Step 1: Prepare
The size of the coop depends on the number of chicks you choose to get. A few chickens only need a small coop with a small run. The more chickens the bigger it needs to be. If you are going to have your chickens free ranging you do not need a run, but still need a coop. Get non-medicated start and grow chicken feed. This is the link for it: https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-start-grow
Get a small feeder and waterer for chicks.
Also when preparing for chicks you need to make a brooding box. This it what you will need.
1 extra large moving box
1 plug in clip on heat lamp
1 bag of pine shavings
1 ceramic heat no light lightbulb
Cut off the flaps of the box and put some pine shavings in it. Put the lightbulb into the lamp and clip it on to the side of the box. Plug the lamp in. Put the food an water into the box. Now you have a brooding box.
Step 2: Get chicks
Before you run to the feed store think about what breed and gender you want your chickens to be. Start with breed, do you want your chickens to be pets like polish and silkies, Egg layers like buff orphington and Rhode island red, or meat birds like broilers. For gender you should get only one male for every ten females. I recomend not getting any males if you have the choice unless you want to hatch some eggs in the future.
Step 3: moving your chicks to the coop
I recommend moving your chicks from the brooding box to the coop from anywhere between two and four weeks old unless its wintertime. By then the chicks should have developed lots of their feathers. When you move them you should get an extra feeder and waterer and put a dash of apple sider vinegar in the water.
Step 4: feeding
Refill your chickens feeders whenever low. Feed them the non medicated start and grow from when you get them to 15 weeks old. Start feeding them layers feed at 16 weeks old. Chickens greatly enjoy treats like mealworms, herbs, scratch, vegetables, corn on the cob, and sunflower seeds, which most can be found at your local feed store.
Step 5: egg laying, crowing, and molting
If you have female chickens (hens/pullets)
they will start laying anywhere from 16 to 25 weeks old. Their first egg will probably be small and could even be inside out. Male chickens (roosters/cockerels) will generally start crowing the same time the hens start laying. Chickens will molt at around 18 months old. Molting is when chickens lose all their feathers and grow in adult ones. Molting lasts 8 to 12 weeks and hens don't lay during this time. Molting
is very stress full to chickens.
The size of the coop depends on the number of chicks you choose to get. A few chickens only need a small coop with a small run. The more chickens the bigger it needs to be. If you are going to have your chickens free ranging you do not need a run, but still need a coop. Get non-medicated start and grow chicken feed. This is the link for it: https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-start-grow
Get a small feeder and waterer for chicks.
Also when preparing for chicks you need to make a brooding box. This it what you will need.
1 extra large moving box
1 plug in clip on heat lamp
1 bag of pine shavings
1 ceramic heat no light lightbulb
Cut off the flaps of the box and put some pine shavings in it. Put the lightbulb into the lamp and clip it on to the side of the box. Plug the lamp in. Put the food an water into the box. Now you have a brooding box.
Step 2: Get chicks
Before you run to the feed store think about what breed and gender you want your chickens to be. Start with breed, do you want your chickens to be pets like polish and silkies, Egg layers like buff orphington and Rhode island red, or meat birds like broilers. For gender you should get only one male for every ten females. I recomend not getting any males if you have the choice unless you want to hatch some eggs in the future.
Step 3: moving your chicks to the coop
I recommend moving your chicks from the brooding box to the coop from anywhere between two and four weeks old unless its wintertime. By then the chicks should have developed lots of their feathers. When you move them you should get an extra feeder and waterer and put a dash of apple sider vinegar in the water.
Step 4: feeding
Refill your chickens feeders whenever low. Feed them the non medicated start and grow from when you get them to 15 weeks old. Start feeding them layers feed at 16 weeks old. Chickens greatly enjoy treats like mealworms, herbs, scratch, vegetables, corn on the cob, and sunflower seeds, which most can be found at your local feed store.
Step 5: egg laying, crowing, and molting
If you have female chickens (hens/pullets)
they will start laying anywhere from 16 to 25 weeks old. Their first egg will probably be small and could even be inside out. Male chickens (roosters/cockerels) will generally start crowing the same time the hens start laying. Chickens will molt at around 18 months old. Molting is when chickens lose all their feathers and grow in adult ones. Molting lasts 8 to 12 weeks and hens don't lay during this time. Molting
is very stress full to chickens.
