.

The size and design of your coop depends on your personal situation. There is much to say about building a coop but the confines of this article will not allow it. The main points of a good hen house is that it's big enough for them all to fit in it at once and that there is room for perches or a "roosting" area which is a must. Also keep in mind that you will want it to be varmint proof and have easy access for you to get in to clean and gather eggs.

Nesting boxes can be mounted on the walls. They need not be fancy. Scrap plywood will work. Make several boxes or stalls as you don't want the girls to be waiting in line to lay their egg. Put a 6 inch high strip of plywood along the base of the front opening of the nesting boxes to keep the hens from scratching out all the bedding straw. The average dimensions of your nesting boxes should be 15" high x 12" wide x 12" deep.

I have found that it is well worth the money to invest in a good
hanging style, self-feeder for dispensing the grain and at least a 2 gallon size self-waterer. The feeder will save on feed being wasted and the waterer can't be tipped over which will keep a supply of fresh water available long enough for you to get away occasionally without worry.

Check out the different feeds available at your local feed store. Plain cracked corn works just fine, especially if you supplement with kitchen scraps or if you let your chickens out of the pen to scratch for bugs and eat fresh greens. Or you can use a high protein all-purpose feed for egg production. Check the protein levels of the different feeds and experiment to see what works for your flock.

I hope you have found this series of articles helpful and that you have been encouraged to start a flock of your own. Having fresh, homegrown eggs to eat are a luxury that you won't want to be without once you get a taste! And when your neighbors get a taste they will be buying all your extras!
 

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©2002, Tony Frohnauer

Tony Frohnauer is editor of Natural Family Home Newsletter, and informative publication that focuses on simple living resources for natural family.  Herbal health, homeschooling, natural foods, organic gardening, and more, plus a used curriculum for sale section!  To sign up for your FREE subscription go to http://www.naturalfamilyhome.com

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