Chicks to chickens: raising chickens communally

This Spring Equinox, we got 18, 2 week old baby chicks! My son Lincoln has been very interested the last year in chickens. We visited friends and family multiple times in the last year who had chickens and every time he asked to help with the chickens-giving them food, water and collecting the eggs (and he doesn't even like eggs 😂, but I digress). Seeing this continue consistently, we decided to prep for chickens this year. The kids were so motivated to get chicks that we prepped the brooder in a few hours and decided to get chickens the next day.

I reached out to my sister, our friends who live on the land with us and my mom, who lives 30 minutes away to see if anyone was interested in getting chickens. In the past as a farm, we covered the costs of raising the chickens, sold the eggs and paid my sister as an employee. But lately, we've been working in a different way-one where we all have ownership in projects and we split the costs and the benefits. We all decided that we would like to have chickens and agreed to split the food and materials cost and labor. We decided how many chickens to get for each family by estimating that one chicken would lay 5 eggs per week. We ended up with a total of 18 chickens.

Because we have raised chickens in the past, we had a lot of the materials and a good idea of what we needed. So we made a list with the kids and prepped the brooder. The next day, we went to our local feed supply store and got the chicks and any supplies we didn't have on hand. I love supporting our local feed supply as opposed to buying everything online. Most times the staff is very knowledgeable and can help if you have any questions or concerns with your chickens.

We brought the chicks home, filled up warm water with electrolytes and food and put them in the brooder. We were expecting to get days old chicks, but the ones available at the store were already a couple weeks old. After we put them in the brooder it was clear that they needed more space-they were already beginning to flap their wings and take small flights and didn't have the height or space to do so. The next day for homeschool, we prepped the chicken tractor that we've used in the past for meat chickens. It has much more space and height-36 sq ft, compared to the first brooder at 6 sq ft. We also realized they would be able to drink and eat out of larger feeders so we changed those out as well, but left the small waterer so they could have access to it while they learned the other type (automatic cup waterer).

When the chicks are big enough that they won't be taken by hawks, we will move them to an even bigger mobile coop my husband built on an old trailer. It has laying boxes and they will be able to be outside scratching and pooping in our gardens that were planted the year before and protected by an electric fence with solar fence charger.

The kids have been in the coop today for hours enjoying the chickens. It's amazing seeing them so excited to care for the little beings! It makes the work worth it!

Tips for first time chicken parents:

🐥 Go to your local feed store to get the chicks. Most times the staff are knowledgeable and will help you if any problems arise in the future

🐥 If you can get chicks that are a couple weeks old, they may cost more, but have less risk of dying which can be disheartening on your first go around

🐥 If you do choose to raise the chicks from a few days old, watch them closely-like multiple times per day. Electrolytes are critical to prevent diarrhea which can prove deadly when it gets stuck on those cute featherless booties. If this does happen, you need to take a warm towel to loosen the poop gently. Do NOT pull or you will rip the chicks skin and the other chicks will begin to peck that area. Google if needed

🐥 If the chicks are huddled directly under your heat lamp, they are too cold. If they are on the opposite side of the brooder from the heat lamp, they are too hot. If they are somewhere in the middle, they are just right

🐥 Handling the chicks daily will get them used to you and be more friendly when they are fully grown

Brooder Supplies:

🐥 Brooder box with lid- we used an old plastic tote from Home Depot and a heavy collapsible dog crate for a lid with a piece of tarp to cover for night-be mindful of the tarp next to the heat lamp!

🐥 Chick waterer

🐥 Electrolytes with probiotics and vitamins

🐥 Chick feeder

🐥 Heat lamp and bulb

🐥 Sawdust

🐥 Starter mash

This is by no means a comprehensive guide. Maybe a quick start guide? Enjoy becoming chicken parents!