Newbie Chicken Questions!

[fuzz]

All right, I have so many different questions I decided to put it in here!

Q. Will my Bantys run away if they get free/escape/or free range which they will be.

Q. In the winter if a banty is housed outside what do I do?

Q. Do I need special starter feed for different ages? Like chick feed, or just the regular stuff that comes in a bag?

Q. What do I need essentials prior to having chickens?


Thanks!

Megan, lol I might just think of some more later

 

[peepkeeper]

hi and welcome! Yes, your chickens might fly away if they free range right away. Keep them in their coop for a week, then they'll learn where they sleep at night. Otherwise, instead of automatically going into their coop at night, they'll end up in trees and whatnot. Before you decide to let them free range, think about safety issues and neighbors (chickens don't know "property lines").

I don't know what you mean by "housed outside". I assume you mean "in a coop", since they would have trouble surviving without shelter. They need protection from the weather and predators, other wise they're pretty weatherproof. You don't need to go nuts insulating and heating the coop and making it fancy if it's dry and draft free and you give them plenty of litter.

Different feed for different ages. Give chick starter for the first 8 weeks, then Grower till about 18-20 weeks, then Layer from then on. Some crushed oyster shell once they start laying will give them extra calcium.

You need food and water containers, a coop, and a safe run. If you have chicks, you'll need a heat lamp for the first couple of weeks until they get their feathers. They're pretty low maintainace once you're set up. Enjoy, chickens are lots of fun!

 

[fuzz]

Thank you so much that helps a lot!