If you want to raise chickens, I suggest knowing where to put them when they are old enough first. you can go to a junk yard or reclaimed cabinet store and look for old cabinets if you have a small number of hens, even if the cabinet is too small for a hut, they are good for lay pens or to put roosters in at night to keep them a little quieter. another thing you can look for is old dog houses. if you are handy or find a neighbor, I suggest more than one door on a dog house. And I found the best feeder dish is an old drawer. Then hens like to get into the feed and scratch, with a drawer the feed stays in the box. Speaking of drawers, dressers make a great lay pen. I usually take every other drawer out of the dresser and my pen is finished.
Now that you have some ideas about where they will go when they are big enough, let's talk babies. chicks are cute, and the first week they hardly poop. By the 2nd week you are ready to have them out of your house, but depending how cold it is they might not be ready yet. I suggest a wood box big enough for two clamp lamps and in the box to be about 80 degrees. Even if you have a broody hen for your chicks they should have a heat lamp near by to keep warm. I also feed them tuna and meat scraps so they get nice and strong. Good Luck!
Now that you have some ideas about where they will go when they are big enough, let's talk babies. chicks are cute, and the first week they hardly poop. By the 2nd week you are ready to have them out of your house, but depending how cold it is they might not be ready yet. I suggest a wood box big enough for two clamp lamps and in the box to be about 80 degrees. Even if you have a broody hen for your chicks they should have a heat lamp near by to keep warm. I also feed them tuna and meat scraps so they get nice and strong. Good Luck!
