The Peachy Chicken Chronicles: Vol 3

Happy Tuesday friends! Today Rose and Blanche turn ONE so I shared a few fun birthday photos on Instagram. I miss Dot and Sophia and wish we were celebrating them as well but so thankful for my surviving girls. To further celebrate their birthday, today I am going to answer all your chick and chicken questions. I got a lot of really great questions via Instagram Stories and hope this will help anyone new to raising chickens or for anyone that enjoys learning about chickens. Let’s jump right in!

Q: How long until you introduce the chicks to your older ladies?

It’s going to be a while before I can introduce them. The new chicks have to be big enough to defend themselves from the big girls. You NEVER want to introduce a new, smaller chicken to a flock. They can be very mean and even kill the smaller chickens. So most likely at the end of the summer.

Q: When do chickens start laying eggs?

Average age is 6 months but some may take longer. One of mine didn’t lay until 9 months. Chickens also stop laying in the winter (because it gets dark sooner) and when they are molting.

Q: Do you need a rooster to get eggs?

Nope! My ladies are independent! Just kidding- but really, hens do not need a rooster to lay eggs. They do need a rooster to fertilize the egg and create baby chicks.

Q: Where is your little chick heater from?

My brooder is from Amazon {click here}. It’s a little pricy but it’s well worth it. Lamps work great too but you have to keep up with the temperature (lamps can get too hot) and it doesn’t give you the peace of mind that a brooder plate does. Also, I love that my chickies can hide under it!

Q: When should I start giving them treats? Favorite treat ideas?

I wait until mine are at least 2 weeks old before I give any treats. There is no rush- you will be able to give tons of treats the older they get! A few appropriate treats are hard boiled eggs (crushed), scrambled eggs (with no salt or butter) or oatmeal.

Q: List of must haves for new chicks? I am getting 7 chicks in 2 weeks!

I wrote all about it in my First Timer’s Guide to Raising Chickens blog post. But a few MUST haves are-

• Plastic Ben– or somewhere safe to keep them
• Pine Shavings – to sleep on
• Brooder– this takes the place of a mother hen to keep them warm 
• Starter Feed– we purchased medicated 
• Water Dispenser– something safe so they won’t drown or get wet

Q: What is your favorite food brand?

My favorite brand for chick starter food is Manna Pro Medicated Chick Starter. This is what I bought last time around and loved it. I then transition them to organic chicken layer feed at 14 weeks.

Q: How much do you think it costs a month to have chicks?

I would say under $50/month to have chicks. And you can easily cut that in half depending on where you buy your chicks and what breed you go with. Chicks usually range from $1-$30 depending on the breed. The food and pine shavings aren’t expensive either. If you go with a heating plate that will cost you $50-$100 but a cheaper option is a lamp with a red light bulb. The most expensive thing you’ll pay for when owning chickens is their coop. This could range from $300-$3000 depending on how nice it is.

Q: Do you feed them inside the coop (besides mealworms) or just in free range?

Yes- my girls have organic feed and water in their run. I do not recommend feeding inside the actual coop (where they sleep) because it will attract rats. I use THIS feeding system and it’s been great to prevent rodents and keeps them fed for over a week. Even if your chickens free range, you need to provide them with chicken feed.

Q: Week old chicks receiving electrolytes and probiotics, 1 still has loose stools. Suggestions?

I’m not a vet so I do not know the answer to this question but chicks have pretty loose stools at baseline (loose and brown). If this was my chick I would discontinue giving her anything but her chick food and see if that helps.

Q: What do you 100% recommend for your chicken coop? What would you change or add?

I would recommend nesting boxes, roosting bars, holes or small window for ventilation and a BIG chicken run. What I would change about my coop is I would have it elevated instead of on the ground. This helps with keeping away rats.

Q: How do you get your chicks to cooperate for cute pictures?

Chicks are a lot easier to work with than full grown chickens! I just take A LOT of pics quickly since chicks are so unpredictable!

Q: How many chicks should you start with?

This really depends on what YOU want! Chickens are social so you should have a minimum of 3 chicks. Some people say to add a few in case any die but I disagree with that. All my chicks have done great and if they all live you might have too many chickens on your hand. I’ve loved having a small flock!

Q: How did you get your neighborhood to approve? Or was it the city?

We do not live in a neighborhood so didn’t have to worry about that but we did make sure we were allowed to have them in our city. That is the FIRST thing you want to do before buying chicks. I’ve heard so many sad stories about HOA and/or the city making families get rid of all their chickens.

Q: What do you buy for the chickens on a weekly or monthly basis?

For my older girls, the only things I buy them on a monthly basis is their food and treats (mealworms). I only change their pine shavings every few months so that’s only an expense a couple times per year.

Q: Is it expensive to keep chickens?

Not at all. The most expensive thing you will pay for is the chicken coop. Especially if you invest in a good one-which is what I highly recommend doing.

Q: How often do you clean their pine shavings in their brooder?

Right now, I am only needing to change it 1 time per week. Keep in mind I only have 3 chicks. As they get bigger I will have to change 2-3 times since they will be pooping more! It gets stinky fast!

Q: When can you start telling the sex of the chicks?

You can start getting “clues” when they are 4-6 weeks old by the type of feathers they are getting but you won’t know until they are closer to 12-14 weeks.

Q: Best tips and tricks? We just got ours today!

So exciting and congratulations! You can read all my tips by clicking here.

Q: What is the hardest part about having backyard chickens?

I would say the hardest part is keeping them safe. I tried everything in my power to keep mine safe and still lost my favorite 2 girls. Also, keeping them out of our gardens! If you allow your chickens to free range NOTHING is safe from them! They will destroy all your plants, vegetables and pretty garden beds!

Q: Super basic: How many eggs does one chicken typically lay per day or week?

Chickens on average lay between 250-300 eggs per year, depending on the breed.

Q: Since owning chicks- do you have an increase in roaches/bugs?

If anything, I think we see less bugs! Chickens eat roaches and bugs so that has been very helpful! Their coop does attract flies (because of the poop) and rodents (because of the food). Fortunately there are solutions to both.

Q: How are they adjusting to your home?

My new chickies- Frenchy, Dolly and Pepper- are doing great! They are super friendly and are growing quickly!

Q: Do they have vaccinations? What do you do for deworming?

I do get my chicks vaccinated for Marek’s but this is optional. Deworming chickens isn’t necessary unless you suspect they have worms or you see it in their poop. If you do, there are natural remedies or medications you can give your chickens. Keeping their water clean and making sure they don’t get into moldy food will help prevent worms.

Q: How big is your yard? We want chickens but my husband thinks we need more space.

I would say our yard is less than 1/2 an acre so not very big! This is why I have such a small flock!

Q: My chicks are just over a week. Can they have a little supervised outside time?

It depends how warm it is where you are. Chicks are very sensitive to the cold so if it’s under 8o degrees, I’d hold off. I let mine go outside yesterday (they are 1 week old) but I left the brooder on and only let them play for 10 minutes while it was sunny. As they get older I’ll let them stay out longer!

Q: Do you move them to something larger than the brooder before outside full time?

Last time around- no. I kept them in the large bin until they moved to their outdoor coop. As they got closer to 6 weeks, I would let them stay outside longer and just bring them in at night (I live in Georgia where it’s warm). This time around I’ll have to transfer them because I am getting 5 bantam chicks next week. I plan to move them to a hutch with a heated lamp but I will bring them in at night as well. It will be a lot of work but they will only be 4 weeks away from living outside full time!

Q: Do you order supplies online exclusively? I live in ATL and I’m curious if there are any farm stores?

For my chicks I order almost everything online but for my full grown chickens, I buy all their organic food from a local seed store called Neighbors Feed & Seed. There are also various Tractor Supply stores OTP but I prefer to support a local business when I can!

Q: Where did you get your chickens?

I have purchased all my chicks from Meyers Hatchery. I’ve had a great experience with them- great quality and customer service. They also have a big selection of chicken breeds.

Q: Do chickens need vet upkeep? Like vaccinations, checkups, etc?

Finishing out with a great question- nope, chickens do not need vet upkeep! The only time you will need to get a vet involved is if your chickens get sick. Also keep in mind that not all vets treat chickens. I would recommend finding an avian vet in your area just in case one of your chickens gets sick.

Xo