Hi. Total newbie. I'm thinking about getting my own backyard chickens. Since I'm in northern Ontario, Canada is really cold right. now with frozen ground, i can't build a coop until ground thaws may-June.
Questions are:
When should i get chicks?
How long do chicks live in the brooder?indoor?
When do i move them to a coop?
Being a backyard chicken virgin should i start with hens?
Will i have a better relationship with my girls if im their from chicks?
How long until those chicks lay eggs? About
Can i get some chicks. and some hens?
That's all for now... Millions more floating in my head, I'll save for layer. Thanks all you wonderful backyard chicken lovers.
Probably when they are available in your area, likely in spring sometime. They need around 6 weeks in a warmer, protected environment, then they will be ready for the coop, if it is predator proof, as they will still be very vulnerable at that age. Indeed, adults are also quite vulnerable.
The hens vs. chicks debate has no single best answer. Yes, you will be more likely to get tame hens if you raise them from chicks, but it takes a fair amount of attention, and even then, you will likely get some more responsive to you than others. They will all learn to come when clalled if you call them with treats, though.
First eggs may be at 5 months but are often longer; each bird is different.
No, I wouldn't get both chicks and hens unless you build two separate living areas for them, as the hens will attack and possibly kill chicks, unless it is a broody who has hatched out the chicks herself. You can also sneak store bought day old chicks under a broody and she will usually act asif she had hatched them herself.
Your first attention should be to coop design and predators and pests. Everything likes to eat chicken. Many people make the mistake of getting chicks before completing or even starting their coop. If planned for, you can actually raise the chicks in the coop, but they ill need heat for a while.
Check out our Learning Center for the basics of chick raising, and for articles on how to raise tame chickens, and the like. There are two excellent articles on coops, written by a Canadian, linked in my signature line.
Here are a few more favorite links for you:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/735392/redneck-fungshui-brooding-17-degree-temperatures
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-socialize-baby-chickens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need
Good luck!
