Buying Chooks

This page is intended as a guide for purchaseing chooks.

DAY OLD CARE

Watching the miricle of life as chickens hatch is something truly special. They hatch all wet and soggy and over a few hours they fluff up, to form cotton balls on legs. Day old chickens require heat to survive. As with the goslings i provide them with a 40watt light globe and a 25 watt globe fixed to a box. The box can made or cardboard and should be no smaller than 1m long X 30cm wide X 30cm high. This sized box is suited up to 20 chickens. A good quality, thick, cardboard should be used.

Place some newspaper in the bottom, and cover with 5cm of good wood shavings (not treated pine). Turn the globes on and allow the box to warm up for around 1hr. Place the chickens into the box with fresh food (i reccomend barastock pullet starter) and water. Use small dishes for the first few days to make it easy for the chickens to acess the feed. I like vegemite lids. You will need to check at least twice a day that feed and water are topped up. Small drinkers and feeders are a good idea and can be easily bought from a produce store.

At the end of the 3rd week i change the 40watt globe to another 25watt globe. This slowly conditions them to outside weather.

At the end of the 4th week I change one of the 25watt globes to a 15watt globe.

After 5 weeks have passed depending on the weather I turn the globes off during the day. The first time you do this you will need to make sure youi are around. If the birds are crying, turn the globes back on and try again in another few days.

At six weeks I turn all lights off and allow their own body warmth to heat the box, keep the box sealed. At the end of this week they are ready to go out into a clean pen, that is sheltered and as free from draughts as possible. This should apply to all chooks - draughts can cause chills and respiratory infections.

I place a cardboard box in the pen with the chicekens, with two large holes cut in the ends to allow acess, if they are cold they can huddle in the box.

Chickens raised as day olds and handled carefully daily will make eccelent pets, however chooks will always have a mind of their own.


SIX WEEK OLD CARE

This is a good age to buy, all the hard work has been done for you, the birds are acclimatised to outside conditions and are ready to go into their new pen.


As with the day olds, six week olds need clean feed and water daily. Lots of attention from children will tame them down nicely. They are still on pullet starter (crumbles) at six weeks, this changes at the end of 8 weeks when the go onto pullet grower. It is a larger pellet, with more protein and idfferent nutrients accomodation for their different age.

From 6 weeks chickens will hapily eat kitchen scraps, anything except for potato peelings. Cut it up a little and the chicks will love it. Bread in small qauntities is also acceptable - i prefere not to feed them white breads.

I start to let my chickens out to explore the world in a secure run at 8 weeks of age. They can then scratch and peck up grubs and greens. Scratch grain can also be introduced - wheat or mixed grains thrown around the yard will provide lots of interest for the young birds.

POINT OF LAY

Point of lay is a term used to describe a pullet (young hen) who is about to, or has just started to lay her first eggs.. Depending on the breed they will start to lay between 24-30 weeks. Eggs will be small at first but will increase in size slightly each day. The older the hen the larger the egg. The birds should now be on adult feed, there is a large range to choose from, i reccomend you chose one that suits your needs - i feed mine golden yolk, mixed with wheat and organic rye bread.

Clean fresh water is essential and cleaning out litter when it starts to smell is highly reccomended.


Buying chickens is an interesting and fun learning experience. Wether you choose to purchase day olds, young chickens or point of lay birds, there is much too learn.