Chickens
& Eggs Best Laying Hens Ever wonder which birds make the best
egg laying hens? Find out here, whether you're looking for maximum egg
production or a hen who will raise her own chicks.
Buy Baby
Chickens All egg
laying chickens start as peeps,
and raising your own hens from the time they are baby chickens is a
great way to ensure they are gentle and familiar with you.
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Taking
Care of Baby Chicks Learn how to care for baby chicks before
you pick up the box of chirping peeps from your post office or feed
store. Raising baby chickens is not difficult, but it does require
attention to detail, a few hours' work when you first receive the new
chicks, and daily efforts to ensure your chicks have the best start.
You'll need:
Box or plastic containers
Newspaper
Thermometer
Heat lamp
Chick feed
Waterer
Before your chicks' anticipated arrival, prepare their new home.
Day-old chicks will need a brooder set up, which is easy to to put
together with common household items, and can be made even more
functional with purchased equipment. Temperature is one of the most
important factors to consider with new baby chickens, as they like it
warm – about 95 degrees F for the first week – and keeping them cozy is
important for their health and survival. Keep a thermometer in the cage
to monitor temperature when baby chicks are young.
Depending on the number of peeps you are buying or hatching, you'll
need one or more containers, such as plastic bins or cardboard boxes,
to house the little fowl. Each chick should have about ½ square foot of
space. About 12 square feet is necessary for 25 birds.
Line the bottom of your brooder with newspaper. Attach a heat lamp (a
250-watt light bulb with metal shade works great) about 18 inches from
the bottom of the box. The area directly under the lamp will be
warmest; chicks will move in and out of this area as they need to in
order to maintain ideal body temperatures. Make sure the cage
is draft-free; use cardboard as necessary to keep drafts out of the
chicks' brooder box.
Place chick feed and a chick waterer outside the heat lamp area within
the box. For the first two months, use a commercial chick starter feed
to nourish the baby chickens.
When your day-old chicks arrive, make a sugar-water solution from a
quart of water plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Dip each bird's beak into this
water, and then use it to fill the waterer in their new home. If your
chicks had an especially long or draining trip, this will give them the
energy boost they need. Scatter chick feed on the paper by the feed
tray or dish, so the chicks will find it as they peck at the newsprint.
Ensure that chicks always have an ample supply of water and food. Water
is crucial – never let them run out. If you will be gone during the
day, buy a one-gallon waterer and fill it each day. As chicks get used
to their chick feed, you can begin putting it just in the feeder and
not scattered on the floor.
Change the newspaper frequently to ensure a clean environment for the
chicks.
Each
week, lower the temperature in the brooder box about 5 degrees, by
raising the heat lamp or using a lower-watt bulb, until you get down to
70 degrees.
Transition the chicks to an outdoor environment
beginning at about four weeks by opening windows during the day to get
them used to the breezes and fluctuating temperatures.
When
chickens are eight weeks old and the weather outside is mild, they can
be moved to their outdoor home during the day and then left at night
once the weather is warm. Ensure their safety by shutting the chicken
coop at night to protect them from predators while they are young.
Go back to Raising
Chickens, home to Egg
Laying Chickens, or browse chicken books, below.
 Chickens The Chicken Health Handbook Keep Chickens: Tending Small Flocks
Chicken Coop Living Choosing and Keeping Chickens 
Egg Laying
Chickens Book Store
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