We are continuing in ourBackyard Chickens 101 seriestoday with some how chicks grow.
This has been my favorite stage of raising backyard chickens!
Come see how our chicks grew and changed week by week .
Baby Chickens Week 1
Chicks are small balls of fluff during the first week.
They make pleasant cheeping noises that we found very relaxing!
They are not noisy or smelly.
If they are all huddled together under the heat source it is too cold.
If they are all hanging out around the edges or panting it is too hot.
If it is a good temperature they should be moving around, digging and cheeping quietly.
Loud cheeping usually indicates a problem!
They should be eating as much food as they want.
We feed our non-medicated Organic Chick starter.
Some people feed the medication as a preventative step.
For the same reason we choose an organic starter.
The food will be almost a powdery substance.
It cost us $10 for a 50lb bag of food.
This is something you will want to buy locally as it is cheaper and very expensive to ship.
you’ve got the option to also feed them by hand if you like.
This will help them start to know you and is always fun for kids!
Some will find a sleeping budy and you will see 2 or more chicks cuddled up together.
)Still at this point we did not feel that the chicks were smelly or noisy.
We really enjoy watching them!
Luckily though, the pasting up should have stopped.
Above, Tinker bell is reading the chicks a Pooh book.
Our kids really enjoy watching & interacting with our sweet little chicks!
Continue to allow them to eat and drink as much as they like.
But still plan on cleaning it out a couple times a day as needed.
The fun thing we started feeding our chicks this week were dried meal worms.
They go CRAZY for them!
You will see them stretching out their wings a lot and flapping them.
Baby Chickens Week 4
The chickens are almost fully feathered out with about 1-2 of tail feathers.
They are active and eating a LOT!
With our 15 chicks I find myself replacing the feed 2x a day!
Here we let Tinker Bell go in the freshly changed brooding box and feed the birds.
She cried when we took her out.
We are having so much fun with these sweet girls!
Our son Goofy has grown quite proficient at holding the chickens.
He catches them so quickly and really enjoys holding and feeding them.
Here is holding his favorite.
She is an Easter Egger we named Dot.
This week we found we needed to add deer netting to the top.
So for our peace of mind (and our floors cleanliness) we threw it over the top.
We continue to move the heating lamp farther away.
Once you start adding treats other than an occasional meal worm you better offer them grit.
Since chickens dont have teeth they need the grit to help them mash up the food they eat.
For chicks you’ve got the option to use chick grit or parakeet gravel.
Just add a small cup in their brooder that they can choose to use when they want to.
Baby Chickens Week 5
Our chickens are fully feathered out and getting big.
They are definitely ready to go out side… unfortunately our coop is not quite ready.
Instead many choose to fly and perch on top of the water container.
Especially this Black Austrolorp.
They continue to be busy digging and constantly eating.
They sleep all huddled together so cute!
That has resulted in them pulling it down and getting themselves tangled up in it.
On 3 occasions this week because of this we had a chicken fly the coop.
Luckily they hung out in the kitchen and were eager to go back to their home.
Now they can fly a little and move around without picking at the netting.
Weve also had to use things to prop the bottom of the cardboard walls.
But overall I was very happy with the cardboard walls and its ease of use.
Here are a couple of our Easter Eggers.
We have been so impressed with this (non) breed.
I cant wait to see if they are going to lay blue or green or pink eggs!
Baby Chickens Week 6
Our coop is almost ready…..but not quite.
So the chickens spent another week inside.
The chickens really want to roost!
No matter when I check during the day there is always someone using it!
I think being inside at this point they require more attention because of it.
Their feathers are soft to pet!
Our kids are really enjoying interacting with the chickens.
Tinker Bell had so much fun pushing one around in her stroller one day!
